NAME __________________________________ DATE__________________________________

1. NAME __________________________________ DATE__________________________________ HOUR__________________________________ SPRING 2014 LITERATURE CIRCLE NOTES

2. Literature Circles What is a literature circle anyway? List your ideas below.

3. Literature Circles What is a literature circle anyway? List your ideas below. 1.) 2.) 3.)

4. A literature circle is a group of students reading the same book, leading discussions within their group, asking questions, expanding vocabulary, and relating what they read to the world around them.

5. A literature circle is a _________ of students reading the _______ book, leading __________ within their group, asking_____________, expanding______________, and relating what they read to the __________ around them.

6. Objective- Students will enjoy reading and sharing what they read through structured discussions while learning to respect other students’ ideas and opinions and working toward the same goal.

7. Objective- Students will ___________________________ what they read through ______________________while learning to ____________________________________and working toward the same goal.

8. What are the roles of each member in a literature circle? * There are five roles in our literature circles: The Literary Luminary, The Vocabulary Enricher, The Summarizer/Checker, The Connector and the Discussion Director. You will do each one at least once ,and some twice.

9. What are the roles of each member in a literature circle? * There are ____________ in our literature circles: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________You will do each one at least once ,and some twice.

10. What will I be responsible for doing? You will read, participate in discussion, and complete your role.

11. What will I be responsible for doing? You will _______ , ___________ in discussion, and ____________ your role.

12. Do I get to pick my group members? Not exactly. In a way you do pick your group, because you all have chosen the same book 

13. Do I get to pick my group members? Not exactly. In a way you do pick your group, because you ________________________________.

14. How will I be graded for Literature Circles? Each week I will take four grades: * 1- for your silent reading/participation/class behavior, on task etc. * 1- (with the weight of 2 daily grades) for the completion of your role in your literature circles *1- For your weekly journal entry *1- For how well you follow the literature circle model, work well with others, share in discussion, etc.

15. How will I be graded for Literature Circles? Each week I will take __________________ : • 1- for your ______________________________________________________ • * 1- (with the weight of 2 daily grades) for the ____________________________________________in your literature circles *1- For your _____________________________ *1- For how well you follow the literature circle model, __________________________________________________________ share in discussion, etc.

16. Will I have to do a project? • Yes. You will receive a group project grade ( more to come later) and an overall participation grade determined by your group members.

17. Will I have to do a project? • ________. You will receive a _________________________________ ( more to come later) and an ________________________________________ determined by__________________________________________.

18. How do I know which book to choose? Choose a book based on what YOU are interested in, not your friends. THIS CANNOT BE A BOOK YOU HAVE ALREADY READ! Try out a new genre, or stick with a type of book you know you will like; either way make sure you choose what you want.

19. How do I know which book to choose? Choose a book based on what_______________________ , not your____________. THIS CANNOT BE A BOOK YOU HAVE ALREADY READ! Try out a__________________________ , or stick with a type of book you know you will like; either way make sure you__________________________________________.

20. What will Mrs. White be doing while we are doing all of this discussion and reading? Reading herself…hopefully, walking around and helping to guide you in the right direction, joining your group ( at least once), etc.

21. What will Mrs. White be doing while we are doing all of this discussion and reading? __________________________________ …hopefully, walking around and _____________________________________ in the right direction, _____________________________________ ( at least once), etc.

22. Roles of Literature Circle Members

23. Vocabulary Enricher- This person’s responsibility is to choose 5 words that are unfamiliar or challenging to the group. You will locate their meanings and synonyms using reference books.

24. Vocabulary Enricher- This person’s responsibility is to ___________________________________ that are unfamiliar or _____________________ to the group. You will locate their meanings and ____________________ using reference booksand inference.

25. Discussion Director • creates questions to increase understanding and encourage discussion of the book • asks who, what, why, when, where, how, and what if

26. Discussion Director • _______________________________ to increase understanding and __________________________________________________________. • asks who, what, why, when, where, how, and what if

27. The Literary Luminary * examines figurative language, parts of speech, and vivid descriptions * locates 4 sections of text to share with the group and states the reasons for choosing the selections.

28. The Literary Luminary • examines ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • * locates _________________________________________________ with the group and states the reasons for choosing the selections.

