Million Word Challenge

Click Here to Submit Responses for the Million Words Challenge

Can you read 1 million words this school year!? Challenge yourself to read every day and see what mark you can hit - 100,000? 500,000? or will you hit 1 MILLION WORDS!?

How do I enter a book I've read this school year?

  1. Click on the Million Words Challenge link above.
  2. Log in with your school Google Account.
  3. Click on "Enter a Book"
  4. There are 2 options here! You can enter the ISBN number (the barcode on the back of the book - if you don't have the book, you can look up the ISBN on Amazon) OR leave the box blank, click "Next Step," and search by book title. You can then pick your book from the list that comes up.
  5. Enter the dates you started and finished the book.
  6. Enter the number of pages read (this information is also available on Amazon)
  7. Enter the words per page - A "traditional" book has approximately 250 words per page; a "graphic novel" has approximately 100 words per page; and a "novel in verse" has approximately 100 words per page
  8. Choose a question you want to answer about your book and fill in answer completely - make sure to include details and specific examples from the book!
  9. Book will be approved by your teacher or Ms. Fumarolo.
  10. Watch as you work your way up to 1,000,000 words!!!

What makes a good book response answer?

For every book that you enter towards the challenge, students must answer a question about the book to provide evidence of reading and let us know what you thought of it. What makes a good response? See the answers below, using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as an example.

Question: How did the main character change in the book?

Answer that Needs More

Harry didn't know he was a wizard at the beginning, but then he gets to go to wizard school and learn magic.

Good Answer

When we first meet Harry at the beginning of the book, he gets pushed around by his aunt, uncle, and cousin and has no friends. After he meets Hagrid and gets to Hogwarts, he makes friends for the first time in his life and gets to try new things. By the end, Harry knows how to use magic and realizes that he's not really alone after all.

Exemplary Answer

Harry is completely alone at the start of the book, orphaned and abandoned on the Dursley's doorstep. They don't support him throughout his life in any way, making him lonely and isolated. Once he meets Hagrid and joins the wizarding world, Harry gets to have new experiences - he makes friends, represents his house, and becomes Seeker on the Quidditch team. By the end of the book he knows that magic doesn't solve everything, but he can use it well and he looks forward to returning to Hogwarts next year.