The Florida panther cub, Squirt, assists the characters in forming bonds and building unlikely relationships. Consider the relationships and perspectives that change in the novel because of Squirt. Consider these points as you reflect on the text to answer your question:

• How does the relationship between Mrs. Starch and the students change?
• In what way does Twilly contribute to Nick’s character growth?
• What is the panther’s role in developing new friendships between the characters?
• How does Duane Jr. experience character growth?
• What characters in the novel do not experience a change in character?
• How is Mrs. Starch’s character altered by her encounter with Squirt?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may find it beneficial to address the prompt by analyzing individual characters and describing their character before and after the encounter with Squirt. Consider instructing students to create a T-chart analyzing individual characters by labeling the two portions “then” and “now.” Students can input the individual characters with their description of then and now into the chart. Consider using these characters from the novel to analyze growth: Bayliss, McBride, Nick, Mrs. Starch, and Duane Jr.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with executive functioning differences or others who might find additional scaffolding beneficial could be offered the chance to limit their discussion to an individual character rather than analyzing multiple characters.