Many people (including me) like to create lists. I even have a book called ‘The 52 Lists Project – A Year Of Weekly Journaling Inspiration’ ($13.64 at present time) that prompts you to list things like the happiest moments of your life, favorite meals, things that make you feel powerful, etc. It’s fun and strangely fulfilling to make these lists, and I also think of my great-great-grandchildren coming across this book 50 years from now and getting to know me by reading it.
Reading and writing go together like peanut butter and chocolate, and journaling is not only something that many book lovers enjoy, it’s a great way to increase comprehension and retention of information, stimulate imaginations, and inspire future authors. Some of the reading journals I found also include check boxes to keep track of how many days included reading, how many books were read, and rating scales, all tools that provide motivation and incentive to keep reading.
The Book & Reading Tracker: Battle of the Books – Journal, Reading Log, Story Map published by Entrada Publishing ($8.99) was my favorite of the ones I found. It includes four pages to just list the titles and authors of books read. The rest of the book is divided into 33 identical 4-page sections, one for each book:
- Book Rating: Title, Author, Date Started, Date Complete, lines to list the five main characters, a box to draw a picture of a favorite character, a place to list other people that would enjoy the book, five stars to color in to indicate a 1 to 5 star rating, and a place to explain the rating given.
- Book Summary… Title, author, and sections to fill in the who, what, where when, how, and why of the story
- Plot Summary: Title Author, and sentence prompts:
- Somebody…..
- Wanted …..
- But…
- Then…..
- So….
- Story Map: Title, Author, characters, setting, problem, main events, and resolution
Some of these elements seem a bit redundant, but that will only increase retention.
I LOVE the large print, large spaces to write in, and simple, easy-to-read font.
Another Battle of the Books reading journal I found is published by Retro Ranger Publishing Company. ($5.25) I bought four journals with different covers, thinking they would be different in some way, maybe geared toward students at different ages or grade levels, but they are identical. This could be great for keeping things organized for a team of four, each kid having a different cover, or for an entire class with four different groups. It’s the least costly too, making it ideal for larger groups.
These journals are very simple, which may be exactly what you want, especially for younger readers. They each have 30 identical pages with a place to write the book title, author, illustrator, facts/ideas to remember, and characters. The pages have cute little clipart around them, and the font is clear and easy to read.
Finally, the Battle of the Books Journal by Laurie Bass ($14.99) includes:
- Two pages with 15-row tables to list title, author, date started, date finished a 1 to 5 start rating
- Two pages to list books to read in the future with check boxes in front
- Two pages with squares to color in days read in each month (12 months, 31 days each)
- Thirty pages to journal about fiction books:
- Title, author,
- important characters, name and description/traits,
- conflicts,
- graphic organizer to label exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, and setting
- One page for miscellaneous notes or sketches
- Book Review: pages, genre, rating, start date, completion date, summary theme, would/would not recommend book because…. and theme.
- Thirty pages to journal about non-fiction books:
- Important people, events, animals
- Name and description
- Author’s purpose for writing
- Text structure (check one) – Description, Sequence, Compare & Contrast, Cause & Effect, or Problem & Solution
- Thoughts and questions or important facts
This journal includes two pages with titles used in America’s Battle of the Books middle school level competition. Are these books only for this year? It’s handy, but limited if the titles change each year.
The thing that bothered me about this journal was the font. At least for me, it’s hard to read in small sizes, like on the graphic organizer.
I hope this info is helpful for you!
Now I have six unused Battle of the Books reading journals that I will give away as prizes to six random readers. I just have to figure out how to do a raffle to pick six people to send them to. Stay tuned 🙂
Lisa
Battle of the Books Quiz Center – www.bobqc.net
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Please share any suggestions of reading journals and/or experiences using them.
