Name______Period _____

LA201: Outside Reading – Semester One

CTG Discussion Packet

Answer these questions after reading of the first 1/6 of your book. For this discussion, you will need to do some research outside of class. Be sure to use trustworthy sources!

1)Author’s full name:

2)Brief biological information about this author: (year born/deceased, circumstances of death (if applicable), place of birth, occupation, family, interesting facts, etc.) Record at least eight facts.

1 –5 –

2 –6 –

3 –7 –

4 –8 –

3)Year and place book was written:

4)What major historical events were happening at this location and during this time? List at least three.

5)Setting of the novel:

6)What major historical events were happening at this location and during this time? List at least three.

7)What similarities do you see between the author’s life and the book so far? Give specific examples from your book.

8)Reflecting on the author’s own life and current events of his/her time, why might the author have written this book? What might he/she be trying to say? (It’s okay to guess!)

In answering each of these questions, provide evidence from your book (quotations, page numbers, etc.) to support your ideas.

1) Identify the main characters.

2) What seem to be their primary physical traits? (teenage, overweight, Native American, etc.)

3) What seem to be their primary personality traits? (thoughtful, aggressive, depressed, unsure, etc.)

4) What seem to be their primary motivations? (Why do they do what they do?)

5) Does the author tend to use direct characterization (telling) or indirect characterization (showing) more when presenting the characters? Give examples.

6) Is the main character credible or not credible? Is the main character rounded or flat? Is the main character stock or unique? Explain.

7) How are the characters’ relationships to each other presented?

8) What can you predict about where these characters will go, or what might happen to/for them?

In answering each of these questions, provide evidence from your book (quotations, page numbers, etc.) to support your ideas.

1) Identify the internal conflicts of the main characters.

2) Identify the external conflicts among characters.

3) How does the main character seem to be dealing with his or her conflicts?

4) To this point, how have these conflicts contributed to the plot or aided in the progression of the novel?

5) How are the characters motivated to solve their conflicts?

6) What can you predict about the outcome of the conflicts?

In answering each of these questions, provide evidence from your book (quotations, page numbers, etc.) to support your ideas.

1)List all of the ideas that the author seems to be presenting in this novel as BIG ideas. These are the ideas that come up multiple times, perhaps with multiple characters, or from different angles, etc. List at least three.

For example: In The Three Little Pigsthese ideas might be: the majority of people (pigs?!) are plagued by laziness, sturdy materials should be used when building a house, hard work pays off in the long run, etc.

2)Chose the idea from question one that you think comes up most. Write this idea as a clear, concise sentence that begins “[Book title] teaches readers that…. This idea is the book’s main theme.

For example: The Three Little Pigs teaches readers that a job well done is worth the extra time and effort.

3) What literary elements does the author use to present this theme (foreshadowing, characterization, etc)? Explain. (Think back to your theme analysis paper for a short story )

4) How can you apply the main theme of the book to your life? Be specific.

5) What conclusion to the novel will make this theme the most satisfying?

In answering each of these questions, provide evidence from your book (quotations, page numbers, etc.) to support your ideas.

1) Looking back, what was the climax (peak event) of the novel? Could anything have been done to make the climax more interesting, exciting, etc.? Explain.

2) From whose point-of-view is the story told? Do you think this point-of-view works best for the story? Explain.

3) How might the story be different if told from another point-of-view? Would you like this new telling more or less? Explain.

4) What has been your favorite moment in the novel thus far? Why?

5) Which character do you most relate to in the novel? Explain.

6) What have you learned from this novel? Explain.

7) Draw a comparison between the novel as a whole and another book, movie, song, or piece of artwork you were reminded of when reading. Explain the connection.

8) If your novel were turned into a movie, what movie stars should be cast as the book’s five main characters?

In answering each of these questions, provide evidence from your book (quotations, page numbers, etc.) to support your ideas.

1) What was your reaction to the book’s ending? Would you leave the ending as it is? Would you change the ending? Explain.

2) What was the best overall thing about this book? Explain.

3) What was the worst overall thing about the book? Explain.

4) If you could ask the author of this book one question, what would that question be? What would you hope to learn?

5) What was the overall mood of this novel? Explain.

6) To what audience was this author likely writing? (Who would most enjoy reading this book?)

7) Will/would you recommend this book to a friend? If yes, to whom and why? If no, why not?