Reader s Notebook Name: Grade: School:
10 Genres I Read this year 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Fantasy And Science Fiction Modern Realism Mystery & Suspense Informational Historical Fiction Biography or Autobiography
Guidelines for Reading Workshop 1. Find a place where you can quietly read a book and remain focused. 2. Work silently so that you and your classmates can do your best thinking. 3. Use a soft voice when conferring with a teacher. 4. Select books that you think you ll enjoy and abandon books that aren t working for you, after you ve given them a chance. 5. List the title, author, genre code, and difficulty when you complete a book. 6. Always do your best work. 7. Be prepared to respond to your reading by having a response in mind during your reading time.
How to Give a Book Talk 1. Purpose: Get readers excited about a book, author, series, or genre. 2. Prepare: Make sure you ve read the book. Choose a book other readers will like. Think about what is interesting about your book. Think about the lead how you will capture the readers interest. Write page numbers and a few notes on a stickie. 3. Present: Show the book. Start with a good lead. Tell the author, title, genre. Explain why you chose to share the book. Tell a little about the book, but don t give away secrets. Mention other books by the same author or other books in the series. 4. Remember: Look at everyone. Speak clearly. Show your enthusiasm. Keep it short! Adapted from Reader s Notebook, by I.C. Fountas and G.S. Pinnell
Genre Overview Fiction Code Genre Definition F Fantasy MR Modern Realism M Mystery/Suspense G HF SF General Fiction Historical Fiction Science Fiction A story including elements that are impossible such as talking animals or magical powers. Makebelieve is what this genre is all about. A story using made-up characters that could happen in real life. A suspenseful story about a puzzling event that is not solved until the end of the story. Stories that are passed down from one group to another in history. This includes folktales, legends, fables, fairy tales, tall tales, and myths from different cultures. This category also includes books that do not fit into other categories A fictional story that takes place in a particular time period in the past. Often the setting is real, but the characters are made up from the author s imagination. A type of fantasy that uses science and technology (robots, time machines, etc.) Nonfiction Code Genre Definition I B AB Informational Biography Autobiography Texts that provide facts about a variety of topics (sports, animals, science, history, careers, travel, geography, space, weather, etc.) The story of a real person s life written by another person. The story of a real person s life that is written by that person. Other Genre Code Genre Definition P Poetry Poetry is verse written to create a response of thought and feeling from the reader. It often uses rhythm and rhyme to help convey its meaning.
Reading Tally Sheet Book Minimum: For each book you complete mark a tally showing you have finished. You need to reread exactly three books that you have read before. Also you need to read at least three books suggested by another person. Books need to be at least 75 pages to count toward your total and books more than 200 pages count as two books. Book Requirement Genre Tally Modern Realism Informational Science Fiction or Fantasy Mystery and Suspense Historical Fiction Biography or Autobiography Student Choice
# Title Author Date Started Date finished
# Title Author Date Started Date finished
# Title Author Date Started Date finished
# Title Author Date Started Date finished
# Title Author Date Started Date finished
# Title Author Date Started Date finished
# Title Author Date Started Date finished
Suggestions for Reading Response Topics Write about your favorite part of the book and why it was important to the story. Explore how the main character has changed throughout the story. Write about something that surprised you or that you found interesting. Describe an interesting or important character in your book. Describe parts of the book that puzzled you or made you ask questions. Write about an important lesson that was learned in the story. Write your predictions about the story and tell whether or not they were right. Explain how the book reminds you of yourself, people you know, or of something that happened in your life. Explain how the book reminds you of other books, especially the characters, events, or setting. Describe how this book is like other books by the same author, on the same topic, or in the same genre. Retell the ending of the story AND write your feelings about it.
Explain why you think that your book is popular with students in the class (if it is popular with other readers in the class). Would you recommend the book to another reader? Explain why or why not. Describe what you would change about the book if you could rewrite it. Describe in details the setting of your book and how it fits into the story. Compare two characters in the book to each other by describing their similarities and their differences. Compare a character in your book to a character in another book you have read. Make a list of questions you have after finishing reading. Write a summary of the plot events in your book today. Give an example of a fact and an opinion from your book. Name the genre of your book and how can you tell. Explain why you chose the book. Describe one conflict in your book. Was there a resolution?