My Book Club Guide

Which class are you in? Qual é a sua turma?

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

Scan before you dive in. Look at the chapter title and pictures. Ask: "What do I think this chapter will be about?"

Olhe o título e as imagens antes. Tente adivinhar o que vai acontecer.

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.

Put the phone away. Give yourself some quiet reading time. You deserve it.

Deixe o celular de lado. Leia com tranquilidade.

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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!

Tente adivinhar o significado pelo contexto antes de procurar no dicionário.

Take mini notes

One sentence about what stood out to you is enough. Make the story yours!

Uma frase sobre o que chamou sua atenção já basta.

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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 of the Chapter

Write a short summary explaining the most important events in the chapter. Try to answer: What happened? Who was there? "In this chapter, we learn more about Charlie and his family. We see how they live and what their daily life is like."

Block 2

Favorite Moment

Choose the part you liked the most and explain why you liked it. "My favorite moment was when Charlie talks with his family. I liked this part because it shows how much they care about each other."

Block 3

A Character

Choose one character from the chapter and describe their personality or actions. "I want to talk about Charlie. He seems like a kind and thoughtful boy who cares about his family."

Block 4

My Opinion

Share your opinion about the chapter. Was it interesting, funny, strange, or boring? Explain your answer. "I think this chapter was interesting because it helps us understand the characters and their lives better."

Block 5

New Words

Write down words you didn't know before reading. Write the word and what it means. "Mattress — it means colchão in Portuguese. I found it when Charlie's grandparents were in bed."

Block 6

What's Next?

What do you think will happen in the next chapter? Make your prediction! "I think next chapter will be about Charlie finding a way to get a chocolate bar."

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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..."
"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 / gasped when..."

A Character

"My favorite character is ___ because..."
"I think ___ is brave / funny / annoying..."
"In this chapter, ___ shows that he/she is..."
"___ reminded me of ___ 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..."
"The best / worst part 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..."
"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..."
"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!

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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)

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! (Final de capítulo em suspense)

Foreshadowing

Hints about what might happen later. (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)

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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!

Download My Review Sheet

Folha de resenha semanal para imprimir — Minha Resenha Semanal