Advanced English 10

HOW TO WRITE IN A BOOK

From Honors English 9, some of you might have the handout HOW TO WRITE IN A BOOK.   The new students do not have it.   For everyone, here is a summary of the key points.

“Marking up a book is not an act of mutilation but of love.”  Mortimer J. Adler

1)      Marking a book keeps you alert and aware as a reader.

2)      It makes you an ACTIVE thinking reader.

3)      It helps you to remember the thoughts of the author.

You may HIGHLIGHT the book and do vertical lines along the side of the text.   It is easier than horizontal lines.   Use the following to NOTE a KEY POINT:

·        char – for an important character point

·        k image – for any of the five senses

·        symbol – for something that represents an idea

·        k ev – for a key event of the plot

·        rep – for a significant repeated idea

·        conf  or  ? – for a confusing point that needs clarification

·        rem – this point reminds you of a different book or movie

·        theme – a possible thematic idea

·        wow  or  ! – for a particularly interesting point

·        sum – to summarize a main point

You may also wish to note the following:

• killer quotes / clever phrases
• allusions, metaphors and similes / figures of speech
• setting information
• lighting, weather and seasonal changes
• irony – verbal, situational, dramatic
• literary movements / periods
• examples of the author’s writing style / organization

**** The next blogs will be on QUESTIONS to guide your reading of FARENHEIT 451. ****

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