Wish

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. Charlie goes to great lengths to find Wishbone.

• How does Wishbone help Charlie? (topic sentence)
• Describe at least 3-4 key scenes that illustrate the relationship between Wishbone and Charlie. Explain how the scenes are good examples that support your topic sentence.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain a key lesson Wishbone teaches.

2. At the end of the novel, Charlie reveals her wish has been about family all along.

• What does family mean to Charlie? (topic sentence)
• To advance your ideas, include at least 3-4 quotations from the novel and reasoning about each.
• In your conclusion, explain how Charlie’s ideas of family build on the theme of Finding One’s Identity and Place in the World.

3. Charlie notices those around her and reflects on her observations.

• How do Bertha and Gus contrast with Scrappy and Carla? (topic sentence)
• Explain your reasoning for your topic sentence, and incorporating at least 3-4 quotations to develop your ideas.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain which of the four characters seems to have the most influence on Charlie.

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. Consider the setting of Colby, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. How are the mountains symbolic? How does Charlie feel about the mountains at first? Where do the mountains play a key role in the story? How is her new home connected to these landmarks? In what ways does Charlie’s life shift over the course of the novel? What actions does she take that change her life? What shifts in Charlie’s attitude toward the mountains?

2. Reflect on the title of the novel. What is the significance of wishing in the book? How long has Charlie been wishing? What does she reveal at the end she has been wishing for? What does Howard wish for? How does sharing their wishes affect the friendship between Charlie and Howard?