If You Could Change Places with One of the Characters in the Novel, Who Would It Be

READING RESPONSE PROMPTS – QUARTER ONE

Each Reading Response should include the date, book title, and prompt number.

Each Response should fill at least one page in your notebook.

Every entry should be neat, legible, and grammatically accurate.

Below is a list of Reading Response Prompts for 1st Quarter.

You may not repeat a prompt until you have used each prompt once.

If you could change places with one of the characters in the novel, who would it be? Why?
Which character in the novel is most like you? Why?
Why do you think the author chose to write this particular story? Support your opinion with details.
What is the climax of the novel? Where does it occur? What does this climax reveal about the purpose of the story?
Who is telling the story in your novel? How does that point of view control the events of the story?
Whose voice do you hear in the narration? What attitudes are reflected in that voice? How do these help you understand the overall concept of the novel?
Identify a symbol in the story; explain its meaning. Apply this symbol to something in your everyday life.
Choose two characters in your novel. Compare and contrast their personalities and behaviors.
Compare this novel to another you have read. How is it similar or different in relation to plot, theme, point of view, and/or its conclusion?
Choose an event from the novel that relates to a situation in your own life. How did you feel when you were in that similar situation? Do you think the character reacted appropriately?
Did you like the conclusion of the novel? Why or why not? What changes, if any, would you make?
If you could have said one thing to the main character, what would it have been? At what point of the story would you have said it? How do think it would have influenced the outcome?
How do you think it would change the story if the main character were a different gender? Support your thinking with examples from the story.
If you could add or remove a character from the story, explain who it would be. Explain why you made this choice and how it would affect the story.
Choose three character traits the main character in you novel possesses. Describe a gift you think the character would appreciate receiving based on these traits.
Choose a character from your novel and describe how he/she changed as a result of the story. Predict what you think this character’s next life experience will be.
If you could change one event in the story, what would it be? Explain your reasoning and tell what effect it would have on the story as a whole.

READING RESPONSE PROMPTS – QUARTER TWO

Each Reading Response should include the date, book title, and prompt number.

Each Response should fill at least one page in your notebook.

Every entry should be neat, legible, and grammatically accurate.

Below is a list of Reading Response Prompts for 2nd Quarter.

You may not repeat a prompt until you have used each prompt once.

Do you think your novel would make a good movie? Explain why or why not.

If you respond positively, tell who you

would cast to play the major characters.

Give an alternative title to your novel. Explain your choice.
Tell about something you learned, realized, or felt while you were reading the book. Explain what impact this had on you.
In what ways does your novel incorporate historic events? Support your answer with details from the story. Notice this is not a yes or no question.
Did the ideas and concepts in the novel hold your attention? Did you ever become bored? Were the events too fast or too slow? Explain.
As you were reading, were you able to keep the ideas straight in your mind? Was there any place you were confused? What strategy did you use to clarify your thoughts?
Were you hoping the book would end, or were you hoping it would go on and on? Defend your answer with examples from the text.
Identify the elements of humor in the story. Give the specific type of literary device used and support your answer with details from the story.
Reflect on the story and summarize, pose questions, and make predictions.
Pick, and summarize, a small moment (specific, focused event) in the story and analyze its significance to the plot, characters, or theme.
Analyze the author’s purpose or style in telling the story.
Reflect on something you have learned, realized, or observed while reading the story.
Compare and/or contrast your book to another text (includes books and other print, movies, TV shows, commercials, and other media). Look for common themes, characters, motivations, plot lines, etc.
Reflect on the social commentary of the story. How does it mirror what is happening in your community, state, country, or world?
Challenge the text. Question what the author is saying or implying, and offer your opinion with support.
Respond in genre. Write a poem, song lyric, story, memoir, diary entry, etc inspired by what you read.
Write an alternate plot line branching from a particular point in the story.
Insert yourself into the story and react to the plot, setting, characters, or theme at a particular point in the story.

READING RESPONSE PROMPTS – QUARTER THREE

Each Reading Response should include the date, book title, and prompt number.

Each Response should fill at least one page in your notebook.

Every entry should be neat, legible, and grammatically accurate.

Below is a list of Reading Response Prompts for 3rd Quarter.

You may not repeat a prompt until you have used each prompt once.

If the book were set 50 years in the future or the past, how wouldthe conflict change? Defend your response.
What is the most important WORD in the book? The most important PASSAGE? The most important EVENT or FEELING? Explain.
Who SHOULD read this book? Why? Who should NOT? Why?
Pick a character. Create a full page of dialogue between the two of you. What would you and your favorite character talk about in your conversation? Be specific.
Give 3 reasons why this book should be taught to a whole class. If you don’t think it should, defend that stance with 3 examples as well.
Critique any aspect of the story giving reasons and support (evidence) from the text.
If I were making this book into a movie, the part(s) I would cut out or change would be…..because…..Explain.
What parts of the book seem most believable or unbelievable? Why?
If you could introduce a character from your book to your family, who would it be? Why?
Which character would you be ashamed to introduce to your family? Why?
In what ways was the main character’s life remarkable? In what ways was it ordinary? Defend your answers.
What questions would you like to ask the author of the book? Are they questions that you may be able to answer by reading more about the author's life and/or works?
Which character is your least favorite? How could this character be changed in order to make you like him/her more? Be specific.
How does the author draw the reader in and keep the reader engaged? Or why didn’t it work? Be specific.
What is the author’s most admirable quality in his/her writing? Is this someone you would want to know? Defend your response with evidence.
Connect an event in your reading to an era you have learned about in Social Studies this year. How are the events in your book similar to real events in history? Be specific.
Challenge the text. What has angered you, upset you, confused you? Question what the author is saying or implying, and offer your opinion with support (evidence).
Respond in genre. Write a poem, song lyric, story, memoir, diary entry, etc inspired by what you read. Full page response required.

