Dialectical Journal
As you read your books for pleasure this semester, you will be completing 2 dialectical journal responses per week.
A dialectical journal gives you the opportunity to have a “conversation” with the book you are reading. Glue these
instructions to the first page of your dialectical journal section. You may use the chart provided for the first page of
your entries, but you should create your own chart using this model for the following pages. During whatever
week you happen to finish a book, one of your entries must be a 1-2 paragraph summary of the entire book.
Instructions:
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Be sure to label each entry with the week #, title, and author of the book you are reading.
In the column on the left, write the quote from the book you would like to respond to. Be sure to write
the exact words and punctuate your quote correctly with quotation marks (“”). You will need to cite your
quote by including the following information in parentheses at the end of your quote: author’s last name,
publishing date, p. #
In the column on the right, write your response to the quote (2-3 sentences). Be sure to include specific
details, reasons, or examples. You are welcome to use one of the sentence starters for help.
Don’t forget to write a 1-2 paragraph summary of each book when you finish as one of your entries!
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I can’t believe that _____.
I was surprised when _____.
I predict that _____.
If I had to think of a new title for
this chapter, it would be ____.
I can relate to ____.
I wonder _____.
My favorite part was _____.
I learned _____.
I would like to know more about _____.
This reminds me of ______.
I still have questions about ______.
Example:
Title:
Author:
Week 2
Out of My Mind
Sharon Draper
Quote
“Finally, finally, finally on the Wednesday before
Christmas, the Medi-Talker arrives. I need no
other gift” (Draper, 2010, p. 132).
“Ordinary words. Normal conversation. I’ve never
had that. Awesome” (Draper, 2010, p. 134).
Response
I can relate to this because this is how I feel at
Christmas. It seems like the days before Christmas
drag by until we finally get to open gifts, but then I
am always happy with what I get. Melody must be
extra excited because she has been waiting even
longer to have this chance to talk.
I predict that this will change Melody’s life. This
will help her tell her parents what she is feeling
and what she needs. It will also help her talk to
people at school. I bet her classmates will be
surprised!
Week 1
Title:
Author:
Quote
Response
Week 2
Title:
Author:
Week 3
Title:
Author: