Novel Study
Christmas Novel Studies
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
Every person in a family has a unique position. Take the time to think deeply and interact with The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser to discover how these unique positions and personalities impact everything from how stress is handled to holiday spirit.
Top Elf
Santa’s retiring, so now what?!? Bring on the Santa trials. Who will win and be the next Santa? An elf, one of Santa’s children, a Klaus relative from far away? Help your students think through this fun holiday novel by spending time with the content, rolling the text around in their brains all while making decisions regarding their own thoughts and intuition.
The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever
When “What a recipe for disaster!” becomes “That was the best ever!” Help students think through and analyze how assumptions, reputations, tradition, point-of-view and prejudice can shape a story and a life.
Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas
Christmas is such a magical time of year for students this age. Help them enjoy their reading during the season by encouraging deep thinking through questioning, inferencing, predictions, get out of the book activities and journaling.
Greenglass House
When a quiet winter break vacation quickly turns to chaos with the arrival of guests, a theft and a huge winter storm there is much to be explored. Help your student(s) chase the mysteries – yes, plural – through this book using this unique novel study.
Secret Santa
Ever make a choice while you were upset and then regretted it later? In this story, poor Katie ends up in just such a position. Help your students consider the consequences of their choices, emotions and reading strategies all at the same time.
Thinking While Reading
As with all my novel studies, schema activation, predictions, space to record independent thinking, journal prompts, get out of the book activities and personal reflection questions take the forefront with a few traditional comprehension questions sprinkled in here and there. Why do I write them that way? Because, children need the opportunity to do more than read the words written in a book. They need to spend time with it, roll the content around in their brains, and make decisions with and without the guidance of the teacher. Here’s your chance for adventure, let’s go!
What’s in a Novel Study?
Each novel study contains several sections and each section a variety of parts.
Getting Started & Wrap It Up
Open up and pull together your thinking with these two sections that occur only once in each study.
Comprehension Questions
While these questions may be more traditional, don’t expect them to be easy. Dig into the text to find the answers.
While You are Reading
Metacognition – thinking about thinking – brings out a greater understanding of the content.
Journal Your Thoughts
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore
Get Out of the Book
Research, create, try something new – this part of each novel study section is about digging deeper and discovering more than what the text directly states.
What About You?
Use these prompts to create connections, form & defend an opinion and consider your own characteristics & actions and compare yourself to
Similar Novel Studies
Want a suggestion for another study? Have an idea for us?
Here are a couple of suggestions and a way to share your idea with us.
The Hobbit
Adventure seekers wanted – gold, dragons, goblins, dwarves, fairies, invisibility all included! Grab their attention with the story. Grow their mind with a variety of deep thinking and processing activities. Win their hearts with a classic. Win their minds with meaningful work.
Hatchet
Our lives are full of distinctive markers where we are changed forever. For Brian, “the secret” and the subsequent divorce are just such events. Little does he know that this is just the beginning and that this summer break will forever change everything.
Have an Idea?
What book does your family want to read? Send Us Your Request for a New Novel Study
Email: kandis@smartsimplehomeschool.com
Note: Though we would love to turn every book into a novel study, each study takes a significant amount of time. Please be aware that though all recommendations will be considered, not all can be accomplished.