My Life as a Book

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers 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. Overcoming Obstacles is a key theme in the novel.

• How does Pedro help Derek understand the importance of persistence in learning? (topic sentence)
• Examine the relationship that Pedro has with his owner, Michael, and what Derek learns about Pedro’s training to become a helper monkey.
• In your conclusion, discuss how this lesson changes Derek at the end of the novel.

2. Derek is characterized by his mischievous and rebellious nature.

• Why does he act out in risky and destructive ways, and what does it show about his reluctance to grow up? (topic sentence)
• Detail three instances in the novel where Derek acts out. Explore what he’s reacting to and how others react to him.
• In your conclusion, examine the possible reasons that Derek might be worried about growing up using clues from his asides in the novel.