88 pages • 2 hours read
Pam Muñoz RyanA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
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. Skyla and Santiago are very different people, with different attitudes toward their children. Reread the reunion scenes in Chapter 2 and Chapter 18, when Naomi and Owen encounter their parents for the first time in seven years.
2. Skyla’s return brings mixed emotions to several characters, including Naomi. However, Naomi encounters many other diverse characters throughout the story, who also affect her emotionally and contribute to her personal growth.
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. The chapters in this novel are named after collective animal nouns. Choose at least three examples and examine the relevance of each title. What is associated with each collective animal noun, and what are the implications of the title? Discuss how the titles connect to the tone and plot of each related chapter.
2. Throughout the novel, Naomi reflects on her ideals about family life and structure, but her reality often fails to compare. What does she learn from this experience? How does the author explore the theme of Family: Ideal Versus Reality? In your response, analyze the characters, dialogue, and/or plot.
3. In the Prologue, Naomi says she never expected to live up to her name. Over the course of the novel, readers learn the meaning of Outlaw, León, and Soledad. How does Naomi live up to each part of her name? Discuss specific scenes in the text and explain how they support your claims.
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