NAME:_______Ashton Cadman ____________

READER’S JOURNAL for Children and Young Adult Literature: Every week bring at least three of your
books to class. Ensure you have chosen at least one book  that connects to the sessions’ topics, themes,
and focuses. If you’re reading an intermediate or young adult book that will take you more than a week
to finish, choose at least one picture book related to the session’s topics, themes, or focuses. Also plan
to include at least one Américas Award book in your weekly selections. These three books will be used
for the Reader’s Journal assignment.

Using this Reader’s Journal, develop a semester-long journal of critical and literary responses to at least
three of your weekly selected CYAL. (See above.) Journal entries are due and must be uploaded to
Canvas before the start of class each week. Journal entries may vary over the semester; therefore, if you
plan to work ahead, please ask if I will be asking for something specific for a particular session. Journal
entries will be reviewed weekly by the instructor (for completion, thoroughness and effort), with grading
using the Reader’s Journal rubric on at least three occasions during the semester.

Fiction Template
Date 03/10/2020

Title Jack and The Beanstalk

Author Rosemary Wells Norman Messenger

Brief Summary (try to use A boy named Jack traded their cow for a bag of beautiful beans. Jack’s
literary language as listed mother threw beans out the window. One of the beans had sprouted
above) and its stalk reached the clouds. There was a giant in the clouds. Jack
found his father.

Connections to This fairy tale connects to Tribunella’s explanation of resulting in a

Hintz/Tribunella happy ending.

Theme(s)
(Express the theme in a FULL Good Vs Evil. Jack represents the good and the giant represents the evil.
sentence: what is the message
of the story, as supported by
the elements of fiction?)

Critical Reading: What lens can

you apply to this story? How
does this lens Feminist & Gender Criticism with in this book I found it interesting that
change/enhance/support your Jack took over the roles once his father had left.
own reading of the story?

Responding to Text (choose This text reminded me of a class activity I did in 3rd grade when my
one prompt from “Responding teacher did a day dedicated to fairytales and we planted beans
to Text” below) representing the beans from Jack and the Beanstalk.
Fiction Template
Date 03/10/2020

Title The Three Little Pigs

Author James Marshall

Brief Summary (try to use There was a big bad wolf who went around blowing down the first two
literary language as listed pig’s houses made of straw and sticks. But the third house was made of
above) brick which he could not blow down.

Connections to This story represents the sociohistorical\Cultural interpretation of

Hintz/Tribunella fairytales.

Theme(s)
(Express the theme in a FULL
sentence: what is the message
of the story, as supported by
the elements of fiction?)
Taking the time to do something right pays off. The first two pigs didn’t
take the time to build their homes when the third one took the time to
build a sturdy house.

Critical Reading: What lens can
you apply to this story? How
does this lens
change/enhance/support your
own reading of the story?
Critical lens of Marxist View. In this story we see that the pigs are the
bad guys therefore they represent the capitalist Bourgeoisie. While on
the other hand the working class or the Proletariats are represented by
the wolf,

Responding to Text (choose This book reminds me of the time in class when we had different
one prompt from “Responding materials to use to build a bridge. The most sturdy bridge was the one
to Text” below) created by the group who used the harder material and took the more
time to develop it.

Fiction Template
Date 03/10/2020

Title Atlantis The Legend of a Lost City

Author Christina Balit

Brief Summary (try to use
literary language as listed
above)
The sea-god Poseidom owns the floating emerald sea island. Poseidom
marries a beautiful islander named Cleito. The city named Atlantis
turned into a rich paradise and a city where all things flourish. Atlantis
grows but Poseidon begins to decent and acts less like gods and more
like men.

Connections to
Hintz/Tribunella Relates to the development of traditional stories such as the origins of
Greek mythology.

Theme(s)
(Express the theme in a FULL
sentence: what is the message Everything good doesn’t last forever. The city of Atlantis was once a
of the story, as supported by beautiful place and towards the end everything began breaking.
the elements of fiction?)

Critical Reading: What lens can

you apply to this story? How Reader Response Theory the readers engage in the story by connecting
does this lens to the imagination of Greek mythology.
change/enhance/support your
own reading of the story?

Responding to Text (choose For some reason I was reminded to the times I would play king of the
one prompt from “Responding floating tub in the pool. It was like my personal city like Atlantis.
to Text” below)