Guidelines: Starting to Finishing a Book
When You Begin a Book
1. Enter a start date, title, author, and genre on your Record of Books Read.
2. Look at the front cover, back cover, and inside flaps; read the first few pages of your
book. Write a Pre-Reading Response Entry (“How I choose this book” and
“Anticipation Response”) as your first entry.
While You Read a Book
1. Fill out your Log daily with pages and time every time you read (minimum 5 days per
week).
2. Read for 25 minutes at home or in study hall.
3. After (or while you read), respond for five minutes in your Journal. Integrate our
focus lessons whenever applicable.
If You Abandon a Book
1. Write “Abandoned” and the date on your Record of Books Read.
2. Write a response explaining why you abandoned the book.
After You Finish a Book
1. Write an entry in your Journal for the final section that you read.
2. Enter date finished, rating, and reading level on the Record of Books Read.
3. Make a tally or other mark on the Genre Chart.
4. For the next day’s entry, write “Book Review” in your Journal. Then log into the
Book Reviews Nicenet classroom (www.nicenet.org). Review the book; be sure to
address all sections of the review (directions are on the “Class Schedule” page and a
sample review—The Boys in the Trees—is on the “Conferencing” page):
 Title and Author
 Genre
 Where to check out the book
 Summary
 Favorite part
 Connection
 Recommendation
 Rating
5. Return the book to the public or school library. If it is from Mrs. Runyon’s bookshelf,
enter the return date on the clipboard and return to the correct genre shelf.