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 graphic novel over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Nick develops feelings for Charlie but feels confused and unsure about moving forward.

• Why is Nick conflicted about having feelings for Charlie, and how does he deal with it? (topic sentence)
• Examine how Nick’s feelings for Charlie build over time and the discrimination he faces even before he ever thinks about dating Charlie. Analyze and discuss how Nick deals with the experiences he and Charlie have.
• In your conclusion, outline how Nick’s inner conflict represents a bigger issue for LGBTQ+ youth in general.

2. Charlie and Nick meet in January, and by April their relationship has transformed.  

• What do the changing seasons symbolize, and how does the imagery in the graphic novel exhibit those changes? (topic sentence)
• Visually analyze the pages of the text to discover how the seasons change and what events occur in correlation.