Ruby Holler

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. The Moreys temporarily take on the twins as travel companions for their separate adventures.

• What is the overall role of travel in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Explain how travel impacts the plot of the novel, and then discuss the symbolic significance of travel to Sairy and Tiller.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you believe Sairy and Tiller regret being separated during their travels or whether they will consider traveling separately again.

2. The death of Joey, a fellow orphan living at Boxton Creek Home for Children, has a profound effect.

• Where can the impact of Joey’s death be demonstrated in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Describe specific scenes in the novel when Joey’s death is described or alluded to, and then discuss the significance of his death. To what extent are other characters affected? Use text details in your analysis.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize the overall impact of Joey’s story in the narrative.

3. Creech includes some details from the novel and excludes others.

• Why does Creech reveal some information while withholding other important information? (topic sentence)
• Explain the purpose of flashbacks used by Creech in the novel. Provide examples of these flashbacks, and explain why Creech reveals the information she does for her audience.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why Creech may have chosen to exclude some important information from her novel.

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 man known as Z suspects he might be the biological father of Dallas and Florida. Discuss in two or three paragraphs why Sharon Creech leaves the twins’ parentage unresolved and how the novel might have changed had the twins known Z was their father. Support your answer with quotes from the text.

2. Consider the role of intuition and dreams in the novel. Discuss in two to three paragraphs the significance and placement of these motifs; analyze the ideas most strongly suggested about family bonds through their development. Substantiate your answer by citing relevant information from the novel.

3. Tiller and Sairy’s approach to disciplining Dallas and Florida differs from what they have experienced in the past. In an essay of two to three paragraphs, explain the impact of the Moreys’ methods on the twins and their behavior. Provide quotes from the novel to support your thinking.