Every 9th graders will be expected to select, read, and review several books during the school year. Books should be selected based on the following:
Interest - find a book on a topic, in a genre, by an author, or with a review you find interesting and enjoyable
Level - select books that are within your reading level (100L below/50L above Lexile measure is ideal)
Type - books must be narrative in nature, no "How To's" or record books. Books may be fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, romance, adventure/epic, sports, mystery, horror, drama, historical, and many more) or non-fiction (biography, autobiography, memoir, narrative non-fiction).
But not all books come with a clear LEXILE measure, so here is a general guidelie:
Typical Reader Measures, by Grade
Grade
Reader Measures, Mid-Year 25th percentile to 75th percentile (IQR)
5
565L to 910L
6
665L to 1000L
7
735L to 1065L
8
805L to 1100L
9
855L to 1165L
10
905L to 1195L
11 and 12
940L to 1210L
Students must record their reading on a log and submit it as requested (usually every other week or so) for teacher check-in.
When completed, students will write REVIEWS of their reading selection. Each quarter, expectations will be adjusted to reflect learning and development of skills. Reviews will be SUMMATIVE assessments, so class time will be spent drafting and working on each one. They are to be polished, publishable pieces of writing.
1st Quarter - Reviews must be a minimum of 2 paragraphs.
PREMISE: setting, character, and conflict are set out. This paragraph should leave the reader with a clear sense of the genre, protagonist's character and conflict, and identify what is keeping them from achieving their goal (evil twin? self-doubt? home life? bully?)
EVALUATION & RECOMMENDATION: what sort of read was this book? Describe YOUR experience reading the book. What did you, the reviewer, like and dislike? Was the character well-developed? Include a passage that illustrates at least ONE of your observations. How strongly and for whom would you recommend this book? What other books or movies does it resemble?