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Although we hope that you enjoy the books that have been assigned for summer reading, you have to keep in mind that you will be tested on these books when you return to school in the fall.

Therefore, active reading strategies should be used so that you will be prepared for these tests.  You will need notes to review right before the tests to refresh your memory of what you have read.  Follow the steps below to prepare for the tests on summer reading:

·        Use a notebook as a reading log.  Write down the title and the author of the book you are reading.

·        As you finish reading each chapter, write a summary of what happened in one or two sentences.  Remember that WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and WHAT are important cues to knowing what was important in what you read.

·        All stories have the same important features:  characters (the ones who act out the story), setting (where and when the story happens), theme (the main idea behind the story), climax (the most exciting part of the story), and conclusion (the final events of the story that help tie up any loose ends).  When you have finished reading the story, write down these terms, leaving space to write your answers:  CHARACTERS,  SETTING,  THEME,  PLOT,  CLIMAX, CONCLUSION.

*    Now, review your notes and write down the names of the important characters and a few details about each one.

*    Next, write where and when the story happened next to the term setting.  Sometimes the story might include a number of different settings.

*    Determining theme is a little harder.  The theme is sometimes the moral of the story, such as “Be kind to others” or “Always do your best”.  Think about what the author of the story wanted you to believe after you read the story.

*    Now, you are ready to tackle plot.  Write down the main problem of the story.  A lot of times things happen to make matters even worse, and you might want to note these too.

*    Write climax.  This is the most exciting part of the story, usually near the end in the last few chapters. 

*    Finally, write down the conclusion, or how the story ended.

You might want to compare notes with your friends who are reading the same books and talk over your ideas about the story.  This is one of the best ways to remember things!