If your school assigns you a required reading book for the summer, here are some reading tips to help you maximize your understanding of your book:

If you own your book, take notes in the margins. If checking your book out of the library, take notes in a special notebook.

• Who are the main characters? Circle or write down the names of the main characters.
• What are the characteristics of these characters? Jot down traits that create a character: what the character looks like, what they say, what they do, and what others say about them.
• What is the setting? Note the time, place, and setting the author creates.
• How are conflicts developing? Write down any potential conflicts you see with characters or situations.
• How might the conflicts be resolved? Think about and include your ideas about how the book might end.
• Symbolism? Are there any colors or objects that often show up throughout the novel? What could they symbolize and add to the theme of the novel?
• Timeline? Take note of the turning points from beginning to rising action to the climax peak then falling action and resolution. How do the characters act and change throughout the book?