Walls Within Walls

Using your own life experiences and examples from the text, draft your own defended answer to the question Sherry asks through Brid: When is it acceptable to do something “wrong”?

Put yourself in Julian Post’s shoes. Write a letter to Eloise to explain where you have been, how you feel about the situation, and what you hope for in the future. Go beyond the surface and give Julian even more layers.

Raphael Guastavino is the unsung hero around whom the novel revolves as a key figure in New York City’s history. Do some research about your hometown and write a report explaining your findings. Who were essential figures in where you live? What were their key contributions? How did their actions influence your hometown’s development?

Which character’s flaws had the most substantial impact on the team’s ability to enjoy the novel’s theme of The Thrill of Solving Mysteries and Deciphering Clues? Use textual evidence to support your stance.

Mr. Post chose seven poems to include in his poetry book. Research the significance of seven in numerology and apply those findings to Mr. Post’s poetry book. What layer(s) does the importance of seven add to the symbolic meaning of his book of poems?

The novel’s plot revolves around seven poems. Briefly discuss your history with poetry. What knowledge do you have about poems—their structure, their function, their meanings, etc.? Then, consider how you might use your poetry knowledge outside of poems.

Put together your own miniature clue hunt. Determine what you want your audience to find and hide the answer behind layers of riddles. You should strive to use at least one literary reference in your clue hunt to emulate Mr. Post and his love of poetry.

One relationship not discussed in detail related to the theme of Family Dynamics and Teamwork in Problem-Solving is the relationship between Mr. Smithfork and his children. Using what you now know about this theme and the impact of narrative layering, examine their relationship to understand why Mr. Smithfork and his children act and feel as they do toward each other.