1. Making Reading Commonplace
Jeannie Boss
Hoosier Writing Project 2010

2. What is a Commonplace Book?
It’s personal, individual, and unique.
It’s a place to organize thinking and to keep ideas for writing and reflection.
It’s a place to document significant learning.
It’s mostly whatever you want it to be!

3. Who keeps these anyway? John Milton Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thomas Jefferson
Henry David Thoreau
Virginia Woolf
Mark Twain
Miss Boss
YOU!

4. Requirements for Commonplace Books
You must bring your commonplace book to class everyday.
You must update it as often as possible.
You must include your Heart Map and a list of Future Reads (books and articles you want to read when you have time).

5. What do I put in my commonplace book?
WHATEVER YOU WANT!
Overwhelmed??? Here are some suggestions…
favorite quotes, great first lines, great last lines, letters to characters, poems, observations of life, questions you have about literature or anything for that matter, magazine pictures, sketches, journal entries, dialogue with characters, reactions to reading, T charts, Venn diagrams, photos, interesting facts, new words you learn, storyboards, newspaper and magazine articles, etc.
The possibilities are truly endless and absolutely up to YOU

7. Requirement #1: The Heart Map
Draw a giant heart on the first page of your book.
Questions to help mine the heart:
What has stayed in your heart? What memories, moments, people, animals, objects, places, books, fears, scars, friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, teachers, other people, journeys, secrets, dreams, crushes, relationships, comforts, learning experiences? What’s at the center? The edges? What’s in your heart? (Completely stolen from Nancie Atwell)
Remember that memories are contagious - talk, share, and inspire one another.

8. Requirement #2: Future Reads
Save at least two pages, front and back, to be used to note future reads. Write future reads at the top of each of these pages. Here, keep a running list of books that are of interest to you. These may have been booktalks, read alouds, or recommendations from librarians, teachers, friends, family, etc.

9. Entry #1: Today’s Observations
In the last 24 hours, what have you noticed? Does anything stand out in your mind? Special people, places, TV shows, movies, experiences, books, foods? What have you stopped to notice, really notice, today?

10. Entry #2: Great Book Entry
ANYTHING you want about your book.
Supplies are on the center table.
Enjoy!
Create!
Lose yourself in your book!

11. Works Cited