Setting

1. Where does the story take place?
2. When does the story take place?
3. Could it take place anywhere else? If so, where?
4. Could the story take place in this world?
5. How did the author describe the place?
6. How did the authored describe the time?
7. What could you see, feel, hear, smell, as you read?
8. How much time passes in the story?
9. If the story were in another time, would it change? How?
10. How did the author make the reader aware of the passing of time?
11. How is the setting like a place that you know?
12. Does the time or affect the characters or plot of the story?

Characters

1. Who is the most interesting character? What makes them so interesting?
2. Who is the most important character? Why?
3. What character is the nicest? Why?
4. What character is the bravest? Why?
5. Which character taught you the most? Why?
6. What decisions did the characters have to make? How important were they for the story?
7. How does the author/ illustrator let the reader know about the character? What does the author or character say or do? What do other characters say or do that influences the reader about the other characters?
8. How do the characters change? Why?
9. Which characters don't change?
10. Is character change important for the story? Why?
11. Are there characters with small roles that are important to the story? Why?
12. What did you learn from a character in the story?
13. How did the characters fell about each other? Why?
14. Is it believable that there could be characters like those in the story? Why or why not?

Plot

1. How did the author begin the story? How did the author cause you to read more?
2. What is the main problem in the story? How did/do you think it would/will be solved?
3. What challenges do the characters meet in the story? How do they handle them?
4. What choices did the characters have?
5. How does the choices the characters make affect the other characters and the story?
6. What do you think is the most important part of the book?
7. What is the climax of the story?
8. What are the major events in the story?
9. Could the order of the events be changed? Could some be omitted or added? If so why and with what consequences?
10. How predictable is the ending of the story?
11. Would you have ended it the same? Why or why not?
12. What clues did the author provide about the ending?
13. What lesson does the story have that resembles life?
14. What do you think will happen next in the story or after the story?
15. What do you think will happen to the characters in the story?
16. Could the story really happen? Why or why not?
17. What does the author do to make the story seem realistic?
18. How does the author make the reader believe they are really a part of the story.
19. How was the plot resolved?
20. What is the shortest summary you can create for the story?
21. Make a sketch or picture for an event in the book.
22. What are the most important events in the story? Why do you believe they are important?
23. What would you like to ask the author?

Theme

1. What is the author's message?
2. What is the story about?
3. Is the title appropriate? Why?
4. What does the story mean to you?
5. Why did the author write this story?

Person

1. Who tells the story? Do you think this is the best person to tell the story?
2. Whose point of view is the story told by?
3. What other point of view could this story be told with?
4. How would the story be different if told through another character's eyes?

Style

1. What are some interesting words, phrases, and sentences?
2. What words created a feeling or picture in your mind? Describe the feeling or picture. How did these works evoke these images or feelings?
3. Where do you believe the author describes something well? Why?
4. What are some of the strongest words used by the author?
5. How did the author begin and end the story?
6. Was any of the language especially interesting, vivid, or surprising?

Illustrations

1. What do the illustration add to the story?
2. How important are the illustrations for the story?
3. How do the illustrations help provide meaning or clarity?
4. What is your favorite illustration? why?
5. Could you picture what was happening if there were no illustrations?

Author Illustrator

1. Would you read other books by this author? Why or why not?
2. Have you read other books by this author or illustrator? HOw are they similar or different?
3. What other books might this book have caused you to read?
4. Why do you think the author wrote this book?
5. What did the author have to know to write this book?
6. What did the author do to interest the reader so that he or she continued to read to the end.
7. Did the author keep you interested? Why or why not?
8. Why do you think the author began and ended the book the way that they did?
9. Why did the author choose the title" Would you choose the same? If not why not? If yes, why yes?

Genre

1. What is the genre of the book? how did you know?
2. Is this text a good example of this genre? Why or why not?
3. How is this book like other books you've read in this genre?
4. What do you find difficult about reading this genre?

Personal Connection

1. How does the story make you feel?
2. Have you had similar experiences?
3. Does the book remind you of another?
4. Do any of the characters remind you of someone in real life?
5. How is this story like another you know?
6. How are the characters, setting, and problems like those in other stories you know?
7. What does this story make you wonder about?
8. What surprised you?

Robert Sweetland's Notes ©