This document provides guidelines for writing a literary letter about a book one has read. It instructs students to include the title, author, genre, and number of pages read in the introduction. The letter must be at least one page to receive full credit. Students must answer two questions selected from a list of 20 provided questions by writing the question number in the margin. The questions address topics like favorite characters, conflicts, themes, and insights gained. The letter format should be a real letter rather than just question-answer.

1. Literary Letter Guidelines Directions:
• Give the title and author of the book, the genre, and the number of pages you
have read for this letter.
• The letter must be AT LEAST one side of loose-leaf, or one typed page to receive
full credit. A Superior letter will receive 100. A satisfactory letter will receive 85
points. An unsatisfactory letter will get 65 points.
• You MUST include TWO of the questions below to answer in your letter. Please
write the number of the question that you are answering in the MARGIN.
This should be a real letter format--not just questions and answers.
Don’t give away the ending!
Ex: Dear Ms. Grant,
I am currently reading Fighting Ground, by Avi. Considering that I am on
page 178, I already know a great deal about the book...
Questions to choose:
1) If you could be any character in the book, who would you be? Explain.
2) What character was your favorite or most unusual or the one you dislike?
Why?
3) Does anyone in this book remind you of yourself or anyone you know?
Explain.
4) Write a brief letter to one of the characters in the book giving advice that might
be helpful.
5) What quality(ies) of a character strikes you as a good characteristic to develop
within yourself Why? How does the character demonstrate this quality?
6) Describe the story’s main conflict, whether it is external or internal, and if it is
resolved happily or unhappily.
7) Has the story changed your thinking or some of your attitudes? Explain.8)
Describe an instance of foreshadowing in the story. From this incident you as a
reader had an indication of what might happen later in the story. Was your
prediction true?
9) Are there any parts of the book which are amusing, confusing, or strange to
you? Which parts? Explain.
10) Do you feel that there is an opinion expressed by the author throughout this
book? If so, what is it? How do you know this? Do you agree? Why or why
not?

2. 11) Describe an event that you find most memorable or one which affected you
the most.
12) Do you think the title is appropriate? Why or why not? What does it mean?
13) Explain pressures that are placed on one of the main characters and how the
character copes with the pressure.
14) If you were an English teacher, would you want to share this book with
your students? Why or why not?
15) Write an entry that might appear in the diary of the story’s main character.
(Pretend you are the character.)
16) From what point of view is the story being told – first or third? What are
the advantages or disadvantages of this point of view?
17) Compare or contrast this book with another that you have read this year.
18) What is the author trying to say about any one of the flowing topics in the
book? What made you think so?
a. courage
b. beauty
c. truth
d. love
e. success
f. happiness
g. death
h. failure
i. trust
j. survival in life
19) Describe a weakness in the book. It may be in the story line, the characters,
the language, the style, etc. Give examples.
20) What was the main character’s strongest point and weakest point(s)? What
made you think this?