29. Checker /Summarizer • checks for completion of assignments • evaluates participation • helps monitor discussion for equal participation * Writes a 3 paragraph summary of the key events that happened in the last reading.

30. Checker /Summarizer • _____________ for completion of assignments • _________________ participation • __________________________________________________for equal participation * Writes a ______________________________________________ of the key events that happened in the last reading.

31. Runningback Mick Johnson has dreams: dreams of cutting back, finding the hole, breaking into the open, and running free with nothing but green grass ahead. He has dreams of winning and of being the best. But football is a cruel sport. It requires power, grace, speed, quickness, and knowledge of the game. It takes luck, too. One crazy bounce can turn a likely victory into sudden defeat. What elite athlete wouldn’t look for an edge? A way to make him bigger, stronger, faster?This novel explores the dark corners of the heart of a young football player as he struggles for success under the always glaring—and often unforgiving—stadium lights.

32. Gym Candy by Carl Deuker • Genre- Sports, realistic fiction, drama • Reading page amounts- 52 a week • Topics discussed- Trust, family issues, moral issues, making the right choices • Level of difficulty- Moderate- Challenging • Tough stuff- Some violence, language, drug use (steroids), bullying • No sequel , but he writes several other great sports books.

33. Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove. Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

34. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer • Genre- realistic fiction, survival, catastrophic events • Reading page amounts- 56 a week • Topics discussed- family issues, moral issues, survival • Level of difficulty- Challenging due to reading amounts • Tough stuff- Some language, some discussions of adult relationships and themes, some violence, death • Part of a 3 book series (not the same characters in all of them)

35. 16-year-old Alex decides to get even. His parents are separated, his father is dating his former third-grade teacher, and being 16 isn't easy, especially when it comes to girls. Instead of revenge though, Alex ends up in trouble with the law and is ordered to do community service at a senior center where he is assigned to Solomon Lewis, a "difficult" senior with a lot of gusto, advice for Alex, and a puzzling (yet colorful) Yiddish vocabulary. Eventually, the pair learn to deal with their past and each other in ways that are humorous, entertaining, and life changing.

36. Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick • Genre- humor, realistic fiction, drama, twist ending  • Reading page amounts- 44 pages a week • Topics discussed- family issues, friendship, making the right choices, mistakes and consequences • Level of difficulty- Easy to Moderate • Tough stuff- alcohol use by a minor, drunk driving (light-hearted), community service, caring for the eldery, divorce • No series, but other books by the same author with some of the same characters.

37. The only thing you’ll find on the summit of Mount Everest is a divine view. The things that really matter lie far below. – Peak Marcello After fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper, he's left with two choices: wither away in Juvenile Detention or go live with his long-lost father, who runs a climbing company in Thailand. But Peak quickly learns that his father's renewed interest in him has strings attached. Big strings. As owner of Peak Expeditions, he wants his son to be the youngest person to reach the Everest summit--and his motives are selfish at best. Even so, for a climbing addict like Peak, tackling Everest is the challenge of a lifetime. But it's also one that could cost him his life.

38. Peak by Roland Smith • Genre- adventure, realistic fiction • Reading page amounts- 43 pages a week • Topics discussed- loyalty, friendship, integrity, family issues • Level of difficulty- Moderate • Tough stuff- rebellious behaviors, some language, troubled teens,

39. In America after the Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement: The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, a parent may choose to retroactively get rid of a child through a process called "unwinding." Unwinding ensures that the child's life doesn’t “technically” end by transplanting all the organs in the child's body to various recipients. Now a common and accepted practice in society, troublesome or unwanted teens are able to easily be unwound.With breathtaking suspense, this book follows three teens who all become runaway Unwinds: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents' tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing. As their paths intersect and lives hang in the balance, Shusterman examines serious moral issues in a way that will keep readers turning the pages to see if Connor, Risa, and Lev avoid meeting their untimely ends.

