As a literature teacher, one of the best things that can happen in a class is for students to be so intrigued by a theme or idea that they explore it on their own. This year in 8th grade literature, the students were particularly struck by the Biblical parallels between Narnia and the Bible. Students spent multiple class periods arguing the possible allegories, pushing past the more obvious connections to tease out possible less-apparent similarities. As a final project, students compiled their observations in an essay, complete with a cover illustration. Ella presented thoughtful comparisons in a clear, organized way. She restricted herself to analyzing a few of the most striking characters and included good support from the Bible. I was particularly intrigued by Ella's "weak" parallels; she makes some connections which I've never considered. Not only did Ella present good content, but she demonstrated a strong grasp of form and structure. She employed an introduction with a clear thesis, made use of topic sentences, wrote a satisfying conclusion, and meticulously documented her references.  ~ Miss Carissa Davis, Upper School Literature