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 below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. 100 Cupboards is considered a coming-of-age novel.

• How does Henry become more mature during the novel? (topic sentence)
• What are 3 different kinds of obstacles that Henry faces, and how does each help him grow and mature?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how one or more of the novel’s themes (The Lure and Danger of Adventure, Creating Your Own Family, and Solving the Puzzle with Both Logic and Chance) connect to the idea of coming-of-age.

2. Henrietta serves as a foil to Henry. Foils are characters who possess traits that are opposite in nature.

• What are the main similarities and differences between Henrietta and Henry? (topic sentence)
• What specific things that Henry and Henrietta do provide evidence of their similarities and differences? Give at least 1 example to support each difference and each similarity.