Name ____________________________
40 Book Period _________ READING Tab
Directions: use this log to keep track of
Challenge books you read both at school and home.
Genre Title Author Rating
Fantasy 1.
Fantasy 2.
Fantasy 3.
Fantasy 4.
Graphic 1.
Novel
Historical 1.
Fiction
Historical 2.
Fiction
Mystery 1.
Mystery 2.
Nonfiction 1.
Nonfiction 2.
Nonfiction 3.
Nonfiction 4.
Nonfiction 5.
Nonfiction 6.
Nonfiction 7.
Poetry 1.
Poetry 2.
Poetry 3.
Realistic 1.
Fiction
Realistic 2.
Fiction
Realistic 3.
Fiction
Genre Title Author Rating
Realistic 4.
Fiction
Realistic 5.
Fiction
Science 1.
Fiction
Science 2.
Fiction
Science 3.
Fiction
Science 4.
Fiction
Traditional 1.
Lit.
Traditional 2.
Lit.
Choice Read 1.
Choice Read 2.
Choice Read 3.
Choice Read 4.
Choice Read 5.
Choice Read 6.
Choice Read 7.
Choice Read 8.
Choice Read 9.
Choice Read 10.
Quarter 1 Goal: __________ Quarter 1 Total (# books): ________ Teacher Initials:
_________
Quarter 2 Goal: __________ Quarter 1 Total (# books): ________ Teacher Initials:
_________
Quarter 3 Goal: __________ Quarter 1 Total (# books): ________ Teacher Initials:
_________
Quarter 4 Goal: __________ Quarter 1 Total (# books): ________ Teacher Initials:
_________
READING Tab
40 Book Challenge
Task: each student on the Voyager team is being challenged to read forty
books during the school year. This equates to approximately one book
per week.
Purpose: the 40 Book Challenge is designed to provide plentiful reading
opportunities that will help strengthen independent reading skills and
foster a love of reading. A secondary goal is to help each student identify
him/herself as a reader, understanding strengths, areas for growths, and
preferred genres and/or styles.
Need to Know Information:
o Each student must read selections that span across multiple genres.
The required genres include, but are not limited to: fantasy, graphic
novels, historical fiction, mystery, nonfiction, poetry, realistic fiction,
science fiction, and traditional literature.
o Each student is expected to use the reading log to track progress
throughout the year. Please keep the reading log in your class binder.
o Each student is expected to have a book to read every single day.
o Each student should be ready to engage in academic conversations
regarding the reading selections. Book talks will be held quarterly.
Good to Know Information:
o A book longer than 350 pages may be counted as two books.
o You may include class novels in your total count.
o You may check out books from the classroom library. You must use
the sign-out sheet and return the book when finished. Treat books
gently.
o You are encouraged to use the Read & Reviewed Binder, lexiled
book list, and other reading resources to aid in the selection of
novels.
This is an exciting journey that should be taken with an open mind. If it
becomes stressful at anytime, please see me immediately and we can
problem-solve. Happy reading!
40 Book Challenge: Genre Requirements
As we embark on our 40 Book Challenge, we want to emphasize the importance of choice and
variety of selected reading materials. Having the ability to self-select materials allows you to
choose the 'right fit' book - think of Goldilocks and the three bears! You want to find a book
that challenges you enough to make you a stronger reader, but interests you enough to keep
turning those pages. It is perfectly fine to sample books and return some to the shelf if they
don't seem like the right fit for you. Some of our favorite reference tools are listed below:
o Classroom book list, listed by lexile score
o Peer and teacher recommendations
o Scholastic book wizard tool & similar book finder
o Virtual book shelf (i.e. Good Reads)
o Top-ranking book lists (i.e. Good Reads, Amazon)
o School and public library - ask for recommendations
o Book fairs & order subscriptions
As you progress through the challenge, we also want to ensure that you become well-versed in
different genres, as each has something unique to offer. This will not only expose you to
different writing styles and purposes, it will strengthen your ability to read and comprehend
texts across the board. Please use the genre checklist below to help guide your book
selections. I recommend sandwiching the least desirable genres (do I have to read that?) in-
between your favorite genres for some motivation!
o 3 poetry anthologies
o 2 fables, folktales, legends, or myths
o 5 realistic fiction
o 2 historical fiction
o 2 fantasy
o 3 science fiction
o 2 mystery
o 4 informational text**
o 3 literary nonfiction**
o 12 choice
Dear Parents and Students,
We are thrilled to announce that the 7th grade Voyager team will be taking on the Forty Book Challenge!
This challenge is an exciting journey that strengthens independent reading skills, exposes students to
current and classic texts, and fosters a love of reading. Our goal is that each student reads 40 books by the
end of the school year. Since there are approximately 40 weeks in a school year, this equates to about one
book per week.
As we embark on our 40 Book Challenge, we want to emphasize the importance of choice and variety of
selected reading materials. Having the ability to self-select materials allows each student to select a 'right
fit' book . A 'right fit' book is one that is challenging enough to strengthen reading skills and
comprehension, but interesting enough to keep the pages turning. It is perfectly fine to sample books and
return some to the shelf if they don't seem like the right fit. Some of our favorite reference tools are listed
below:
o Classroom book list, listed by lexile score
o Peer and teacher recommendations
o Top ranking book lists (e.g. Goodreads, Amazon, NY Times)
o Classroom, school, and public libraries
o http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/
o http://www.goodreads.com
o http://www.commonsensemedia.com (kid/teen and parent reviews)
The 40 Book Challenge is not meant to be a grueling, frustrating task for students, but rather a way for our
class to become a true community of readers. Research has proven time and again the benefits of reading
a larger volume of books and a wider variety of genres. If at any time during the year your child becomes
frustrated with reading due to the 40 Book Challenge, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can
get down to the root of the problem. The purpose of the challenge is to help students work toward a goal,
find books that they will enjoy and learn more about Language Arts through reading more.
Students will be given time to silently read both during Language Arts class and at the close of each school
day. We will keep track of each student's progress through a reading log, student conferences, and
quarterly book talks. We would love to have your support as well. Students should have a dedicated time
each night to read. A recommended amount of time is 20-30 minutes per night. You can also ask your
child weekly what he or she is reading. Engage your son or daughter in conversation about his/her
current book and ask to see the reading log. The more accountability students have, the more likely they
are to succeed in meeting their goal.
As we build our classroom library and continue to purchase newly released titles, we would gladly
welcome book donations. If you have any lightly used books that are collecting dust on a shelf, please
consider donating them.
If you have any questions about the 40 Book Challenge, please do not hesitate to call or email.
Sincerely,
