Honors English Letter to Author Assignment
Due: November 24
For the second quarter, we are asking you to write a letter to the author of your book. In this letter, you
will use several of the strategies and concepts we will be learning this quarter including: main idea and
supporting detail, text connections, theme, and research. Follow the format below. See sample letter on
back.
Date
Dear (tell name of your author),
Introduction:
Tell the name of your book (REMEMBER the names of books are underlined) and why you chose to
read it. Be sure to give details about what made you choose to read this book and what kind of
book it is (Realistic, Historical, Mystery, Fantasy, or Science Fiction).
Second Paragraph (Longest Paragraph):
DO NOT write a summary of the book. Instead, tell the author what you thought about the book
and why you did or did not like it. Include several specific examples of parts you liked or didn’t like.
Tell what you like about the author’s writing style. For example, did he/she make you laugh, did
he/she paint a good mental movie, did he/she keep you on the edge of your seat, or did he/she
create a certain emotion in you. Use specific parts in the book to explain this. Then, make a text
connection. (The book reminded me of…)
Third paragraph:
Mention something you learned about the author in your research. Can you make a connection between
that fact about the author and something that happens in the book? This would be a good opportunity
to discuss the theme of the book. For example, did you learn that your author struggled in school? Did
you see a theme of not giving up in the book that you could connect?
Concluding paragraph:
Sum up how you felt about this book. Ask the author any lingering questions you still have about
the book. Bring your letter to a strong conclusion. You might mention wanting to read other books
by this author, thanking him/her, asking a question about advice for a young writer like you.
Rubric
Sincerely,
Your name
* Any grade below a 70 will require a conference with the teacher and a rewrite.
An A paper (90-100) __________
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Follows correct letter formatting
Exceeds expectations for:
-supporting opinion of the book
-discussing author’s style
-exploring facts from author’s life
-discussing theme
-strong conclusion
Proper usage of grammar, spelling,
mechanics
Comments:
A B Paper (80-89) __________



Minor errors in letter formatting
Meets expectations for:
-supporting opinion of the book
-discussing author’s style
-exploring facts of author’s life
-discussing theme
-strong conclusion
Minor errors in grammar, spelling,
mechanics
A C Paper (70-79) ___________



Significant, distracting errors in letter
format
Does not/does not adequately cover:
-supporting opinion of the book
-discussing author’s style
-exploring facts of author’s life
-discussing theme
-strong conclusion
Distracting errors in grammar, spelling,
mechanics
Honors English – Sample Author Letter
November 1, 2014
Dear Mrs. Craighead George,
I just finished your amazing book, My Side of the Mountain, and I’m writing to tell you
how much I enjoyed it. I was interested in reading this book because I love to be outdoors and
have great adventures, so this adventure book was really perfect for me.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Your descriptive writing and sketches really helped
me visualize the story, and I felt like I was on the mountain with Sam Gribley. I really thought
your writing made the characters come alive for me. My favorite character was Sam because I
was impressed with his abilities to live off the land just like the Native Americans. He was very
resourceful and courageous. For example, he used every part of the deer he found to make
clothing, tools, a door for his tree house, and venison to eat. Sam was also very smart to do his
research before deciding to move to the woods. In your story, Sam wanted to live on his own but
he realizes no one can really live alone, so he makes friends with the animals and the locals to
help him survive. This reminded me of our study of Native Americans. The Natives needed the
animals and their surroundings in order to survive. Tribes also worked together in order to
achieve many of their goals just like Sam needed Bando and other friends to help him
accomplish his goals.
I’ve done a little reading about your life, and I learned that you used to spend a lot of time
camping as a child. I also read that you grew up outside of Washington , DC. Just like you, I live
near DC in Loudoun County, and I love camping with my family in the summer. Did your
experiences outside inspire you to write about nature and surviving in it? The lesson I learned
from your book is that if you set a goal and are determined to reach that goal, you can
accomplish almost anything. Sam could have given up on the first day when he couldn’t make a
fire, but he kept trying. After many months, he was living off the land!
Now that I finished My Side of the Mountain, I am looking forward to reading more
about Sam’s adventures. It has inspired me to read more of your stories because this book made
me realize how much I enjoy realistic fiction books that focus on nature. Thank you for writing
such a wonderful novel.
Sincerely,