EIC BOOK CLUB
My Book Club Guide
How to read, think and write about books in English
Como ler, pensar e escrever sobre livros em inglês
Como ler, pensar e escrever sobre livros em inglês
1 Why even bother?
Reading = a brain workout
Every chapter makes you stronger. Your English grows every time you read — even when it feels hard!
Cada capítulo te deixa mais forte no inglês — mesmo quando parece difícil!
You learn words naturally
Seeing words in context is way more powerful than memorizing lists. Stories make them stick!
Ver palavras em contexto é muito mais eficaz do que listas de vocabulário.
Writing helps you remember
When you write your review, your brain processes the story one more time — and keeps it!
Escrever faz o cérebro processar a história mais uma vez — e ela fica!
Your opinion matters
There are no wrong answers in a book review. What YOU think is exactly what we want to hear.
Não existe resposta errada. O que VOCÊ pensa é o que queremos ouvir.
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2 Before you read
Get yourself ready!
Prepare-se antes de começar
1
Scan before you dive in. Look at the chapter title, any pictures or headings. Ask: "What do I think this chapter will be about?"
Olhe o título e as imagens antes. Tente adivinhar o que vai acontecer.
2
Have a pen ready. Circle words you don't know as you read. Don't stop to look them up — just mark them!
Deixe uma caneta do lado. Marque as palavras desconhecidas sem parar a leitura.
3
Put the phone away. Give yourself at least 20 minutes of quiet reading time. You deserve it.
Deixe o celular de lado. Pelo menos 20 minutos de leitura tranquila.
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3 While you read
Underline things!
Sentences that surprise you, make you laugh, or feel really important. Your future self will thank you.
Sublinhe frases que te surpreendam ou pareçam importantes.
Ask yourself questions
"Do I like what's happening?""What would I do here?"
"Who is my favorite character?"
Pergunte a si mesmo: eu gostaria de estar nessa situação?
Guess new words
Before checking the dictionary, try to guess the meaning from the sentence around it. You'll be surprised how often you're right!
Tente adivinhar o significado pelo contexto antes de procurar no dicionário.
Take mini notes
One sentence per scene or page is enough. You don't need to write everything — just what stands out to YOU.
Uma frase por cena já basta. Escreva o que chamou sua atenção.
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4 Writing your review
The 6 building blocks
Your review has 6 sections. You don't need to write a lot — just a few honest sentences in each one!
Sua resenha tem 6 partes. Poucas frases honestas em cada uma já são suficientes!
Block 1
Summary
What happened in this chapter? 3 to 5 sentences. Keep it short!
O que aconteceu neste capítulo? Resumo em 3 a 5 frases.
Block 2
Favorite Moment
What scene did you love (or hate)? Why did it stand out?
Qual cena você amou ou odiou? Por que ela se destacou?
Block 3
A Character
Pick one character. What did they do? What do you think of them?
Escolha um personagem. O que ele fez? O que você acha dele?
Block 4
My Opinion
Did you enjoy this chapter? Was it boring, exciting, surprising?
Você gostou deste capítulo? Foi chato, empolgante, surpreendente?
Block 5
New Words
List 3 to 5 new words + what they mean. Your personal vocabulary list!
Anote 3 a 5 palavras novas e o que significam.
Block 6
What's Next?
What do you think will happen next chapter? Make your prediction!
O que você acha que vai acontecer no próximo capítulo?
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5 Phrases to use
Don't know how to start? Use these!
Copy, adapt, make them yours. That's exactly how language learning works.
Copie, adapte, torne-as suas. É exatamente assim que aprendemos um idioma.
Summary
"In this chapter, we learn that...""The chapter starts with..."
"The main event is when..."
"By the end, [character] decides to..."
"This chapter is mostly about..."
"The story takes place in / at..."
"Things change when..."
Favorite Moment
"My favorite part was when...""I loved / hated the scene where..."
"I didn't expect [character] to..."
"The most exciting / funny / sad moment was..."
"This moment surprised me because..."
"I laughed / cried / gasped when..."
"I wish this part was longer because..."
A Character
"My favorite character is ___ because...""I think ___ is brave / funny / annoying / smart..."
"In this chapter, ___ shows that he/she is..."
"___ reminded me of ___ because..."
"I don't trust ___ because..."
"I felt sorry for ___ when..."
"If I were ___, I would have..."
My Opinion
"I really enjoyed this chapter because...""I was surprised / confused / excited when..."
"I felt happy / sad / scared / bored when..."
"This chapter made me think about..."
"I would rate this chapter ___ out of 5 because..."
"The best / worst part of this chapter was..."
"I think the author wanted us to feel..."
New Words
"[Word] — it means ___ in Portuguese.""I looked up ___ and it means..."
"I guessed ___ meant ___ because..."
"A new word I liked was ___ because..."
"The word ___ was used when..."
"___ is similar to the Portuguese word..."
"I want to remember ___ because..."
What's Next?
"I think next chapter will be about...""I predict that [character] is going to..."
"I wonder if the author will..."
"I hope [character] will..."
"I think the conflict will..."
"Based on what happened, I believe..."
"The clue that made me think this was..."
Pro tip: It's totally OK to say "I don't know how to say this in English, but..." and explain in your own way. That's how you grow!
Está ótimo dizer "não sei como falar em inglês, mas..." e tentar explicar do seu jeito. É assim que se aprende!
Está ótimo dizer "não sei como falar em inglês, mas..." e tentar explicar do seu jeito. É assim que se aprende!
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6 Useful vocabulary
Words for talking about books
Palavras para falar sobre livros
Plot
The story — what happens from beginning to end. (A história, os acontecimentos)
Setting
Where and when the story takes place. (O cenário — lugar e época)
Character
A person (or animal!) in the story. (Personagem)
Narrator
The "voice" telling the story. (O narrador — a voz que conta a história)
Conflict
The main problem or challenge in the story. (O conflito — problema principal)
Cliffhanger
When a chapter ends in suspense — you NEED to read more! (Suspense no final do capítulo)
Foreshadowing
Hints about what might happen later — little clues. (Pistas do que vai acontecer)
Theme
The big idea the author wants you to think about. (O tema — a grande ideia da história)
Protagonist
The main character — the hero of the story. (Protagonista — o personagem principal)
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7 The golden rules
No Google Translate
Try to write in your own words first. Tente escrever com suas próprias palavras primeiro.
Mistakes are OK
We care about your ideas, not perfect grammar. Errar faz parte. O que importa é sua ideia.
Have an opinion
There's no wrong answer — it's YOUR view! Não existe resposta errada. É SUA opinião!
Read twice
First for fun, then to notice details. Primeiro por prazer, depois prestando atenção nos detalhes.
Talk about it
Discussing with friends makes it stick! Conversar sobre o livro faz a história ficar na memória!
Celebrate!
Reading in English is a big deal. Ler em inglês é uma conquista — comemore!
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."
— George R.R. Martin · Now go read your chapter!
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Folha de resenha semanal para imprimir — Minha Resenha Semanal