Stone Fox

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 novel’s title, Stone Fox, refers to the Indigenous man who helps Little Willy.

• Why might the author have chosen to name the novel after Stone Fox? (topic sentence)
• Explain why you believe the author might have chosen to name the novel after Stone Fox, then provide examples of why Stone Fox might be an appropriate name.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether you believe the book was appropriately named or if the author should have chosen a different name for his book.

2. Searchlight has an intimate connection with Little Willy.

• How is Willy’s connection with Searchlight shown in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Describe how their connection is shown physically, emotionally, and mentally.