ELA iRead Post-it Guidelines
September 2015 – Banned or Challenged Books
Directions: You will track the literary elements you encounter in your reading on post-it notes. Use
the guidelines below to help you make your notes. Later, you will use your post-it notes to complete
a “One-Pager.” Both the post-it notes and the One-Pager will be counted as grades in HAC.
When individuals are offended by information or stories in books, they sometimes challenge a book’s
presence in a local school, library, or town. Banned or challenged books are books that a person or
group has objected to, somewhere in America. The goal of Banned Books Week (September 28 –
October 2, 2015) is to raise awareness of book bans and challenges, as well as censorship in our
country. In class, we will be exploring these topics and looking at some of our favorite stories that
have been challenged for a wide variety of reasons.
Where to find a book? While our school library has a limited selection available, I encourage you to
also explore your local library or bookstore. You may read with a partner or in a small group. A
great resource for learning about banned or challenged books is the American Library Association:
http://www.ala.org/bbooks/top-100-bannedchallenged-books-2000-2009 There are many types of
books that fit into this category, but they all share one thing in common – they are the target of
censorship!
Ideas for Post-Its:
Remember to note specific text evidence (quotes and examples) from your book.
Characters:

Protagonist, Antagonist, Secondary Characters (Are they round or flat, dynamic or static?)

How does the protagonist change over time?

Point of View of the story - Who is the narrator? Why is the story being told? (author’s purpose/bias)
Setting:

When and where does the story take place?

How does the setting shape the story?
Conflict:

What kind of conflict is it? (Person vs. Self, Person vs. Person, Person vs. Society, etc.)

Is the conflict internal or external or both? Explain.

How does the antagonist complicate the plot?
Theme:

What is the message or lesson of the story?

How does the author develop the theme throughout the plot?
Figurative Language:

Use and purpose of imagery, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia,
etc.
Connections:

Text to Self, Text to Text, Text to World, Text to Media
Tone:

How does the author convey feelings about the story to the reader?