Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The concept of lying is explored from various angles in the novel.

• What lies does Ada tell? (topic sentence)
• Describe Susan’s definition of someone who is lying versus someone who is a liar, then explain which of Ada’s lies are and are not okay according to this definition.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you agree with Susan’s assessment of the difference between lying and a liar and whether there are circumstances in which it is okay to lie.

2. Initially, Ada goes away inside her head when difficult conversations or situations present themselves.

• Why does Ada resist going away in her head as the novel progresses? (topic sentence)
• Explain specific scenarios Ada chooses to escape from by thinking of something else, then explain why Ada chooses not to escape later as often as she did before.