Tips for Writing Your Essay

1. Look at the prompt before you begin reading your book. (“What makes the protagonist in this book a hero?“) As you read, keep that question in mind and keep track of quotations which might help you answer it.
2. After reading your book, come up with a strong, clear thesis that directly responds to the question: something along the lines of “Malala Yousafzai/Louis Zamperini is a hero because ….”
3. You are required to have at least three quotations to support your thesis. This means any piece of the text from the book that connects to your idea — it does not mean that it has to be dialogue (when a person is speaking, often denoted with quotation marks).
4. Use paragraphs to organize your ideas into a logical order.
5. Aim for a formal, academic tone; don’t write in the style that you would use in a casual conversation with friends.