Here's a gold mine of timesaving reproducible worksheets to supplement any literature program. Junior Literature Companion helps students identify the elements of good literature and focus their thoughts about what they have read. The reproducible worksheets are organized according to:

• logs and journals--students can keep track of books they have read, record their new words and thoughts about their readings and predict what will happen in the story;
• setting--students identify the setting of the story;
• characters--activities help students identify the characters, describe the characters and apply knowledge to a variety of situations;
• plot and events--activities ask students to relate events of the story and record their thoughts about what happened; and
• general activities and personal opinion--worksheets ask for students' evaluations of various aspects of the books.

This instructional tool will allow you to help students identify elements of good literature, focus their thoughts about what they have read, and relate readings to their own lives. This versatile guide offers open-ended worksheets that can be used with any book either as group exercises, literature units, or as individual book reports.

For reading reporting activities for older students see Literature Companion, Literature Lab, and Creating Quality Literature Units.

Grades 1-3

Dianne Draze holds both a bachelor's degree in education with a major in mathematics and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction. Beginning her tenure in the field of education in 1968, she has found many ways to enrich the educational experiences of children. She taught upper elementary grades, junior high mathematics, English and history, gifted programs for grades 1-8, and education classes at the university level.

Draze founded Dandy Lion Publications in 1977, creating a publishing house that specialized in curriculum materials that were appropriate for able learners and gifted students, that combined motivating content with challenging activities, and that were easy for teachers to use. In the capacity of owner and editor, she wrote more than 50 books and edited an additional 119 books. Her goal, whether writing or editing, was to create materials that would engage students in thinking, creating, making new discoveries, and applying what they learned to new situations. A person with a great curiosity, she has written curriculum guides on many topics and is always interested in whatever topic she is currently researching or editing.

Draze has retired from full-time involvement in Dandy Lion Publications and currently consults, writes, and edits on a part-time basis.