Book Review Over the next few weeks you will be studying a novel of your choice in detail

What will we be doing? Hopefully, if you don’t already, you will learn to love reading! Or perhaps enjoy it a bit more. 1 Making Predictions 2 Asking Questions 3 Making Comparisons 4 Looking for Patterns 5 Making Pictures 6 Summarising 7 Evaluating Contents These should look familiar, they are the same strategies we have been looking at in our literacy periods.

AIMS: To select a text to read for enjoyment. To analyse the text using the 7 reading strategies. To demonstrate your understanding of your chosen text. Discuss and evaluate aspects of the text such as structure, characterization and setting. Identify the main theme(s) of the text. Give a detailed personal response to the text.

Step 1 – Making Predictions What do you think this may be about? Does it remind you of anything you have seen, read, heard before? What kind of story (genre) do you think this might be? 1) Look at the front of your chosen novel and answer the following questions in your jotter. Remember to EXPLAIN your ideas.

Step 1 – Making Predictions Who are the characters you are introduced to AND what do you think they will do next? Where and when is the story set and how do you know this? How do you think the story will end? 2) Now read chapter 1 of your chosen novel. Once you have read it answer the following questions. EXTENSION: Draw a picture of your main character and write a short paragraph about their personality based on what you know so far. You should include at least one quote.

Step 2 – Asking Questions Again focusing on Chapter 1 answer the following questions: Why does (character) act in this way at this point? What do you think is going through (Character’s) mind here? How do you think the author wants you to feel towards this character? Perhaps they could also think about the narration of the book at this point and how that may effect the novel. Asking questions is sometimes more important than answering them. You should be asking questions as you read your novel. Remember reading should not be a passive activity. We are going to focus on INFERENTIAL questions at this point.

Step 2 – Asking Questions 2) Final task on Chapter 1. Complete a KWL chart for chapter one of your novel. What I Know What I Would Like to Know. KWL What I Know What I Would Like to know

Step 2 – Asking Questions Once you have read up to the half way point of your novel look back at the KWL grid you completed at the end of chapter 1. 1) Have any of your questions been answered? If so note them down. 2) Now complete a KWL grid for this stage of your novel. 3) How do you now think the story will end?

Step 3 – Making Comparisons TASK: answer the following questions: Does this remind me of anything I have experienced before? If ‘yes’ what? Does this remind me of anything I have read or seen before? If yes what AND what is it that reminds you? Pick one situation from the novel so far and note it down. Now, how would you have behaved in that situation and why? You have now read quite a bit of your text and you should be starting to compare it to other things you have experienced; things you’ve experienced yourself, read, seen etc.

As you read on.... Reminder - the strategies we have already covered are: 1 Making Predictions 2 Asking Questions 3 Making Comparisons. You can look back at your notes to see what these are. Now, as you read through your novel you should be thinking about all of the reading strategies and making notes. Remember to note down quotes that support your ideas or stick in your mind.

Step 4 – Looking for patterns Now you are going to focus on the genre(s) of your novel and how you know. When you made predictions at the start you began to think about this. TASK: Identify the genre(s) of your novel AND give evidence to back this up. You should consider: characters, setting, language and plot. HINT: Think about the note taking advice! GENRE

Step 5 – Making Pictures Harry Potter has been pictured by many readers. You can make comparisons between them. You have already used this reading strategy when you created a picture of your main character. However it is about more than just drawing characters. TASK: 1. If you were making a film of your novel, where would you make it and who would play the leading roles? Explain your ideas. 2. Draw a map of the area where the story takes place. 3.Draw a mind –map showing the main elements of the story. 2. Point out that maps aren’t just OS style; they can show a journey, use size of ‘things’ to show importance, use symbols/images to represent people, places and objects etc. The mind-map link shows an example of a mind map about global warming to show pupils the way a good mind map should be constructed.

Step 6 – Summarising You have been making notes in a variety of ways throughout this block of work. TASK: Once you have completed your novel you should summarise the main elements of it, characters and plot, in no more than 50 words. You will use this summary in your final book review. You should follow the 3 point note taking guide. Remember a summary should be brief! Even though you can’t read this it should be familiar!

Step 7 – Evaluating One of your aims was to: Discuss and evaluate aspects of the text such as structure, characterisation and setting. We will soon be focusing on these but first complete the following remembering to explain why. TASK: 1. What was the author’s purpose in writing the novel and to what extent did they achieve it? 2. What is the writer’s point of view? 3. Was the ending of the story the most appropriate ending? Now you have read your chosen novel you need to evaluate it. It is not enough just to say ‘It was good’ or ‘It was boring’; you need to explain why you think that.

Step 7 – Evaluating cont. Setting = When and where your story takes place. A novel may have a number of different settings in time and place. You have already made some notes on setting when we discussed cpt 1. Most of you have also created a map to show the main settings of your novel. TASK: Update your map to ensure all of your settings are included. Make sure there are at least a couple of quotes to back this up. OR make notes on where and when your story is set (bullet points or a mind map).

Step 7 – Evaluating cont. Structure: Structure refers to the overall shape / order of events in your novel. The simplest way to think about this is the beginning , middle and end; but there is often far more to a well structured novel than that... Some clues may be chapter titles, the blurb, the title, illustrations... Some novels may change the order i.e. use flashback. Note: There are a variety of examples of the above available on internet. TASK: Collect an outline sheet from your teacher and fill in with your story’s structure. Insert a quote for each section.

Step 7 – Evaluating cont. THEME = main idea or message. i.e. in Harry Potter some of the themes are good V evil, friendship and loyalty, being different... TASK: a) What do you think the main theme(s) of your novel is? b) Why do you think this? Explain your answer and give evidence to back your answer up. (Think about PEE)

Again you need evidence! Step 7 – Evaluating cont. Thinking about the main character in your novel complete the following, remember you have made notes about your character already. 1) Describe your character’s personality AND how they have changed / developed throughout. 2) How did the author create a believable character? 3) What is your personal response to this character i.e. did you love or loathe them? Why? Etc. Again you need evidence! Characterization: Below are 2 dictionary definitions of characterization. The way that people are represented in a film, play or book so that they seem real and natural Representation of a character or characters on the stage or in writing, especially by imitating or describing actions, gestures, or speeches.