1. Title of Your Genre Reading Book by Author NOTE—You will be able to make the best comparisons if the two books are the SAME genre! If they are not the same genre, the two books should have other strong similarities.

2. Title of Your Independent Reading Book by Author

3. SETTING of genre book location in time and space—remember to identify the genre of the book

4. SETTING of independent book location in time and space—remember to identify the genre of the book

5. PLOT of genre book inciting incident

6. PLOT of independent book inciting incident

7. PLOT and CHARACTER of genre book Problem—Is there a specific problem the main character is trying to solve?

8. PLOT and CHARACTER of independent book Problem—Is there a specific problem the main character is trying to solve? Quote a sentence or two with page numbers.

9. PLOT and CHARACTER of genre book Conflict—What kind of conflict is the main character involved in? Person vs. person Person vs. nature Person vs. self Person vs. society Cite the specific conflict in the story.

10. PLOT and CHARACTER of independent book Conflict—What kind of conflict is the main character involved in? Person vs. person Person vs. nature Person vs. self Person vs. society Cite the specific conflict in the story—quote a sentence or two with page numbers.

11. CHARACTER MOTIVATION in genre book Character motivation—what drives the main character to make his or her choices or decisions. Cite instances in the story.

12. CHARACTER MOTIVATION in independent book Character motivation—what drives the main character to make his or her choices or decisions. Cite instances in the story—quote a sentence or two with page numbers.

13. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT in genre book Character development—Find at least two places where events in the story impact the main character, leading the main character to grow, develop, change. Cite the instances in the story.

14. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT in independent book Character development—Find at least two places where events in the story impact the main character, leading the main character to grow, develop, change. Cite the instances in the story—quote a sentence or two with page numbers.

15. PLOT and THEME of genre book Resolution—What was the solution to the problem? How was the conflict resolved? What did the main character learn? What did the author want you to learn, believe, understand, or feel? Cite the resolution or theme in the story.

16. PLOT and THEME of independent book Resolution—What was the solution to the problem? How was the conflict resolved? What did the main character learn? What did the author want you to learn, believe, understand, or feel? Cite the resolution or theme in the story—quote a sentence or two with page numbers.