Nonfiction Reading Response

We have been mainly reading and responding to fiction. Now we are going to focus on nonfiction. When writing a nonfiction reading response, choose 1 or more related articles from Upfront magazine or other reputable newspapers or magazines; for the first response, write about articles that make you think more deeply about social issues. You may also write about a nonfiction book: memoir, biography, book of essays, or any informational text; focus on one chapter or the whole text.

Your 1st nonfiction response is due on your blog Wednesday November 19.

In your response, include at least 2 quotations from the sources. Make sure you cite your sources and include a Works Cited at the end. Also, be prepared with the annotated text and/or research notes.

Here is one way to organize your response:

Part 1: Include a brief 1 paragraph summary as your introduction; be sure to accurately write down the title and author. What does the author want you to know? What is the overall main idea of the text? Answer the questions who, what, where, and when?

- use sentence starters such as:

• According to…
• The author states/shows/explains/reports/informs/demonstrates…
• The author wants me to know…
• Based on…
• This article taught me…
• This article shows me…
• One example of… another example of…

Part 2: Write at least 2 body paragraphs that are an analysis of the evidence in the text. Be sure to use direct quotations as well as paraphrases. 

What does the author want me to feel and think? What are my inferences, thoughts, opinions, and feelings? How does the author convey his message (writing techniques)?

Evaluate the author’s purpose and bias (unfair judgment of a particular subject).

1. Does the author use “loaded” words that are highly opinionated?
2. Who is quoted in the article? What do their perspectives add to the articles? Whose perspectives are missing or misrepresented? Why?

When responding to and elaborating on excerpts in the text, introduce

and provide context for quotations.

  Use transitions and signal phrases such as     

1. One example that shows…
2. Name, profession or brief description, 
3. (ex. Ishmael Beah, former child soldier, states…) states/asserts/implies/believes/ that…

For elaborating on the text, use sentence starters such as:

1. This shows/proves/demonstrates/illustrates…
2. This part of the text makes me think/wonder/feel…
3. The author wants the reader to…
4. The author shows bias by…
5. Also, in addition, another…

• Be sure to incorporate sources correctly. See handout on incorporating quotations. 

Part 3: Write a conclusion. 

 Synthesize or make sense of what you have noticed so far, and make conclusions.

1. How has this article changed your thinking?
2. How does it compare and contrast to your life and the world in general?
3. What does the text make you question and wonder? What would you like to further research?
4. Use sentence starters such as:
1. After reading this article, I have realized/concluded/decided/recognized/come to understand…
2. This article has made me appreciate/acknowledge…
3. This reminds me of/makes me think…
4. This is similar/different from…

Choose articles that are:

• current
• from valid, professional, trustworthy sources
• appropriate for class
• of high interest to you.

Recommended sources for nonfiction articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/
http://www.newyorker.com/
http://www.wnyc.org/
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/
http://www.timeforkids.com/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/scholasticnews/index.html
http://upfront.scholastic.com/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/
http://www.rollingstone.com/
http://www.teenink.com/

Sample Student Work

Student Example of a Nonfiction Reading Response

In the article, “Darkness to Visible,” by Megan Cox Gurdon, Gurdon discusses her opinion of Young Adult [YA] literature. Gurdon makes the claim that YA literature is too dark for the age group it targets. The author supports her claim by writing about how sinister she believes YA fiction is. She states, “[YA fiction is] so dark that kidnapping andpederasty and incest and brutal beatings are now just part of the run of things of novels directed, broadly speaking, at children from the ages of 12 to 18.” The author made this point to show the type of content that is typical in YA books. Gurdon strongly opposes the content of YA books and writes about it in her argument essay.

Gurdon uses specific craft moves to manipulate readers into agreeing with her claim. For instance, she begins her essay by using narrative about Amy Freeman, a 46-year-old woman who was looking in a bookstore for a YA novel for her thirteen-year-old daughter. Freeman left the store empty handed after finding no books that she deemed age appropriate. The author wrote this story to inspire the reader to identify with the experience of Amy Freeman. Gurdon’s article was published in The Wall Street Journal, she knows many of her readers will be adults who are looking for books for teenage children. The author also uses the loaded word “ghastly” to describe the subject matter of YA literature. The word ghastly is negatively charged. The author used this word to make the reader feel as though YA books are inappropriate and contain frightening content. The author wants the reader to release all thoughts about YA fiction being good for teens.

