Suggested Reading Tasks 1. Cast List

When the timetable for the year has been finalised, they can be decided upon and given to students with the instructions so that they know when everything is due.

Example:

Task completed

Due Date 8 March 27 March 10 April 2 May 23 May

Grade /10 Teacher’s signature

vi. Further work to be done Decide on tasks for each level

⇒ Finalise instruction sheet for each level

⇒ Decide on due dates

⇒ Prepare examples of some tasks

II. Suggested Reading Tasks

explain a little bit about the story. It should make people want to read the book. Be careful not to say too much about the story.

Your book cover must include all the correct details and information, such as title, author’s name, publisher, price and/or bar-code, plus any other relevant details, such as the illustrator’s name.

4. Setting

Where does the book take place?

Find and/or draw pictures of the most important places in the book. This could be a bedroom, a city street, a castle, another planet, a school...

Describe how your pictures are different from Hong Kong.

*Do not do this task if your book is set in H.K.

5. A New Ending

How would you like the story to end? Write a new ending for the book.

6. Continuation

What happened after the end of the story? What happened to the characters? Pretend you are the author and keep writing the book.

7. Letter of Recommendation

Write to a friend recommending this book. Tell them about the story, the characters, etc.

and explain why you think it is such a good book.

*Only choose this task if you have read a book that you really enjoyed and would honestly like to recommend.

8. Book to Film

Choose a book which has been made into a film. Read the book and watch the film.

Describe the differences between the two. For example, compare setting, ending and what the characters are like.

9. Advertising Poster

Design and make a poster advertising the book. You need to have the title, author’s name, price, where the book can be bought and a picture. Make sure that it is interesting and

attractive so that people would want to buy the book.

10. Crazy Poems

Write two crazy poems.

a) One must use the title of the book. This poem must be made up of sentences that are about the story.

b) The other poem is to use the main character’s name. This poem must be about this person (or animal). What kind of person is she/he? What does he/she look like? What does she/he love, hate...?

*Look at the examples to see how to write a crazy poem.

11. Character Diary - ‘In Role’

Pretend you are the main character. Write a diary about your life, family, relationships, feelings, hopes, things that happen in the book... .

12. Interview with the author

Pretend you are going to interview the author about the book. Write 5 questions that you would like to ask him/her.

Then pretend you are the author. Write your answers to these questions.

*Don’t use questions that only need a yes or no answer.

13. Interview with the main character

Pretend you are going to interview the main character about his/her life or things that happen in the book. Write 5 questions that you would like to ask him/her.

Then pretend you are the main character and write your answers to these questions.

*Don’t use questions that only need a yes or no answer.

14. Collage

On a piece of A3 paper, using words and pictures, make a collage about your book.

It could be about the setting, characters, events or theme(s).

*A collage is a picture that is made up of lots of other pictures, pieces of coloured paper, words or objects such as string, coins, bottle tops...

15. Letter to the Young Post

Pretend you are one of the characters from the book. Write a letter to the SCMP Young Post about something that interests you.

16. Comic Strip

Draw a comic strip for an important event in the book. Think about what the characters look like, their facial expressions, body language and what they are saying.

17. Dramatisation

Choose an exciting and interesting scene from the book. Write a play of this scene.

Present it like a real play with a list of characters, stage directions and setting it out like a real play.

18. Adjectives

Choose three different adjectives from the following list and explain how each one describes something or someone in your book.

frightening lovely fabulous exciting gorgeous fascinating gruesome inspirational complicated challenging informative marvellous humorous impressive hilarious

*Make sure you choose words that do describe your book! If you find another interesting adjective that describes part of your book, you may use that instead of one from the list.

19. Letter to the Author

Write a letter to the author. Include the following information:

a) Your favourite part of the story b) Your opinion of the main character(s) c) Your opinion of the ending

d) Suggestions to improve the story

20. The Past

What do you learn about the past from this book? How did people live then?

What were houses, schools, transport, work, families, entertainment... like in the past?

Describe the differences between life in the book and life now.

*Only do this task if your book is set in the past.

21. The Future

What is difference between the present and the future in the book? How do people live?

Where do they live? What kind of work do they do? What are schools like?

How do people travel? What do people do for entertainment?

Describe the differences between life in the book and life now.

*Only do this task if your book is set in the future.

22. Discussing the books you’ve read Extension for enthusiastic students

If you are a keen reader and want to improve your English, you may do extra tasks. If you do so, you may repeat the ones that you’ve already done. You may also do this in pairs or groups.

After you’ve completed each reading task, there will be a period to discuss the books you’ve read and to recommend them to your classmates. This is a very good way of learning about books you would like to read.

Group Instructions

1. Each person tells the group about the book they have read.

(Follow the instructions in A.)

2. While listening, each person writes down the details of any books they’d like to read in B.

3. Each group selects one of the books discussed to tell the class about.

4. Fill in the ‘Book Recommendation’ form which will be put on the notice-board.

5. A spokesperson from the group tells the class about the book the group recommends.