Learning Support: Writing about Reading

[You can also take this as a Word Document if you prefer.]

Writing About Reading: Some Openers

• I was surprised when/angry about/satisfied with/moved by/incredulous at…
• I liked how the author
• I noticed how the author
• I don’t get why the author
• If I were the author I would have
• I’d compare this author to
• This book reminded me of
• The main character
• The character development
• The narrative voice
• The structure of this book
• The climax of the plot
• The resolution of the main character’s problem
• The genre of this book
• I’d say a theme of this book is
• I wish that
• I didn’t agree with
• I understood
• I couldn’t understand
• Why did
• This is how I read this book
• I rated this one _____ because
• And always: I was struck by/interested in/convinced by this passage: “….” It shows…about this author’s writing.

Excerpted from: Atwell, Nancie. The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers. New York: Scholastic, 2007.