September 2006 Dear 4K Student, This year you and I will write letters to each other about books, reading, writers, and writing. Our letters will help us learn together. The letters will help you learn more about reading. When you write letters in your RRJ, do your best work and share your best thinking. For example, you might: Tell what you like or dislike about a book and why. Tell why you abandoned a book. Talk about interesting language or words the author used. Share what you would change about the book. Tell about parts of your book that puzzled you or made you ask questions. Tell what you noticed about the characters, such as what made them act as they did or how they changed. Write about something in the book that surprised you or that you found interesting. Write your predictions and about whether your predictions were right. Ask for help in figuring out the meaning of your book. Tell about the connections that you made while reading the book. Tell how it reminds you of yourself, of people you know, or of something that happened in your life. It might remind you of other books, or characters. Write about the author’s style and how it makes you feel. Write about the language the author used and why you think the author wrote this way. Write about the author’s craft-what was effective about the way the author wrote. Write a letter to me for your assigned week. Use a letter form and include the title and author of your book. It is important that your letters are neat and easy to read so I can understand what you are thinking. Read through your letter to make sure that it says all you want it to say before you place it in the basket. When I read your journal, it will be fun to learn from you, and we will learn together about books in the process. Eager to read your letter, Mr. Kotkin BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE OF A QUALITY RRJ LETTER: September 24, 2006 Dear Mr. Kotkin, The first thing I thought about when I read A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements was the first time I went camping. It was a strange feeling to have everything I needed to live in the back of my car: Food, a toothbrush, clothes, a sleeping bag, a book, a tent, bug spray, and maybe a few other items. I remember listening to all of the unfamiliar sounds during the night and wondering who was making them. At times it seemed that small animals were trying to find out what was inside my tent by coming right up to it and sniffing around! Another thing I noticed about the book was how realistic Clements made the woods seem. It is obvious that he has spent time in New Hampshire, where the story takes place. I could picture the tress, mountains, streams, and trails that he describes. I wonder if it is based on a real place or just a place he made up from lots of different places. I enjoyed this book because I really like books about nature, traveling, and the outdoors. I hope you enjoy your books, too! Sincerely, Jessie