The friendship between Callum and Emma sits at the center of Callum McBride, and it develops against the odds. The two start with a rough introduction and clashing personalities, and as they investigate Callum's past they learn to depend on each other. That arc makes friendship and trust natural subjects for student essays.

Friendship is a topic every student feels qualified to write about, which can lead to personal anecdotes instead of text-based analysis. The task for the teacher is to channel that enthusiasm into evidence-based writing. Prompts should require specific moments from the novel and push students to explain how the relationship changes.

A useful framing is to treat trust as something that is built and tested. Students can identify the moments that strengthen or strain the relationship, then argue what finally makes the bond secure. This turns a general topic into a defensible analytical claim.

Prompt ideas that demand evidence

Prompts should name the relationship and an action word such as trace, evaluate, or argue. Each of these verbs sets a different kind of task, from a chronological analysis to a judgment of whether a character's decision was wise. Varying the verbs across a class allows different students to approach the book from different angles.

• Trace how Callum and Emma's friendship changes from their first meeting to the end of the story
• Evaluate whether Callum made the right choice in trusting Emma with his secret
• Argue which character contributes more to the friendship and support the claim with evidence
• Explain how conflict between the two characters ultimately strengthens their bond
• Analyze what the novel suggests about friendships between people with very different personalities

Keeping personal connections in check

Personal connections can enrich an essay when used with restraint. Allow students one short reference to their own experience in the introduction or conclusion, but require that body paragraphs stay anchored in the novel. This balance respects their lived knowledge while preserving the analytical focus.

A rubric row for text focus makes the expectation visible. A high score might say that every body paragraph includes specific textual evidence and explanation, while a lower score notes heavy reliance on personal opinion. Communicating this early prevents students from feeling penalized for what they considered a heartfelt response.

Developing nuance in student arguments

Strong essays acknowledge that trust is rarely all or nothing. A student might argue that Callum trusts Emma partly out of necessity and partly because her skills prove valuable, which shows layered thinking. Encourage this complexity by asking students to find a moment that complicates their main claim.

Conferencing can help students move from a simple claim to a nuanced one. A short conversation asking "Was there ever a moment when Callum doubted her?" can unlock a more sophisticated argument. These quick exchanges often produce more improvement than extensive written comments.

Grading with consistency

Because friendship essays can reward emotional engagement, graders should be careful to evaluate the quality of analysis. Use a rubric that scores claim, evidence, explanation, and organization with clear descriptors. This ensures that the most heartfelt essay does not automatically outscore the most analytical one.

AI grading tools applying a teacher's rubric can help keep scoring steady across many essays on the same prompt. The teacher reviews the results and adjusts for context, such as a student's growth since the last assignment. The combination speeds the process and supports fairness.