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. Some humans and animals, such as Peter and Pax, share a deep connection.

• To what extent does the connection between humans and animals in the story impact the survival of both? (topic sentence)
• Compare the relationship between Pax and Peter with the relationship between other humans and foxes in Pax. How and why are these relationships different?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain the lesson the author likely intends for readers to see in the relationship between Pax and Peter.

2. Pax’s character changes and grows over the course of the novel as he acquaints himself with life in the wild.

• In what ways does Pax change in the novel? (topic sentence)
• What qualities must Pax master in the woods in order to stay alive? How do the other foxes challenge his sense of self? How do these moments contribute to Pax’s change?
• In your concluding sentences, summarize the parallel between Pax’s change in the novel and Peter’s coming of age.