ENGL2030: Children’s Literature
Kirk
Middle Grade Novel Reading “Packet”
Student’s Name: ____________________________________________________________
Title of Middle Grade Novel: _________________________________________________
Author of Novel: _____________________________________________________________
Illustrator (if applicable): _____________________________________________________
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DIRECTIONS: Please jot a few notes that address each of the questions asked
below about the novel. Be prepared to discuss your answers in small groups and/or
in class as a whole. Please staple your answers to the back of this packet directions
sheet. Finishing the packet goes toward your Discussion/Participation grade in the
course.
1. Who is the protagonist of this novel?
2. Is there an antagonist? If so, which character is it?
3. What is the setting of the novel? How does it contribute to the story?
4. Is the novel realistic or a fantasy? How would the story change if told in the
other genre (e.g. a fantasy told as a realistic story)?
5. What is the main conflict in the novel? Is this conflict relatable for children?
Why or why not?
6. How does the main character change by the end of the novel?
7. Is vocabulary a noticeable feature of the novel? If so, please provide 2 examples
with page numbers and explain how the author may have young readers in mind in
using words such as these.
8. Are there illustrations in the edition you read? If so, how or what do they add to
the story, in your opinion? Please choose one illustration, giving the page number,
as an example of your view.
ENGL2030: Children’s Literature -- Middle Grade Novel, Reading Packet, 2
9. What does the title of the novel tell us about the story?
10. Considering the “middle grade reader” (a young person about ages 9-11, or in
grades 3-5 in school), would you say this novel is appropriate for most readers that
age? Why or why not?
11. Cite a passage from the novel that particularly strikes you for whatever reason.
What made you choose this passage to highlight? What do you like about it?
12. How would you describe the author’s style? In what way (or ways) is the style
appropriate for “middle grade” children, would you say?
13. Look at the structure of the novel – chapter breakdowns/titles, story arc, etc.
Does this organization seem to help young readers follow the story? If so,how?
Does it work for you as an adult reader? Why or why not?
14. What is one theme of this novel (there is usually more than one!)? Please state
it in one sentence. What makes you see this as an overall theme? How might this
theme benefit young people, and is it one that adults could benefit from as well?
15. Please complete one (1) of the following in response to this novel:
A.) Creative response: Write an imaginary “journal entry” in the “voice” of
any character from the novel. The entry could be about events, etc. that take place
in the novel, or that you imagine outside the confines of the novel. Make your entry
at least 250 words (or about 1-page, double-spaced, if typed).
B.) Practical response: How would you “teach” this novel to a class of middle
grade students, if given that responsibility? E.g.: Would you have the class read
the novel aloud in school, then answer a packet of questions for homework? Assign
the novel for homework and answer questions in small groups &/or class
discussions? Would you have art projects related to the novel? Other activities?
Please describe in at least 250 words.
C.) Literary response: Research 1 to 2 critical responses to this novel and/or
biographical background on the author. Write a working thesis statement and a
working outline (about 3 bullet points/phrases w/ page numbers for ex., ok) for a
sample paper that could be written about the novel (no need to write out the paper
to complete this response.). Prepare an annotated bibliography about the sources
you find (a sentence or two about each source is ok), using MLA documentation
format and include this at the end of your working thesis & outline. This material
(working thesis + working outline + annotated bibliography) = about 1 page.
ENGL2030: Children’s Literature
Reading Journal Assignment
You are assigned a Reading Journal for our class. The journal is made
up of 15 brief “freewrites” that you write in response to quoted
sentences, phrases, or passages that you select from our reading
assignments (the literature only – not readings about literature). This
writing is informal and on a subject mostly of your choice.
There are a few parameters/requirements, however, and the journal
will be graded very strictly on whether or not you have followed these
directions. The specific directions relate to:
The number of freewrites per kind of reading (see below)
The minimum length of the freewrite portion of the entry
The format of journal entries
The fact that you must use 1 literary term each in at least 6
entries in the journal and must split these between fiction and
poetry (3 + 3)
• Due dates for a certain number of numbers of entries may be
given during the semester for feedback; however, the complete
journal is due at the end of the semester.
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Each Reading Journal entry has the following parts:
• Title of work
• Author & illustrator (if applicable) of work (just last names are
OK)
• Book -- If work comes from an anthology or other collection of
picture books, etc. & page number where you found the quote
• The quote (usually 1 sentence or poetic line or less – key phrases
are best —if the quote is a longer passage, you may indicate
ENGL2030: Children’s Literature, Reading Journal Assignment 2
where the passage begins and ends with the first few and last
few words separated by ellipses…).
• Your freewrite about the quote (minimum of 100 words)
• For 6 of your entries: A literary term (from fiction and poetry
lists provided in class). The term should be in ALL CAPS so it
stands out.
• Word count for the freewrite portion ONLY in parenthesis at the
end of the freewrite.
What do you freewrite about?
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A question or questions the quote makes you ponder
What you like about the phrase, line, etc.
How the quote illustrates the meaning of a literary term
Why the quote stands out to you
How you think the quote contributes to the work as a whole
Memories/stories the quote triggers in you from your own life
experience
Creative response of your own – fiction or poetic response
An explanation of what this quote means literally in the context
of the work as a whole
Comments about the accompanying artwork in the book that goes
with the quote.
Observations about how the artwork and the quote work together
and to what effect
How you think children will respond to the quote (or how you have
experienced children responding to it)
What puzzles you in or about the quote
Your emotional (heart) or intellectual (head) response to the
quote
What other reading you’ve done that the quote reminds you of
and why
ENGL2030: Children’s Literature, Reading Journal Assignment 3
What Reading Journal entries are NOT:
• Summary of what’s happening in the story or poem
• All of the same style – for example, ALL questions, or ALL stories
from your experience, or ALL poems of your own in response.
Change things up!
• A repeat of the quote or other portion from the book or poem =
padding your response!
• A rant about the reading!
You need to have 15 total entries in the Reading Journal by the end of
the semester. They get divided up this way*:
(3) = 3 from fairy tales on our reading list
(1) = 1 from Where the Wild Things Are
(1) = 1 from Goodnight Moon
(5) = 1 each from 5 poems of your choice from our reading list
(5) = 5 from Charlotte’s Web
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3 + 1 + 1 + 5 + 5 = 15 entries total.
*Remember to use 3 different fiction terms + 3 different poetry
terms in ALL CAPS in the entries above.
Total Word Count:
Since each freewrite entry = 100 or more words, the total word count
for the journal in the freewrite portion only (not counting the title,
author, the quote, etc.) = a minimum of 1,500 words. This is roughly
equivalent to 5-6 typed, double-spaced pages.
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ENGL2030: Children’s Literature, Reading Journal Assignment 4
Here is an example of an entry about a poem that uses a LITERARY
TERM:
SAMPLE READING JOURNAL ENTRY:
“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”
By Taylor
Anthology, p. 269.
Quote: “For you never shut your eye,”
I never thought of a star as having an eye before! This is a clever use
of PERSONIFICATION in the poem. It’s funny, because I never
actually knew this poem or song was so long and had so many verses! I
wonder how many other works of children’s literature are like this – we
know or have heard of parts of them, but they are actually much
longer. I’d like to look up the background of this poem – did it start as
a poem or song, for example? How old is it? In what context was it
written originally? How I “wonder”!
(101 words)
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Remember, the Reading Journal is about fairy tales, poems, picture
books, and the novel on our list. Do NOT write entries about any
reading you’re assigned about authors, illustrators, literary criticism,
terms, articles about children’s literature, introductions in books, etc.
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