Novel Study: The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

When Mark, a 12-year-old from Washington, runs away with his camera, his notebook, and his beloved dog, he’s got a plan and a reason. “The mountain is calling me,” he insists. In The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart, the main character's life goal is to reach the top of Mount Rainier, even if it kills him.

This is a wonderful story on so many levels, so I wanted to create a novel study that allows students to show their comprehension in a variety of ways:

• Visually & Creatively - recreating Mark's photographs
• In Writing - answering constructed response questions using text evidence
• By Connecting with the story - annotating the text and writing thoughts/feelings in Mark's notebook
• Verbally - Sharing our annotations, responses, and questions with peers

This engaging booklet includes 12 blank pages for photographs and notebook entries, 3 reading response questions that allow students to reflect on the story and its characters while learning to support a claim with quotations from the text, a final book reflection, and an annotation key on the back cover.

42 annotation logs are also provided for students to write down their thoughts, observations, connections, and questions as they annotate the story. Every year, my students' favorite part of this novel study is sharing their annotation notes with the class! This novel study is definitely student driven. Even the shyest students will enjoy sharing their perspectives and findings!

Perfect for small groups, whole class, literature circles, book clubs and enrichment! This booklet can be printed double-sided, folded and stapled along the binding, cut and spiral bound, or cut and stapled as a mini packet.

The set includes:

• A 28 page Blank Novel Study Booklet
• Sample Student Booklet/Key
• "Annotation Marks" bookmark
• RACE Response Information Sheet
• RACE Response Organizer (in color and black & white)
• RACE Rubric
• Booklet Assembly Instructions

Other products you might enjoy while reading The Honest Truth:

Washington State Geography

Washington State Symbols and Other Fun Facts

My State Research Project – WASHINGTON!