Realistic Fiction Reading Response Journal

Description

If you want to teach a realistic fiction book like Wonder or The Hate U Give, this reading response journal can help. This packet will challenge your students to summarize the text and analyze story elements using textual evidence and critical thinking. The standards-based questions are open-ended enough to use with a variety of middle school novels.

It works well for a class novel or genre study because it focuses students on a daily discussion topic. It’s also perfect for building accountability for student book clubs (literature circles) and independent reading.

Response prompts are provided in two formats: ten whole page worksheets for distribution one day at a time, or a packet to be folded and stapled into a fourth-page student booklet. Either way, two weeks worth of reading response questions are included.

Realistic Fiction Genre tasks include:

• Analyze the setting
• Identify the narrator
• Describe a character
• Analyze imagery
• Describe the conflict
• Analyze characterization of the antagonist
• Analyze development of the theme
• Evaluate character responses to plot events
• Each day, summarize the text

Teacher Prep

First, choose whether you will distribute full page handouts or have students create a realistic fiction mini-book. For full page handouts, simply print as many copies as needed of each page. These handouts also include editable text boxes in the header (as shown in photo) so that you can change the title or assign specific pages.

For mini-books, pages 15-20 are formatted for double-sided printing. Print or copy pages 15/16, 17/18, and 19/20 back-to-back.

You can then assemble the mini books yourself or have students do this part. Cut each page along the solid horizontal line. (If you have access to a paper slicer, this is an easy time saver for you!) Stack the half-page sheets so that page 1 is facing up and is at the bottom of the stack, with 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 above. Then straighten the pages and staple on the dotted line. Fold and enjoy your booklet!

How to Use this Realistic Fiction Reading Response Journal

Full page
Have students complete page 4 in class before beginning their books. Distribute pages 5-14 one day at a time. If students are reading a class novel together, you may pre-plan which pages to assign each day and edit those pages at the top before photocopying. This format also makes it easy to differentiate for students who need fewer response tasks.
Mini-book
Have students complete page 1 of the mini-book before they begin reading. If students will be participating in book clubs or literature circles in which they will read the same book, they should first agree upon stopping points for each day to avoid spoilers.

Related Resources

If you love this Realistic Fiction Reading Journal, you’ll also appreciate the packets for these other genres. Biography, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, scifi/dystopian, and nonfiction are all available separately or in a money-saving bundle.