Making Good Book Choices

Genre Codes

Code / Genre
RF / Realistic Fiction
a made up story that could really happen in today’s world
HF / Historical Fiction
a made up story that could have happened in a real time and place in the past
TL / Traditional Literature
short, made up stories that could have been retold over and over for many years
B / Biography
a true story of a real person’s life, written by another person
AB / Autobiography
a true story of a real person’s life, written by that person
I / Informational
gives facts about real people, places, things, or events
P / Poetry
a piece of writing in which words and their sounds are used to show images and express feelings and ideas
D / Drama
a story that is meant to be performed for an audience
Per / Persuasive
a written argument that tries to convince the reader to think a certain way or take action

Genre Codes

Reading is Thinking

Making Good Book Choices

Easy / Just-Right / Challenging

fun to read
relaxing
favorite picture book
effortless
You can read “Easy” books easily and understand them well.

Understand well and enjoy
read smoothly and only a few places where you need to slow down to figure out a word or think more about the meaning
these are the books that help you become a better reader each time you read
You should read “Just-Right” books most of the time.

difficult to read
have trouble with many of the words and don’t understand most of what you are reading
too difficult for you to enjoy right now
There are times when you would choose a challenging book, such as when you needed to find some facts on a particular topic, but most of the time, you would save Challenging books until they are “Just Right”

Reading is Thinking

This book reminds me of…This part confuses me…

I predict….The character reminds me….I think that…..

I wonder….Why did/does…..I notice that the author….

How to Turn and Talk Effectively

1. Turn and face your partner or group.

2. One person talks at a time.

3. The listeners look at the speaker.

4. Members listen to understand what the speaker is saying.

5. Members should respond to the speaker’sthinking by…

I agree! I also think….What do you think this means?

Hmmm…Maybe you’re right, but I was thinking….because….

What do you mean?Can you tell me more about that?

I’m wondering…What do you think?

6. The next speaker takes a turn and members respond until everyone has shared their thinking.

Realistic Fiction- A made up story that could really happen in today’s world

Noticings

Author’s Purpose:to entertain

Characters: are like real people; readers learn about characters and their relationships through author’s descriptions. Pay attention to what characters think, say, and do

Setting: based on a real place

Plot: a series of events that occur as characters try to solve the problem/conflict and reach a resolution

Point of View: narrator or speaker of story

Theme: the story’s message to the reader, often determined through what characters in the story learn.

Book Examples

Realistic Fiction- A made up story that could really happen in today’s world

Noticings

Author’s Purpose:to entertain

Characters: are like real people; readers learn about characters and their relationships through author’s descriptions. Pay attention to what characters think, say, and do

Setting: based on a real place

Plot: a series of events that occur as characters try to solve the problem/conflict and reach a resolution

Point of View: narrator or speaker of story

Theme: the story’s message to the reader, often determined through what characters in the story learn.

Book Examples

Author’s Purpose: fromHow Tia Lola Came to Stay- to entertain the reader with a story abouta boy who learned how to make othershappy.

Characters: fromHow Tia Lola Came to Stay

Miguel, the main character

Tia Lola, Miguel’s aunt

Juanita, Miguel’s sister

Miguel’s Mother

Setting: fromMe and Uncle RomieThis story takes place in New York City at a train station, apartment, and on a train.

Plot: fromHow Tia Lola Came to Stay

Problem Miguel wasn’t sure how he felt about having his Tia Lola living with them.

Tia Lola was feeling bad and Miguel had a “Great Idea.”
Miguel created a surprise message in the snow to cheer up Tia Lola

Resolution: Tia Lola loved the surprise and became very happy.

Point of View: fromMoon RunnerThe narrator is an outside person, not a character in the story

Theme: from How Tia Lola Came to StayMiguel learned to put other people’s feelings above himself and making others happy leads to happiness within yourself.

Guidelines for Reading Workshop

1. You must always be reading a book or writing your thoughts about your reading.

2. You need to work silently to enable you and your peers to do your best thinking.

3. Use a soft voice when conferring with a teacher.

4. Select books you think you’ll enjoy and abandon books that aren’t working for you after you’ve given them a good chance.

5. List the book information using your Record of Reading.

6. ALWAYS do your best work.

Guidelines for Reading Workshop

1. You must always be reading a book or writing your thoughts about your reading.

2. You need to work silently to enable you and your peers to do your best thinking.

3. Use a soft voice when conferring with a teacher.

4. Select books you think you’ll enjoy and abandon books that aren’t working for you after you’ve given them a good chance.

