Girl, Stolen

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. Describe how Henry uses conflict to help Griffin grow into a better person and show the importance of the theme Change Inspired by Kindness and Diversity.

• Identify two conflicts Griffin faces in the novel that lead him to experience a Change Inspired by Kindness and Diversity. (topic sentence)
• Describe how Griffin reacts to the two conflicts you have identified.
• In your conclusion, discuss how these conflicts influenced Griffin to Change Inspired by Kindness and Diversity.

2. After Cheyenne’s accident and her mother’s death, she did not want to live anymore. How did she change her attitude and become a strong and determined young woman who is capable of Seeing Things From a Different Perspective?

• Who or what inspired Cheyenne to learn to care for herself after becoming a blind person? (topic sentence)
• Describe two experiences Cheyenne had that helped prepare her to deal with life as a blind person. How did these experiences motivate her to See Things From a Different Perspective?
• In your conclusion, discuss how Cheyenne’s attitude directed her behavior. How did it help her handle being kidnapped?

3. Describe the relationship between Cheyenne and Griffin. How does it change throughout the story?

• Does Griffin have Cheyenne’s best interest at heart? (topic sentence)
• Describe 2-3 interactions between Griffin and Cheyenne. How do they feel about each other as the story progresses?
• In your conclusion, explain how Griffin and Cheyenne connect to each other.

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. Seeing Things From a Different Perspective is a major theme of the book. How is Cheyenne’s ability to See Things From a Different Perspective crucial to saving her life? How does it impact her relationship with Griffin?

2. Cheyenne and Griffin come from very diverse backgrounds. How are their backgrounds depicted throughout the story? How is understanding their backgrounds vital to understanding the story?

3. The story ends with a cliffhanger when Griffin asks Cheyenne, “Can I call you again?” Do you think that they will continue to be friends or be more than friends? Use text evidence to support your response.