Literature+Discussion+4

Save the Last Word For Me
Pick an important passage from this week's selection that you will want to discuss during this literature circle. 1. Read the passage aloud to your group. Don't comment on why you chose it or why it is special to you. 2. Now ask your group members what they think of your chosen passage. Why do you think this passage is important? How does this passage relate to something else in the story? What were you thinking as your group member was reading the passage? Someone in your group may notice text in a different way or someone may explain a view that no one else even thought of. Gather ideas from all your groups members before you share your own interpretation.

Savouring Powerful Language
What hooks readers on books for a lifetime? Characters we care about, plots and places we can believe in, ideas that matter to us as human beings. But what comes first, for many readers, is the language. We need vivid words, a unique voice, images we can see, taste, feel and smell. We want language that picks us up and puts us down in a whole other place. Life is too short to read books with no voice. 1. Find a passage with great language, and read it aloud to your group. Talk a bit about about each section. What makes this language special, beautiful, or powerful?