1. INDEPENDENT
READING
The single most productive effort we can make on our
learning is the act of reading. As we all know, this is not
simply a question of being literate. We are going to make
every effort possible to develop an appreciation of reading.
Appreciation of Reading- When you can actually put down a book and
say, “I liked that” and then some (short) time later you find yourself picking
the same book up to read more. Essentially, you have found something
you like to read!
Independent Reader- One day you find yourself reading a book that you
enjoy and do foresee yourself finishing. Only this book, you chose for
yourself, your teacher didn’t force it upon you and an aunt didn’t give it
to you for your birthday.
Avid Independent Reader- You have done the previous (Independent
Reader) and now you want more. You finish a book and within a relatively
short amount of time you ask yourself, “What am I going to read next?”.
Hopefully you will find a specific series, author, or even genre that really
appeals to you.
Love of Reading- Throughout your life you read. You inform yourself about
the world, other people and cultures, and all the while increase this little
thing we like to call “being smart”. Athletes work out = smart people read.
Not exercising = being in poor shape. Not reading = mushy brain. Say
“NO!” to mushy brain.
Independent Reading – Elements
The following goes on the individual page you created for your current
reading selection.
For your current reading selection, choose 2 of the following writing
prompts and respond to each in the form of an in-depth written response.
I am currently on page ________.

2.  Summary What’s this book about? What’s currently going on in my
book? Who are the people involved and what are they trying to do?
 Prediction Based on what I know about my book/plot I feel the
following is going to take place…. Where do I see certain clues
(foreshadowing, imagery, characterization) that justify my prediction?
 Connection How is my book/novel similar to something else? What
other characters, stories, real-life events and figures, and other forms of art
similar to my book?
 Evaluate/Critique How is my book? Are the characters (fiction)
credible? How effective is the story or the author’s style? What elements of
my book do I like; what elements do I not like?
INDEPENDENT
READING
Based on your Independent Reading Selection, identify a key character
from the story. This character does not have to be the protagonist.
A)
1) Identify 10 (non-physical) key traits of this character.
2) Identify direct text from the novel where this trait is evident (see
citation guidelines below).
3) State what sort of characterization this is. Use the following list:
a) What the character thinks or says
b) Actions- what the character does
c) What other characters say about this character
d) Reactions- how other characters react to or behave around this
character
4) State how this quotation embodies the trait of the character.
B)
Write a brief (200 word) paragraph summarizing your character. (do not
focus too much on plot and DO NOT be a “spoiler”- don’t give away the
ending… we might want to read this book too).

3. Reading LOG
Your Reading LOG is something very personal. No one is going to obligate
you to record the time you reading your book (see below*). You are
advised to be reflective and introspective. Be honest with yourself and
truly examine what your reading habits are like. You may choose to
pursue your reading log in a number of manners, written response, video
blog, audio podcast, digital image or graphic. Choose anyway you wish
to express your progress with your reading, but do complete the survey
below. 5 is fantastic and 1 is poor. Or 5 is absolutely yes and 1 is a big fat
no. 5 is A LOT and 1 is almost never.
 Be sure to embed this document into your wiki. You can change the
color of the numbered textbox to indicate your answer. Upload this
document to your Slideshare.net account.
5
4
5 4
1. How frequently 3
3
am I reading? 2
2. How much am I
4 3 enjoying my book?
2 5
1 1
2
3. How good of a
job did I do 1
selecting my book?
4
5 3 5 4
3
4. Have I been 2 5. Would I like to
successful at spend more time 2
reading regularly? 1 reading?
1
*You can if you want- I often do. It helps me to see how I’m doing. Sometimes, if I
simply say that I’ll read x number of minutes a day, it doesn’t happen, but if I keep
a record, it works.

4. Oral Reading – Mp3 Recordings
Use your mp3 voice recording method of choice (Garageband,
Audacity, iPod/Touch, etc.) and record yourself reading for a 10 minute
segment. Upload your mp3 (yes, it can be a mp4) to your podbean
account, obtain the embeddable player and embed into the
appropriate page on your wiki. (It needs to be the page you have
opened for this current reading selection).
Reading Contract
As we have discussed on numerous occasions, becoming an avid
independent reader means making a habit out of reading. Like all
fundamental routines in your day, you seem to do them automatically
(Facebook, Xbox, after school activities and hopefully homework). We all
know that when we make habits of things, then we are more prone to
doing them.

5. Sam Tanenhaus- Editor,
NY Times Book Review
A book review is a description, critical analysis, and an
evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a
book- not a retelling. Do not tell us the plot. The idea is if you
are effective at critiquing and analyzing the book, then you
will influence your audience to read the story for themselves I write book
(or not). You can agree or disagree with a book and pinpoint reviews for a living
elements that are well done and other aspects that are
deficient.
 Mention the genre (you have already done this on the book page
of your independent reading wiki) and be very sure to state
whether this is fiction or non-fiction.
 Identify the narrative (point of view).
 Who is the author and does he/she have any particular insight
towards the subject matter (does something about their
background make sense that they would write this book)?
 Provide a (very) concise summary of the book. *** Do not be a
spoiler. Simply provide basic background information about:
- Setting
- protagonist & principal characters
- conflict (not the resolution)
 What is the author’s style? Is it written informally (I.e. trying to sound
like a teenager)? What is the author’s tone (does he/she try to
make a greater statement about a universal concept)?
 Does the book have a specific theme?
 What is the mood? LINK to an extensive list of mood and tone
words.
 Does the author effectively employ specific literary
devices/structural elements- characterization, word choice,
dialogue, imagery, metaphor, motif?
 On what levels, if any, have you connected with the book?
 Does the book achieve its goal? If it’s meant to be humorous and
light, or compelling and accusatory, or an exposé, is it successful?
 Would you recommend this book for reading and if so, to whom?
Have a look at the following book reviews (you will read all three of these
from grades 8-10). Compare our guidelines from above and identify how
they have implemented these basic components.
8- The Outsiders – by an anonymous middle school student