5. List the book information using your Record of Reading.

6. ALWAYS do your best work.

Guidelines for Reading Workshop

1. You must always be reading a book or writing your thoughts about your reading.

2. You need to work silently to enable you and your peers to do your best thinking.

3. Use a soft voice when conferring with a teacher.

4. Select books you think you’ll enjoy and abandon books that aren’t working for you after you’ve given them a good chance.

5. List the book information using your Record of Reading.

6. ALWAYS do your best work.

Plot Line

Title:______

Plot Line

Title:______

How Events Influence Future Events

Title:______

Summarizing Fiction

A summary is the retelling in your own words, or paraphrasing, of the most important parts.

The most important parts in fiction:

ConflictResolution

Most Important Event(s) that move the Character

from the Conflict to the Resolution

Bridging

4.6A & 4.6/Fig. 19E

Why is it important to the story that ______?

(fill in the blank with the event that leads to the conflict in the plot or the event that leads to the resolution)

What effect does ______have on the story?

(fill in the blank with the event that leads to the conflict in the plot or the event that leads to the resolution)

The problem in the story is solved when-

______’s main conflict is resolved when-

(fill in the blank with the main character)

What is paragraph __ mostly about-

What is the best summary of the story?

Inference = an idea that the author does not state

Text Evidence / Background Knowledge
(Schema) / Inference
/ + / / = /
/ + / I know that when I moved to a new school, I just wanted to fit in and not stand out as different. Tia Lola is different. / = / Miguel is embarrassed by Tia Lola and doesn’t want her there.

/ + / I know that when I create a surprise for someone it is because I care for them and I am glad they are in my life. / = / Miguel is happy that Tia Lola has come to live with them.

Inference = an idea that the author does not state

Text Evidence / Background Knowledge
(Schema) / Inference
/ + / / = /
pg. 204-“Today we’re going to Harlem,” she said. It’s where Uncle Romie lived as a boy…We bought peaches at the market, then stopped to visit awhile. I watched some kids playing stickball. “Go on, get in that game, “Aunt Nanette said, g3ently pushing me over to join them…I felt like I was on top of the world. / + / =
+ / = / James has more in common with Uncle Romie than he originally thought. James admires Uncle Romie and his art.

Understanding Characters

Details such as what characters think, say, and do are clues that the reader can use to figure out the reason characters act the way they do.

Character:Mina from Moon Runner

Character’s Thoughts, Actions, or Words / / /
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference

Understanding Characters

Details such as what characters think, say, and do are clues that the reader can use to figure out the reason characters act the way they do.

Character:Mina from Moon Runner

Character’s Thoughts, Actions, or Words / / /
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference / Mina is feeling nervous about talking to Ruth about their friendship. / Mina is feeling nervous about racing Ruth. / Mina is feeling confident and secure.

Understanding Characters

Details such as what characters think, say, and do are clues that the reader can use to figure out the reason characters act the way they do.

Character: James from Me and Uncle Romie

Character’s Thoughts, Actions, or Words / pg. 203-204-“Your uncle’s working very hard, so we won’t see much of him for a while…Today we’re going to Harlem,” she said. It’s where Uncle Romie lived as a boy…We bought peaches at the market, then stopped to visit awhile. I watched some kids playing stickball. “Go on, get in that game, “Aunt Nanette said, g3ently pushing me over to join them…I felt like I was on top of the world. / pg. 206-My uncle Romie stayed hidden away in his studio. But I wasn’t worried anymore. Aunt Nanette would make my birthday special…then Aunt Nanette got a phone call. “An old aunt has died, James. I have to go away for her funeral. But don’t you worry. Uncle Romie will spend your birthday with you. It’ll be just fine….I knew it would not be fine at all. Uncle Romie didn’t know about cakes or baseball games or anything except his dumb old paintings. My birthday was ruined. / pgs. 207-208-We laughed together, then walked to the kitchen for a breakfast feast-eggs, bacon, grits, and biscuits. “James, you’ve got me remembering the pepper jelly lady. People used to line up down the block to buy her preserves.” Could you put someone like that in one of your paintings?” I asked. “I guess I could.” Uncle Romienodded. “Yes, that’s a memory just right for sharing. What a good idea, James.
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference

Understanding How the Characters Change Throughout the Story

Readers notice how characters in a story change and why.

Character:Mina

Event / Beginning (Conflict) / Middle / End (Resolution)
Character’s Thoughts, Actions, or Words / / /
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference / Mina is feeling nervous about talking to Ruth about their friendship. / Mina is feeling nervous about racing Ruth. / Mina is feeling confident and secure.

