Reading Journal Questions for To Kill a Mockingbird

As I mentioned in a post when I first read To Kill a Mockingbird, I've written some reading journal questions for First Son for the book.

The idea of a reading journal is one we're still figuring out in our homeschool, but I try to distinguish it from a written narration. I never comment on writing style, grammar, or sentence structure for the reading journal entries; they don't even have to be in complete sentences. I'm looking for First Son's thoughts as he reads through a book and themes we may be able to discuss to help him see more than just the plot. I do not write reading journal questions for all of his books; I try to focus just on the ones he might find confusing or upsetting.

Though I don't think I used any of the questions exactly as written, I found Andrew Moore's study guide on this book helpful when thinking about our reading journal.


Week 1: Chapters 1-3
Reading journal - Choose one character and tell us what we know about him or her so far.

Week 2: Chapters 4-6

Reading journal - Describe the Boo Radley game, why you think the children want to play it, and why you think Atticus forbids it.

Week 3: Chapters 7-9
Reading journal - Tell what you know about the upcoming trial. What does Atticus expect? What does he fear?

Week 4: Chapters 10-11
Reading journal - Tell what happened while Jem was reading to Mrs. Dubose and why they were there.

Week 5: Chapters 12-14
Reading journal - Tell what you learn about Calpurnia and what others think of her.

Week 6: Chapters 15-17
Reading journal - Tell about the lynching party and what happens at the jail OR tell what you know about the Ewell home after Bob Ewell's testimony.

Week 7: Chapters 18-20
Reading journal - Describe Mayella's testimony. Compare how you respond as the reader with how you imagine the jury and townspeople responded.

Week 8: Chapters 21-23
Reading journal - Tell about the verdict of the trial and how different characters responded to it.

Week 9: Chapters 24-26
Reading journal - Compare the townspeople's reactions to events outside of their hometown (in Europe and in Africa) with their behavior to "folks right at home."

Week 10: Chapters 27-28
Reading journal - Describe what happened on the way home from the pageant.

Week 11: Chapters 29-31
Reading journal - Tell what you've learned about Boo Radley.

There are only eleven weeks of lessons, so there's time for a final writing assignment or exam at the end, if you do that sort of thing.

Reading Journal Questions for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry

by Mildred D. Taylor

In the first term next year, First Son will spend twelve weeks studying the United States in the twentieth century, found in the Level 4 history program at Mater Amabilis™. One of the suggested further reading books (remember, one every six weeks) is Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, a book I also read in eighth grade.

Most of the further reading books will just be read without any narration or other assignments, but I wanted to make sure he and I had a chance to discuss this book a little more, so I've assigned a reading journal question for each week. Just in case someone else might be interested in adopting or adapting the questions, here they are.

Week 1: Chapters 1-2
Describe the difference between the Mississippi schools for white and black children at the time of the novel.

Week 2: Chapters 3-4
Give examples of some of the racism you have read so far in the book.

Week 3: Chapters 5-6
Write a narration of the history of slavery and black people in America, based on Mrs. Logan’s explanation to Cassie.

Week 4: Chapters 7-8
Describe the friendship between Stacey and T.J. What about that between Stacey and Jeremy? Why does Mr. Logan give Stacey the advice he does about Jeremy?

Week 5: Chapters 9-10
Describe how options are limited by the poverty of the black sharecroppers and how that poverty is maintained by the white landowners.

Week 6: Chapters 11-12
Choose one of the characters from the book and explain how he or she was courageous.