6. 9- Of Mice and Men- review by Linda Linguvic
10- To Kill a Mockingbird- Alix Wilber
8- The Outsiders – by an anonymous middle school student
The Outsiders was a fascinating novel depicting the life of a boy struggling
to survive in poverty without parents. Having only two brothers to look up
to, Ponyboy had to often fend for himself. While trying to stay out of
trouble with the Socs, boys from the wealthier side of town, Ponyboy
learned to depend on himself and keep his eyes close on his goals even
with the many distractions he faced. Many times during this story, Ponyboy
got into situations that ended up in fights. While being either strangled,
threatened with a knife, or plainly just beaten up, Ponyboy learned to live
a hard life. He was rescued in the nick of time, by his brothers, many times.
Being the smartest and most focused Greaser of the gang, he set his sights
beyond what the average Greaser could imagine. His goal was not to be
the best street fighter in the gang but to get an education. He imagined a
life free of the hatred between the Greasers and Socs, a life without fear
and violence. Many Greasers could not live like that, but Ponyboy could.
Ponyboy was different. This story takes us though the winding journey of
conflict and heartache in not only Ponyboy's life, but in the lives of those
closest to him.
I recommend this book to people who would like to know what life in an
inner city environment is like. This book will be exciting for all young adults
for it addresses topics interesting for this age group. The action and fast
paced tempo in the fights, hideaways, and rescues will bring excitement
to any reader. This novel will teach any of its readers to be grateful for
what they have and due to the many suspenseful moments throughout
this novel, it will captivate the reader. I give this book an A+.
Of Mice and Men - review by Linda Linguvic
John Steinbeck wrote this classic gem in 1937. It's been a Broadway play
and there have been several adaptations of it in movies and TV. I was
generally familiar with the story but this was the first time I actually read

7. the book. Wow! I was completely blown away! This is the story of a two
lonely and alienated men who work as farm laborers, drifting from job to
job in California. Lennie is gentle giant, physically strong but mentally
retarded. George guides and protects Lennie but also depends on him for
companionship. Together, they have a dream to someday buy a little
farm where they can grow crops and raise rabbits and live happily ever
after. This, of course, is not to be as the title suggests. "The best laid plans
of mice and men" is a line in a poem by Robert Burns, which describes
how a field mouse's world is destroyed by a plow.
Steinbeck's narrative voice is seemingly simple in his descriptions of nature
of as well as the details of the bunkhouse. His characterizations of the
people are magnificent. We meet the other workers, all loners, and
appreciate the beauty of the unique friendship between Lennie and
George. We meet Candy, the old man who is outliving his usefulness. We
meet Crooks, the black stable hand, shunned by the men and therefore
turning to books for companionship. We meet the cruel Curley who taunts
Lennie into a fight. And we meet Curley's wife, another lonely soul who
uses her femininity to get the wrong kind of attention.
There's tension in every word and I found myself holding my breath,
knowing that something awful would happen, my eyes glued to the
page, the world of Lennie and George deeply etched into my
consciousness. I was pulled right into the story, wanting to shout warnings
as I saw the inevitable consequences. The ending was incredibly sad, but
yet satisfying. It couldn't have ended any other way. It's a small book, only
118 pages long. But it is a masterpiece and I will never forget it. I give it my
highest recommendation.
10- To Kill a Mockingbird – review by Alix Wilber
"When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at
the elbow.... When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back
on them, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I
maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my
senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill
came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come
out."
Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the
Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old

8. Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years
punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man
accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes,
Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a
tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing
up.
Like the slow-moving occupants of her fictional town, Lee takes her time
getting to the heart of her tale; we first meet the Finches the summer
before Scout's first year at school. She, her brother, and Dill Harris, a boy
who spends the summers with his aunt in Maycomb, while away the hours
reenacting scenes from Dracula and plotting ways to get a peek at the
town bogeyman, Boo Radley. At first the circumstances surrounding the
alleged rape of Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a drunk and violent white
farmer, barely penetrate the children's consciousness. Then Atticus is
called on to defend the accused, Tom Robinson, and soon Scout and
Jem find themselves caught up in events beyond their understanding.
During the trial, the town exhibits its ugly side, but Lee offers plenty of
counterbalance as well--in the struggle of an elderly woman to overcome
her morphine habit before she dies; in the heroism of Atticus Finch,
standing up for what he knows is right; and finally in Scout's hard-won
understanding that most people are essentially kind "when you really see
them." By turns funny, wise, and heartbreaking, To Kill a Mockingbird is one
classic that continues to speak to new generations, and deserves to be
reread often. --Alix Wilber