READING RESPONSE PROMPTS – QUARTER FOUR

Each Reading Response should include the date, book title, and prompt number.

Each Response should fill at least one page in your notebook.

Every entry should be neat, legible, and grammatically accurate.

Below is a list of Reading Response Prompts for 4th Quarter.

You may not repeat a prompt until you have used each prompt once.

Complete the first five prompts, using your own voice, and text based evidence to defend your claim

“When I first read the story, I thought it was just about…but now that I think more clearly about it, I realize it is also about…”
“Often people (do, think, behave)…but this story shows that it’s possible for people to (do, think, behave)…”
“I used to think…but now after reading this, I think…because…”
“I learned from (the character, the event) that in life, it can be important to…”
“If I could step into the book, the first thing I would do/change/say is...”
Which character reminds you of someone in your life? Who is that person in your life; who is that character in your book? Explain your answer with evidence.
Which character do YOU most resemble? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Defend your answer.
What qualities make a character “stand out” in a book? Which character displays those qualities in your novel? Give specific examples from the text.
What do you feel is the most important word, phrase, or passage or paragraph in this work? Why?
Describe a character as YOU see them in your mind. Use specific examples from the text and sensory details of sight, smell, taste, sound, touch to be specific.
Describe a specific setting as YOU see it in your mind. Use specific examples from the text and sensory details of sight, smell, taste, sound, touch to be specific.
Is the main character in this story a dynamic character or a static one? Explain with evidence.
What did the author want you to think about the main character? What specific events in the story made you think this is what the author wanted you to think?
Describe the biggest surprise event in your novel. Give specific evidence that made this event a shock.
Write a eulogy (a speech honoring someone after death) for one of the characters. A eulogy usually speaks of someone’s accomplishments, family, work, etc.
Write a commercial script for this book. What would you mention in a minute long commercial to get people to buy this book?
Write a poem: A. From a character’s perspective. B. About the setting.

C. About a conflict. D. About the theme of the book.

NON-FICTION READING RESPONSE PROMPTS

Each Reading Response should include the date, book title, and prompt number.

Each Response should fill at least one page in your notebook. You will need to elaborate and cite specific evidence from the text.

Every entry should be neat, legible, and grammatically accurate.

You may not repeat a prompt until you have used each prompt once.

Focus: Surprising information

Journal: The information that surprised me most is ______, because ______. I can use this information in my life by ______.

Focus: Is this information correct?

Journal: I question the information on page ____ because______. I can check it out by ______.

Focus: Important information

Journal: The most important thing I have learned is______, because ______.

Focus: Interesting facts

Journal: The most interesting thing I read was______.

Focus: Author’s style

Journal: Some of the techniques the author uses to make this information easy to understand are ______.

Focus: Follow up reading

Journal: I could look for more information on this topic ______.

Focus: Key ideas

Journal: Some key ideas are (think of the 5W's: Who? What? When? Where? Why?) ______.

Focus: Summary

Journal: The passage I read today is about ______.

Focus: What I learned

Journal: From today’s reading, I learned ______.

Focus: What is missing?

Journal: I think the author should have included ______.

Focus: Questions

Journal: Some questions I still have that the author did not answer are ______.

Focus: Text features

Journal: Text features I encountered in my reading today were______.

More…Non-Fiction Reading Response Prompts

Copy a short passage that you found to be interesting. Explain what made it interesting for you.Why did this stick out?
Explain some of the things that you have learned so far that you are not likely to forget in the near future.Make a list of what new items you have learned by reading this. I LEARNED NOTHING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
Write to inform us about the author. What other articles and/or books has the author written? Is he/she one of your favorite authors, and if so, why?
What ideas might you have for turning this work of nonfiction into a work of fiction? Give a brief summary of what your story might be like.
Write a summary of what you read in your book today--Explain the basic information that is being presented in terms of the 5W's: Who? What? When? Where? Why?
Why is your topic important? Why should others read your book?
How is the topic of this book similar to others you have read? How is it different?
Draw a graphic organizer about your book. COMPLETE THE ORGANIZER NEATLY
What is the main idea of your book? List three details that support the main idea.
What is the authors purpose of your book? Explain how you know.
Explain what you feel while reading this book. Why do you feel this?
What pictures, illustrations, diagrams or photographs are helpful? Explain how/why
Write a letter explaining to a friend why he/she should/should not read this book.
Would you like to read more books about this topic? Explain why or why not.
Where could you go to find more information/books on the topic?
How does the topic connect to your life?
Does the author explain new concepts to you? Give 3 examples.
What are you still unsure of after reading this book? What is your next step to finding this information?
What questions would you ask the author if he/she came to Arcade and you got to have a face to face conversation with him/her?
If you were the author explain what you would do differently in the book and why?
In a chart explain why you enjoyed, or did not enjoy this book. Be specific.

BOOK TALK RUBRIC TALKING POINTS

This WILL count as journal

Every time you begin a new book, use the following criteria to create notes for your own Book Talk Presentation.

Title and Author
Genre
Characters
Setting
Plot summary (events)
Conflict/Resolution
Cover description/significance
Theme
Author Style
Favorite moment so far
Intended audience
Anticipate questions from the

audience

Create possible hooks to begin and

end your Book Talk