Understanding How the Characters Change Throughout the Story

Readers notice how characters in a story change and why.

Character: James

Event / Beginning (Conflict) / Middle / End (Resolution)
Character’s Thoughts, Actions, or Words / pg. 203-204-“Your uncle’s working very hard, so we won’t see much of him for a while…Today we’re going to Harlem,” she said. It’s where Uncle Romie lived as a boy…We bought peaches at the market, then stopped to visit awhile. I watched some kids playing stickball. “Go on, get in that game, “Aunt Nanette said, g3ently pushing me over to join them…I felt like I was on top of the world. / pg. 206-My uncle Romie stayed hidden away in his studio. But I wasn’t worried anymore. Aunt Nanette would make my birthday special…then Aunt Nanette got a phone call. “An old aunt has died, James. I have to go away for her funeral. But don’t you worry. Uncle Romie will spend your birthday with you. It’ll be just fine….I knew it would not be fine at all. Uncle Romie didn’t know about cakes or baseball games or anything except his dumb old paintings. My birthday was ruined. / pgs. 207-208-We laughed together, then walked to the kitchen for a breakfast feast-eggs, bacon, grits, and biscuits. “James, you’ve got me remembering the pepper jelly lady. People used to line up down the block to buy her preserves.” Could you put someone like that in one of your paintings?” I asked. “I guess I could.” Uncle Romienodded. “Yes, that’s a memory just right for sharing. What a good idea, James.
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference

Character Relationships-how characters influence one another based on what they do and how they feel

Who are the main characters?

Describe their relationship. (What is their relationship like?)

Use the text to show how you know.

Bridging

4.6B & 4.6/Fig. 19E

Read this sentence from the text.

What is ______most likely thinking at this point in the story?

(fill in the blank with the character)

Why does ______?

(fill in the blank with a character and an action)

Which sentence from the story shows that_____ is/wants ______?

(fill in the blank with a character and a feeling or desire)

The ______shows that ______is-

(fill in the blank with the an event and a character)

______’s actions suggest that he/she-

The reason ______is most likely because he/she ?

(fill in the blank with the a character and an event)

The reader can infer from these sentences that ______-

(fill in the blank with a character)

Which sentence shows how ______feels when ______?

(fill in the blank with the an event and a character)

Write this sample response in your Teacher’s Reading Notebook.

September 22, 2014

The first thing I thought about when I read The Keeping Quilt is what it was like for immigrants who come to the U.S. for the first time. Patricia Polacco’s great-grandparents came from Russia. They faced many changes. There were other people from different countries and a new language. I think about how we are all here now but that we or our ancestors came as immigrants from other countries. We are different in a lot of ways but also have things in common, like our classroom community of learners.

Another thing I noticed as I read was how the author creates pictures in the readers’ minds. I like how she uses details to make scenes clear for the readers. For example, Polacco writes about cut out animals and flowers from the scraps of clothing while the quilt was being made.

I enjoyed this book because I really like books about families!

Different Ways to Respond

What the book is about
How the book reminds you of another book
How the book makes you feel
How the author describes things
Whether you like the book or not and why
Why you think the author wrote the book
Why you chose the book
How you feel about the author’s writing
Whether or not you would recommend the book to another reader
Why you abandoned a book
What you predict will happen
What you would change about the book
Examples of stereotype or bias
What you found interesting
What you are wondering about
Whether the book is easy, just right, or challenging and how you can tell
About the genre
What you think is the author’s message
What books you look forward to reading
What you don’t understand or questions you have
How you feel about a character
What you notice about the author’s style/language
Something about the author and what it has to do with the story
What was funny to you
What you like/dislike about the setting
How the setting affects the characters
About good word choice/special language
What you think about the author’s lead
How the author captured your interest

Different Ways to Respond

What the book is about
How the book reminds you of another book
How the book makes you feel
How the author describes things
Whether you like the book or not and why
Why you think the author wrote the book
Why you chose the book
How you feel about the author’s writing
Whether or not you would recommend the book to another reader
Why you abandoned a book
What you predict will happen
What you would change about the book
Examples of stereotype or bias
What you found interesting
What you are wondering about
Whether the book is easy, just right, or challenging and how you can tell
About the genre
What you think is the author’s message
What books you look forward to reading
What you don’t understand or questions you have
How you feel about a character
What you notice about the author’s style/language
Something about the author and what it has to do with the story
What was funny to you
What you like/dislike about the setting
How the setting affects the characters
About good word choice/special language
What you think about the author’s lead
How the author captured your interest

Different Ways to Respond