Independent Reading Requirements
You should always be reading a book on your own, in addition to what we are reading in class. Each quarter, you will be required to earn stickers for this Independent Reading (IR). The books that you read for credit in IR should be books that you have not read before. Please note the specific rules below.
1) Each sticker is worth 100 pages.
2) You must earn at least six stickers in the first quarter.
3) You must earn at least eight stickers in the second, third, and fourth quarters.
4) Adult books (i.e. Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer) must have parent permission on file.
5) You may only read one book in a series (i.e. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson) for credit for IR, until you have completed all the genres.
6) You may only read one book in a genre until you have completed all the genres.
7) In order to get credit, you must complete the book review, and the book review must be approved by me.
BONUS: If you complete all genres by the end of 3rd quarter, you may read whatever you like in 4th quarter!
Genres
1) Adventure - a story which usually has characters on some sort of journey or quest, with a lot of action and heroism
2) Autobiography - the story of a real person’s life, written or told by that person
3) Biography - the story of a real person’s life, written or told by another person
4) Classic - traditional literature
5) Fantasy - fiction that contains elements that are not realistic, such as talking animals or magic
6) Historical Fiction - a story which takes place in a particular time period in the past, in which the basic setting or even some of the characters are real, but the author has imagined many of the details
7) Mystery - a story, usually realistic, about a mysterious event which is not explained or a crime that is not solved until the end of the story to keep the reader in suspense
8) Non-fiction - a book based on known, true facts, such as a history book, science book, biography, or how-to book
9) Realistic Fiction - a story that takes place in the present time with characters involved in events that could really happen
10) Science Fiction - a story that blends scientific fact with fictional elements and often includes futuristic technology
Book Review Format
Title:
Author:
Genre:
Pages:
Plot Summary: This section should include the major characters in the novel, the setting (time and place), and the general plot which shows the rising action (major struggles or conflicts), the climax, and the denouement (the resolution). The summary should explain to someone who hasn’t read the book what takes place, including the important details, but not bore the reader with every little detail. When you are writing the plot summary, you should ask yourself “Is this a key detail, or could I explain the story without this?” Be sure to write the plot summary of all works of fiction in the present tense. When you are summarizing non-fiction, biography, or autobiography, write in the past tense and don’t refer to characters, since the people are/were real.
Theme Statement: This section is one that many students struggle with, so you should think carefully about it. You need to identify the theme of the book (there may be several different themes, but you must choose the one you think is the MOST important), which will come from the list of Universal Themes. Once you have identified the theme, you must discuss the theme itself, explaining what it is and why it is important. A good technique to use is to discuss the circumstances in which this theme is important and whether it is always important. For example, you might choose “friendship” as your theme. Once you have explained what friendship is and why it is important, you could talk about the circumstances in which friendship would be important. Next, discuss how the theme is manifested in the book, giving at least three specific examples. Finally, explain how the theme relates to your own life, and give examples.
Reason to recommend or not: This is the place where you get to be the critic! Explain why this book was good or bad, giving specific examples from the book and/or reasons you would or would not recommend it to others to read. (It is okay to say that you wouldn’t recommend the book, but you have to explain why!)
Create a document in Google Documents and then share it with me. That way, I can comment on it, and then you can easily make revisions. Please be sure to title the review with your name and the genre (for example: Ms. Arn - Science Fiction Book Review), so that I can easily see what it is in my documents list. Also, please do not share it with me until you are finished with it. You will not get credit for the pages you read until I accept your review, so be sure to check back for my comments after you submit the review.
Universal Themes
Theme is the meaning of the story or the main idea. What is the point that the author is trying to make? The author uses the events and characters to make a comment about life, society, or individuals. When the author does want to convey a message, s/he may use key passages that state an important message.
The following is a list of themes that authors might use (there are others that are not listed):
Adaptation Ethics Realism
Balance Evil Relationships
Bravery Exploration Religion/Beliefs
Change Extinction Responsibilities
Coming of Age Family Revolution
Communication Fear Separation
Community Forces Structure
Conflict Friendship Style
Connections Good vs. Evil Survival
Conservation Hatred Symbols
Consumerism Honor Systems
Conversation Humor Temperance
Cooperation Imagination Time
Coping Interdependence Tradition
Courage Justice Tyranny
Cycles Knowledge Vanity
Death/Dying Liberty Virtue
Deception Love Wisdom
Desire Materialism Work
Democracy Morality
Discoveries Patterns
Duty Perceptions
Education Perseverance
Emotion Prejudice
Eternity Proof
When you finish reading a book, try to pick out a theme (there may be several) that the author is writing about. Also, think of events from the story that would support that theme, details about those events, and the reason why this is so.