40. Unwind by Neal Shusterman • Genre- futuristic fiction, drama, horror, suspense, twist endings  • Reading page amounts- 56 pages a week • Topics discussed- family issues, the value of someone’s life, friendship • Level of difficulty- Moderate to Challenging ( due to numerous characters and storylines to keep up with at once). • Tough stuff- war, some teen vs. teen violence, unusual deaths, some language, serious moral issues, race and social class issues discussed • Part of a 3 book series- Unwind, Unwholly, and Unsouled

41. Sometime in the near future, Jenna Fox, 17, awakens from an 18-month-long coma following a devastating accident, her memory nearly blank. She attempts to remember who she was by watching videos of her childhood, recorded by her worshipful parents, but things still do not make sense. Jenna can recite long passages from classic literature, yet can't remember having any friends. As memories return, however, Jenna starts picking at the explanation her parents have spun until it unravels.

42. Adoration of Jenna Fox by Neal Shusterman • Genre- drama, suspense, twist endings  • Reading page amounts- 48 pages a week • Topics discussed- family issues, deception, medical technology • Level of difficulty- Moderate • Tough stuff- some language, tragic accidents, moral issues • Part of a three book series

43. D.J. has taken over most of the responsibility at her family's dairy farm, failing English as a result. Having spent most of her life watching her all-star brothers practice for and play football, she is elected to help train the rival high school's quarterback over the summer. Along the way she gets more than she bargained for. Not only do she and Brian form a close relationship, but she ends up trying out for the boys football team and helps her family learn how to start talking. One part football, one part romance, one part family drama -- all of these things make up Dairy Queen, a charming and oftentimes hilarious story with an endearing protagonist.

44. Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock • Genre- realistic fiction, drama, romance • Reading page amounts- 46 pages a week • Topics discussed- family loyalty, friendship, trust, dating • Level of difficulty- Moderate • Tough Stuff- challenging family situations, bullying, moral issues • Series of 3 books all with the same characters

45. Sixteen-year-old Blake has always been the responsible one in his dysfunctional family -- the one who drives safely, gets good grades, and looks after his wild younger brother, Quinn. Quinn is his brother's opposite -- a thrill-seeker who's always chasing the next scary rush, no matter what the cost. But Quinn and Blake are in for the surprise of their lives when they're thrust into the world of a bizarre phantom carnival -- and their souls are the price of admission. In order to save his brother, and himself, Blake must survive seven different carnival rides before dawn. Seven rides...it sounds easy. But each ride is full of unexpected dangers, because each ride is a reflection of one of Blake's deepest fears. And the last ride is the worst one of all. Because that's the one that confronts Blake with a terrifying secret from his past -- a secret he's been running from for years.

46. Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman • Genre- adventure fiction, drama, suspense,twist endings  • Reading page amounts- 34 pages a week • Topics discussed- family issues, friendship, responsibility to siblings • Level of difficulty- Moderate • Tough stuff- violence, some language, divorce, tragic accidents • No sequel or series

47. Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they’ve become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy. No amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place, with only his two sisters, only his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day after day. As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary—and their sanity—Eli can’t help but wonder if he’d rather take his chances outside. Eli’s father built the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe—really?

48. The Compound by S.A.Bodeen • Genre- Suspense, survival, futuristic • Reading page amounts- 41 pgs.a week • Topics discussed- Trust, family issues, moral issues • Level of difficulty- Moderate • Tough stuff- Some violence and language, issues of humanity and trust. • There is a sequel

49. Mick Sullivan like reading thrillers, dreaming about Tabitha Slater, and teasing his archenemy, Boot Quinn. Boot Quinn likes playing his guitar, daydreaming about Tabitha Slater, and punching his adversary, Mick Sullivan. The two eighth graders are rivals in every way, and with two fights in the first week of school, they've set the stage for a yearlong showdown. That is, until a new principal arrives on the scene and forces Mick and Boot to spend an hour and a half each day playing games together. Two enemies, one small room, and no adult supervision—battle lines are bound to be crossed. As the wins and losses are tallied, the boys find themselves fighting for their classmates' attention, a cute girl's affection, and their own fathers' respect. But how far are they willing to go to win? And who are they really fighting? GAMES by Carol Gorman

50. Games by Gordon Korman • Genre- Realistic fiction, humor, drama • Reading page amounts- 41 pages per week • Topics discussed- problems in school, getting along with people you don’t like, bullying, resolving differences • Level of difficulty- Easy to moderate • Tough Stuff- bullying, fighting amongst teens, rough home lives, alcohol use by an adult • No series