Describe how A Walk to Remember epitomizes the characteristics of a coming-of-age novel. How do the characters experience a loss of childhood innocence in the novel? What characters are confronted with internal conflict and making good choices? How do people in the novel become more community-centered and less self-centered? In what way do the characters achieve maturity?

Teaching Suggestion: Depending on your class, it might be beneficial to introduce or review the concept of a bildungsroman and coming-of-age characteristics; students might be eager to name and discuss other notable coming-of-age works they recall. Because the topic covers many characters and details in the novel, students might benefit from review and notetaking before responding.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who find whole-text prompts especially challenging, consider allowing students to work with a partner to discuss the characters and record details. A graphic organizer designed by the student (such as a simple table, graph, or chart) might be beneficial in categorizing traits by character and associating which traits contribute to the maturation process.