Name ________________________________
Independent Reading Journal Assignment
Mrs. Ramsey/Ms. Sneed
English II
While reading your independent novel or non-fiction book, you need to write 6 weekly journals. Each journal is worth 30 points for a total assignment value of 180 points, meaning this assignment can have a strong positive or negative affect on your overall class grade. Below are options for how to complete your journal every week. You do not have to stick with one option for all six weeks; you are more than welcome to switch it around from week to week.
Each week, write a journal consisting of 2 sections: a summary paragraph and a personal connection paragraph. Each section’s paragraph should be well-developed and informative in 5-8 sentences.
Below is an example of how your journals should look. Use this as a model for your journals.
Book Title: Narrative in the Life of Frederick Douglass
Pages Read: 1-5
1.
Summary: In the opening chapter, Frederick talks about how he isn’t sure who his father is. He believes that his own master is his father, and he mentions how this was common during slavery. Frederick also discusses his relationship with his mother. He only saw her a few times because she was on another plantation. She would, however, walk through the night at times, risking her own life, to sleep beside young Frederick. When she died, he felt like it was a death of a stranger because he really didn’t have a bond with her because of their separation.
2.
Personal Connection:
In this section of the journal, you are to comment upon what you read. Here are some things you can discuss:
Your opinions concerning what happened.
Your opinions about a person.
Things that happened in your life that relate to what you read.
How you felt when reading the section. Did it make you happy, sad, etc?
This opening chapter was very depressing. It’s a shame when any young child doesn’t have both parents around to help him/her/grow up. I couldn’t imagine not knowing who my father was. My dad is the man I go to for advice on most of my major life decisions. Without him as my sounding board, I would probably feel lost.
I’m amazed by the determination of his mother to work all day and then travel 12 miles through the night just to be by the side of Frederick. As a native Charlottean, I am lucky that my parents still live so close by. It’s a 15 minute drive from my house to see my parents, so I feel fortunate that I live in a time when travel is easy and my parents are so accessible. It’s hard to believe here in America we had a system of slavery that allowed people to be treated the way
Frederick and his mother were.
If you’re not sure what to write about, do this instead: Each week, pick three questions from the list on the back side of this paper. You should pick three different questions each week. Do not answer any question more than once per book.
Respond to each question with at least one well-developed paragraph (4-6 sentences per paragraph).

Questions
Character
Were you surprised by the actions of any of the characters? How?
Describe a decision or choice made by one of the characters. Do you agree with this decision?
If you have to choose to be one of the characters, whom would you choose, and why?
Does one of the characters remind you of someone that you know? Why?
How would you feel if you were one of the characters in the book? Explain.
Plot
To whom might you recommend this book? Is there a particular group or population that you believe would enjoy this book?
Does the book have any value beyond entertainment?
What one thing would you tell the author to change about the plot if you were to write to him or her?
What do you consider the strongest part of the book? The weakest? What did you learn from this book?
Setting
Why is the setting of this book an appropriate place for this story to take place?
What are some alternative settings that could have been used for this book?
How might the author have collected information about the setting for this book?
What details does the author provide about the setting that helps build the mood for the story?
Biography
What obstacles did this person face? How did these obstacles influence his or her life?
What ethical issues did the individual face?
What character traits did you admire most in this person? Why?
What additional questions do you have about this person and his/her experience that this book did not answer?
Theme
Can you identify the author’s message in writing this book?
Explain how a theme in this book relates to your own life.
What lessons do the characters in the story learn from their experiences?
Describe an event in this book that helped you understand the “big idea” or theme in the story. Does the theme change the main character?
This option is a combination of the two above options. Each week, complete a summary (from Option 1) and answer 2 questions (from Option 2) of the section you read. The requirements from the descriptions above are still applicable.
Reading Journal Schedule
Date
By Friday, February 6 th
Page Goal
By Thursday, February 12 th
By Friday, February 20 th
By Friday, February 27 th
By Friday, March 6 th
By Friday, March 13 th
Chapter Goal Pages Actually Read
*Count the number of pages (NOT including any foreword or afterword) and divide by 6.

Start with your interests or hobbies. I know most of you DO have things you are passionate about (sports, music, history, computers, friends/relationships, mechanics, celebrities, skateboarding, serial killers, etc.) and there is no shortage of novels/books dealing with this range of topics. Subject searches at online booksellers (i.e. Amazon.com/books) will serve you well here. Also keep in mind the kind of reading level with which you’re comfortable. Don’t read a complex 800-page espionage novel if that’s WAY beyond your abilities.
You CAN read NON-fiction works (true books like Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin
Air, David McCullough’s John Adams, or Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes are good examples of acceptable non-fiction works). Should you read a NON-fiction work, you will need to get my approval before using that title for your independent reading. Also, I can and will recommend things I think might connect well with your personality and/or interests.
Most “How-To” books (How to rebuild a carburetor, How to Knit a Quilt, Microsoft Windows for Dummies,
How to Be a More Sensitive Spouse, How to Make Tasty Thai Food, How to Kill a Rat with an Oboe, etc.), certain kinds of genre fiction (romance novels, children’s literature) and children’s picture books cannot be used for your
independent reading. As the saying goes, don’t even ask. Graphic novels are allowed, though ONLY if the content/style is high school-appropriate (i.e. Art Spiegelman’s Maus; Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis; Jason Lutes’ Jar of Fools). Most manga/series graphic novels are NOT workable so if you have one in mind, I’ll have to OK it first.
Also, works with ‘adult’ content may require parental permission. By ‘adult’ content, I mean strong/vulgar language, adult situations/sexuality, and excessive violence. I reserve the right to veto any book choice that I feel is of questionable merit/propriety. Even if I’ve NOT read it, I WILL familiarize myself with your title to ensure it is school-appropriate. A good rule of thumb—if your parents wouldn’t allow you to read it, you shouldn’t ask me to approve of it. End of story.

Name ____________________________
Weekly Reading Log
Reading Journal Schedule
Weekday
Saturday
Date
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Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
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Page Goal
Book Title _____________________________________
Author _______________________________________
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