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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 the role that storytelling plays in the novel.

• How does storytelling help Felix through the dangers and traumas he faces while searching for his parents? (topic sentence)
• Describe 2-3 examples from the novel in which storytelling helps Felix overcome a particular situation or several situations.
• In your concluding sentences, discuss the point Gleitzman’s novel makes about The Power of Storytelling.

2. Examine Barney’s role in the novel.

• Why is Barney willing to take risks for the children? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 examples in which Barney goes to great lengths to keep the children safe. What is his reaction to these events? How is his personality revealed?
• In your concluding sentences, explain how Barney’s sacrifices speak to the larger theme of Altruism Among the Persecuted.

3. Throughout the novel, Felix is unwilling to accept the fact that something bad has happened to his parents.

• Is his unwillingness to face the truth an example of Innocence, Naiveté, or Denial? (topic sentence)
• Present 2-3 examples to support your argument.
• In your concluding sentences, explain what finally convinces Felix of his parents’ fate.

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. Gleitzman’s novel emphasizes The Power of Storytelling through literature. What argument does the novel make about reading in general? Provide examples from the plot in which books and stories are placed in high regard by different characters. How does the threat of censorship infringe upon the characters’ access to literature?

2. Consider the genre and the target audience of the novel. How does its status as a children’s book influence elements such as Gleitzman’s diction, tone, and choice of imagery? Identify examples of these elements in the text to support your argument.

3. Throughout the novel, Felix references the importance of a carrot. What does the carrot represent for Felix personally? Why is a magic carrot a recurring symbol in the stories he tells?