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. Compare and contrast the characters of Dane and Ethan.

• How are Dane and Ethan similar, and how are they different? (topic sentence)
• Give one example of how Dane and Ethan are alike and two examples of how they are different.
• In your concluding sentences, explain what Ethan and Dane teach Jenna through their characters.

2. Explain how Jenna changes throughout The Adoration of Jenna Fox.

• How does Jenna Fox change physically and emotionally during the novel? (topic sentence)
• Describe in detail one physical change and two emotional changes in Jenna.
• In your concluding sentences, explain how the changes in Jenna inspire others to change as well.

3. Explain how Jenna’s use of dictionary definitions is important in the novel.