Reading Journal Topics & Guidelines

Each week you will write an entry in your Reading Journal.  At the beginning of each entry write the date, the title of the book you are reading, and the author of the book.  These will be due at the beginning of class on Fridays.  Each journal entry must be at least 1 page long for full credit.  Each journal must contain at least ½ page of summary and at least ½ page of analysis from the book.  Your analysis will answer one of the prompts below.  Do not use the same prompt over and over; instead, try out a variety of writing suggestions.  If you think of a prompt that should be added to this list, please let me know.  These journals should be single-spaced. 

1)      Write a letter to the author of the book explaining to him or her why you think he or she wrote the book and what you think he or she was trying to show through the book. Be sure to explain what you got out of the book.

2)      Write a letter to the main character of the book you are reading.

3)      The next week, write the letter that the main character sent back to you.

4)      Write a pretend letter from a character in your book to someone in real life (probably you or another reader).  In the letter, explain why you (the character) has chosen his/her particular path.  Have the character tell a bit about himself/herself in the letter.

5)      Write a pretend diary entry or interior monologue from a character in the book.  Tell the character’s hopes, fears, and general thoughts about what is going on in his/her life.

6)      Write 10 good reasons why someone should or should not read the book you are reading.

7)      Write a letter from one character to another character.

8)      Write the first paragraph (or two) for a sequel. Outline what would happen in the rest of book.

9)      Write a new conclusion.

10)  Write a new beginning.

11)  Use a journalistic style and write a news story about something that happened to one of the characters.

12)  Prepare a list of 15 to 20 questions for use in determining if other people have read the book carefully.

13)  Write a scene that could have happened in the book you read but didn't.  After you have written the scene, explain how it would have changed the outcome of the book.

14)  In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield describes a good book as one that "when you're done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."  Imagine that the author of the book you read is a terrific friend of yours.  Write out an imaginary telephone conversation between the two of you in which you discuss the book you read and other things as well.

15)  Finish the following sentences:   This book made me wish that…, realize that…, decide that…, wonder about…, see that…, believe that…, feel that…, and hope that….  Explain why you felt each of these things.

16)  Choose a particularly interesting quote from your book.  Copy it down.  Write why you chose it and how it relates to the rest of the book.

17)  If your character were real and alive today, whom would he/she most want to meet?  Why?  Who might he/she not want to spend time with?  Why?

18)  Write a pretend dialogue between your character and his/her hero (can either use character’s hero from the book, or someone he/she would admire if he/she were alive right now).

19)  Write the title of the book down the side of the paper.  For each letter in the title, construct a full sentence that begins with that letter and that tells something significant about the story.

20)  Answering machine messages have gotten more and more creative over the years.  Select three characters from the novel you have been reading and create an answering machine message from each of them.  The messages should be different, depending on the character.  Explain why you chose each message.

21)  Select a current news or feature story from TV or newsmagazines that you think your character would be interested in.  Then explain how your character would respond to the story, and the opinions your character would have about what was happening in the story.

22)  Choose a scene from the novel your character would rather forget ever happened.  Describe why.

23)  Choose a scene from the novel your character will cherish and always want to remember.  Describe why.

24)  Which character(s) do you like best?  Why?  Which character(s) do you like least?  Why?  Who do these characters remind you of in real life?

25)  What do you think will happen next?  Make a solid prediction, then tell why you think this is what will happen.
 
 

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