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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. Consider Jonah’s inner thoughts throughout the novel.

• Do these glimpses into his thinking make him a more sympathetic or less sympathetic character? (topic sentence)
• Choose at least 3 specific examples from the novel and use them to support your position on Jonah’s character.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe what these key points reveal about Jonah’s character.

2. The novel includes time travel and futuristic ideas.

• How do the science fiction details, items, and theories build one of the novel’s central themes (Who Am I?, Trusting Oneself and Others, or Newfound Truths Versus Long-Standing Beliefs)? (topic sentence)
• Choose 1 theme to focus on. Include at least 3 specific examples from the book and reasoning about how the examples build that theme.
• In your conclusion, briefly explain how the science fiction elements in this story connect to real life.

3. People like JB, Gary, and Hodge wield a lot of power over other lives.

• Who in the novel would you most trust with this power, and why? (topic sentence)
• Include at least 3 specific examples to support your argument and explain your reasoning.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, state additional leadership traits that would make the character you chose even more qualified to have that power.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Katherine, Jonah, and Chip reflect on their identities differently. Choose a character to analyze. What are the most important aspects of that character’s identity? How do they demonstrate what they value most and least? What actions support your analysis? What do they say about themselves, or what do other characters say about them, and how does that support your claims? Include at least three quotations from the novel that strengthen your arguments, and cite your references with page numbers.

2. Many rules of time travel are defined in the novel. Choose three rules and analyze whether each rule should be upheld or broken, explaining your reasoning. Which is safer for time, following the rules or breaking them?