Book Voyage Journal Ideas

Math & Logic	Words
Art	Nature
Knowing Yourself	Knowing Others
Music	Hands-on

We do Book Voyage Journals to help us think more deeply about what we are reading. You don't have to prove that you have read a certain part of the book. Instead, think of your journal as a place to experiment with a book, to try to make sense of it, to explore what the author might be trying to make you feel or think.

Remember, always support your ideas with details from the book. Every entry should include some writing about how the entry has changed the way you understand the book.

Just like people learn math in a lot of different ways, they also think about books in a lot of different ways. One scientist, Howard Gardner, believes that there are eight different talents people can have. We've designed Book Voyage journal ideas so that you can try out all of your talents. Which ones work best for you?

If you have an idea for a journal entry not listed here, let us know by e-mailing us!

Math & Logic

	Personality Pie Chart. Choose a favorite (or least favorite) character and graph out the different parts of their personality. Share details from the book to support your observation.
	Plot the action of a chapter or section of the book with a line graph. When does the author use action and suspense? Why do you think he or she plans the book that way? Don't forget to share examples.
	Figurative Language Tally. Choose a section of your book. How many similes can you find? How many metaphors? How many powerful words? How much personification? Can you tell something about the author's style by looking at your data? Write down the examples you like a lot.
	Focus Bar Graph. Choose a chapter of the book. Identify the main focus of each paragraph. Does it explain more about a certain character? Does it describe action? Does it describe setting? Once you have analyzed each paragraph, create a bar graph of your findings. Why do you think the author focused as he or she did?
	You be the Judge. Choose something to rate such as characters or chapters. Decide what you will rate. For example, you might choose to rate chapters on action, writing, and importance to the story. Rate each area from 1-10 and support your opinion with evidence.

Words

	Poem. Write a poem inspired by what you've read. You might want to use language from the book. Could you create two poems from two different characters' points of view? If you write a short poem, don't forget to write about what inspired you and what you learned from writing the poem.
	Create your own Word Wall. What powerful words has the author chosen to use? How did those words change how you felt about the book. Create a word wall entry to capture those amazing words and add to it as you read. You might want to circle the words you want to use in your own writing.
	Dialect Dialogue. Many books have characters who speak in a certain way; you can recognize who is talking by their words. If your book has a character or characters with a strong dialect, see if you can capture it. Imagine a conversation between two characters and write it down, trying to capture both what they would say and how they would say it. This is not easy.
	Explode a Moment. Take a favorite line from what you have read. Write it at the top of your journal page. Now use that as a starting point for a whole new story. It might be about you, it might be about the characters in the book, it might be entirely new. You decide.
	Quotation Spotlight. Choose one or two sentences from the story. Write down the exact passage from the book (make sure to use page numbers). Then share why you liked this passage. What do you think it means? Why do you think the author wrote it. Really stretch yourself.
	Fighting Words. Do you have an idea about the book that you think others might not agree with? Maybe it's a favorite character everyone else hates, maybe it's an unusual prediction, maybe it's a complaint about the author's choices. Great! Explain your opinion and share what you think others might feel. Support your opinion. How would you argue in a debate to support your ideas?
	Letter to the Author Imagine that you are the editor of the book. What suggestions do you have for the author? What would you change? What do you think is successful and why. Write a letter to the author offering suggestions and sharing compliments.
	Diary Entry Write a diary entry from the view point of the main character. Include emotions and ideas that are not stated in the book.

Art

	Setting Map Create a map of the important settings in the story. Include as much detail from the book as you are able. Label each part of the setting with the important events which happen there.
	Design a New Cover. Do you like the jacket of your book? Create a new jacket that you feel captures the themes or idea of the book. Why did you choose the subject and style that you chose? Write a paragraph or two to explain your choices.
	Abstract Impressions. Can you capture a scene or chapter in your book through abstract images? What kind of line (jagged, smooth, thick, thin, sketchy, strong) would represent your scene or character. What kinds of color? Would it be simple or complex? Explain your decisions in a few paragraphs.
	Character portraits. This is especially useful at the beginning of a book. Create portraits of each character with short descriptions. Make your portraits carefully so that they capture details from the book as well as from your own mind.
	Collage Go through magazines and newspapers and clip words and images that you think are related to the book you are reading. Layer them together on a page to create a new artwork. Try not to leave any white space. Why did you choose the images and words that you included?