Gurdon’s assertion, that YA fiction is too dark for teenagers, is an opinion I do not agree with. I believe that certain YA books may have content that is too mature for some teenagers. However, I believe that it isn’t up to adults to prohibit what teens are reading. It is up to teens to know themselves as readers, and know what they feel comfortable reading. I believe that contrary to what Gurdon states in her essay, teens between the ages of 12 and 18 understand their personal boundaries. Teenagers know if they can handle books about self-multination, for example, or if they need to stay away from books on that subject matter. Adults should not ban YA books, because they don’t know everyone’s story, background and sensitivities. In conclusion, adults shouldn’t ban books but instead should make sure teens know the subject matter of the books they are planning to read, and whether or not they are ready for it.

Nonfiction Reading Response // The Natural

            According to the article “The Natural” by Mike Tierney of Upfront Magazine, collegiate Zach Hodskins shows us that the sky really is the limit. Hodskins may have been born without a left hand and forearm, but that never stopped him from pursuing his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player. His family once thought that he had a better chance of becoming president rather than playing college basketball. But their minds were soon changed when Hodskins was guaranteed a roster spot by the University of Florida for next season. In this article, we are given and uplifting story about chasing your dreams, even when they may seem impossible.

          

            In the article, it’s obvious the author believes that Zach’s achievements and amazing ability are something worth rooting for. For example, Tierney states, “He’s converted years of slights, perceived and real, into a continual source of energy that he uses to confound opponents… Hodskins is a strong passer with an amazing ability to sink shots from anywhere.” Here, the author makes us to believe that Zach is a hero of sorts. Moreover, his positive tone leads me to share the same biased thoughts on the situation, too.  Hodskins is the definition of ambitious; the face of perseverance. His story inspires readers to never let anything drag you down from your goals.

            

Although Hodskins is an incredible basketball player now, he had to work to become that way. Hodskins had first become “hooked” on basketball when he was 5. Later, in middle school, he went out for cross-country to condition himself for basketball, and nearly put his health in danger. His explanation for the event was simply, “Allowing anyone to beat me was unacceptable.” Hodskins truly does not let anything faze him. In fact, he uses his disability to his own advantage during games. Since most think that he has a harder time playing because of his missing arm, he surprises them with his remarkable capabilities and wins the game.

            

Not only has Hodskins been able to inspire us to fight for our dreams, but he has inspired many other disabled kids, too. Some even request to meet him or play a game with him, and what’s more is that he completely welcomes it, even more than playing basketball. His love for his passion and overall courage to exceed expectations are definitely something that we should all look to do. Hodskins truly proves to readers that you can do whatever you put your mind to, no matter how big.

Works Cited

Tierney, Mike. "The Natural." The New York Times Upfront 24 Feb. 2014: Print.

Reading Response - "Darkness Too Visible" by Megan Cox Gurdon

"If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is," states Megan Cox Gurdon in her article, "Darkness Too Visible." In other words, is YA an accurate and good example for teens of what is to come in life? Her article explains that the themes and concepts and how dark they really are. For example, the theme of the YA book "Inexcusable" by Chris Lynch revolves around rape and sexual abuse, material that may be considered inappropriate for most, if not all teenagers. The claim that Megan Cox Gurdon is making in this article is that YA adult books nowadays are way too dark and inappropriate for teenagers.

The author, Megan Cox Gurdon begins the article by quoting Amy Freeman, a mother of three. Amy, who was at Barnes & Noble in search of a book for her thirteen year old daughter, explains that there was "nothing, not a thing, that I could imagine giving my daughter. It was all vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff." The author then elaborates on that by explaining that these "dark" themes presented in YA books like pederasty, incest, and brutal beatings "are now just part of the run of things in novels directed, broadly speaking, at children from the ages of 12 to 18." To add, she uses loaded words like "stomach-clenching" and "grotesque" to express the detail that these themes are described in. The way that she describes these books using heavy words, imagery, and different perspectives shows that she is trying to make the reader think that YA is too inappropriate for teens as well. She gives the perspective of a parent, of her, but there's one thing she's missing. The perspective of the actual readers of YA books, us teens! I think she strategically left out these perspectives because I know I, and probably many other teens think that it is good to read YA to learn about real life, and it is really hard to counteract that kind of opinion.

Overall this article is very argumentative.Obviously the author is clearly claiming that YA literature deals with issues that are not only inappropriate, but described in a very graphic way that really distorts the truth. in my opinion, Megan Cox Gurdon is neither right nor wrong. Although for some teens, the themes in these books may be not okay, but for others it might. I think it really depends on the maturity level of the reader and the amount of material they can handle, not so much their age. I also think that it is important for teens to learn about the issues in YA books like drugs and alcohol because they do come up in real life! At the same time, the part on page three of the article about the girl who "sliced her arms to ribbons" and "gouged her belly until it was a mess of meat and blood" made me feel sick. All in all, I think that the issue of inappropriate material in YA and whether or not they are right for teens is really up to the person who is reading the book and how they feel about the issues discussed.