Nature

	If they were an animal... Imagine that the characters in your book were plants or animals? What kind of animal would they be and why? Include details from the book to support your opinion.
	Planting Instructions. What do the characters in your book need to succeed? Each one would need different things to be happy and successful. Imagine that each character was a plant. Write the instructions for how to care for that character. Include feeding, soil, and care requirements. Be creative. What would your characters yield if they were cared for correctly?
	Natural Comparisons. Many authors use images from nature to help describe settings and characters. Look through your book. If your author uses a lot of natural comparisons, collect them and explain them.
	Naturalist's Notebook Imagine that you are a naturalist discovering the new world in your book. Create a notebook recording your observations about the creatures (characters) you meet and the environments you find yourself in (the settings)
	How does it grow? This is a good entry to do toward the end of a book. How did the author grow the story? Did it shoot up in the beginning with a lot of excitement? Did it develop slowly, then burst up toward the end? Imagine you were making observations as a scientist. Create a log of your story's growth.

Knowing Yourself

	Venn Diagram Compare yourself to a character in the book. How are you alike? How are you different. Strive for "deeper" comparisons (not just your hair color, for example). What did you learn by comparing yourself to the characters?
	In Their Shoes There is an old saying that you shouldn't judge someone until you have spent some time in their shoes. Put yourself in the place of one of the characters. How would you deal with the problems he or she faces? How would you react differently? How would that effect the story. Remember to share your reasoning and what you learned.
	Dear Abby... Imagine that the main character has written a letter to you asking for advise. What decision would they need help to make? How would you advise them? Don't forget to share your reasons.

Knowing Others

	Survival of the Fittest Imagine that all of the characters in your book were stuck on a desert island. How would they react? Which ones would survive the longest? Why do you think so? How do the different characters deal with problems differently?
	Switcheroo Drop one of your characters into another book or story that you have read. How would he or she react? How would the characters in the other book react to your character? How would your character change the story that he or she is dropped into?
	Point of View Retell a scene in your book from another character's point of view. How would he or she see things differently. If it's easier for you, write a diary entry about the event from that character's point of view. For a challenge, see if you can copy the character's way of talking in your writing.
	Whitman Sampler A Whitman Sampler is a box of chocolates that has a lot of different kinds of chocolate. Imagine that the characters in your book are each a piece of chocolate in a sampler. What flavors would they be? Draw your chocolate box. Don't forget to include a guide to the pieces and the reasons you've chosen the flavors you have.
	Talk Show Imagine that your characters go on a talk show to answer questions or solve a problem? Write a script. What questions would they be asked and how would each character respond? Use your imagination. Go beyond the simple plot of the book and get into the characters' emotions.

Music

	Lyrics Create a song about an event or a character in the book you are reading. Include details from the book. What would the refrain be? Would it be a slow or fast song to match the mood?
	Melody of a Chapter If you know how to write music, create a melody for a chapter. Would it be slow or fast? Would it be loud (fortissimo) or quiet (piano). Would there be a lot of long notes or many fast notes. Would it go all over the scale or would it stick to just a few notes? After you've written out your ideas, explain the choices that you've made.
	Sentence Rhythms Every writer puts his or her own rhythm into writing. Analyze sentences using the rhythm you've learned in music class. Do you see any patterns? (Are there a lot of short sentences? Is there a mix of long sentences and short one? Does the writer use a lot of open words (tahs) or words with a lot of syllables and harsh sounds (tee-tee)
	Sound Track Pick songs to match the characters and events in the book. Create a sound track as though the book is a movie. Why did you make your decisions? What in the story inspired you to choose the songs that you did? Explain the choices you made.
	Orchestration Every instrument has a different kind of voice. Some are loud but smooth. Others are loud and sharp. Match up the characters in your book to different instruments. Why did you make the choices you have made?

Hands On

	How To Instructions Is there a special skill that is important in your book? If there is, consider writing a set of instructions. Include pictures if they will help. Share what you learned by writing out the instructions.
	Pop up Setting Take two pages in your journal and construct a pop-up picture of the setting. Include as many details as you can.
	Build a Character Imagine that you have to build a robot version of a character. What materials would you need? How would you capture their personality. For example, if a character was always really nice to the point of being too nice, you might use honey instead of oil in his joints. Explain your choices.
	Sports Center List the characters in your book and choose sports for them to play. Be creative. Match the character's personality to a sport. For example, if someone is very stubborn they might make a good marathon runner. Explain why you made your choices.