Some of my most vivid childhood memories of school were the novel studies I read for various subjects. It was my favorite way to learn skills, history, and any topic! I love books, and being allowed to read an entire book from cover to cover as a school assignment put me in heaven! I am sure this is a major reason why, as a teacher, my passion is to create and teach novel studies! I love introducing new books to my class, and as a community, being immersed in the book together. I love it when a student pulls us off the schedule with a question or comment from something they read and leads the class into a lively discussion. That’s where the real memorable learning takes place, after all!
I create novel studies more than any other product line simply because I like to focus on what I love. I want to work with my passion! I often get questions from readers asking how I would set up novel studies in my classroom. I decided to write a small series explaining my methods. For the most part, my novel studies include comprehension questions, vocabulary/grammar skill work, extension activities, and assessments.
Today’s post, part 5, is the conclusion of the series dealing with the assessment aspect of using novel studies. You can read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 here.
Novel Studies Part 5: Assessment
Assessment of a novel study can be a tricky thing to handle. My main objective, in addition to hitting skills, is to hook the student on the enjoyment of reading a good book. Too much assessment can kill that joy, but we need some way to assess that the skills are met. It’s a delicate balance.
I often get questions from potential buyers asking if there are assessments after every chapter of my novel studies. I kind of cringe when I get these questions because I can only imagine the dread the students must have if they are tested after every chapter! Testing is not the only way to assess if a student has read and understood. In my experience, class discussions and the writing in the comprehension answers are more than sufficient evidence of learning and understanding by the student. It is imperative when using novel studies not to lose focus and kill the joy of reading for your students! Your goal is for them to voluntarily pick up another book to read when a novel study is over, not run as far as they can from books!
I understand that assessments are helpful and necessary, but they should be appropriate and not overwhelming. For many of my novel studies, I have split the book into logical sections and have an assessment after each section. For example, you’ll find my Wonder,Projekt 1065, and Tuck Everlastingnovel studies in this format.
For some, I only offer assessments after completion of the book for comprehension, vocabulary, and longer paragraph-writing essay questions. The end-of-the-novel comprehension quiz includes both a multiple-choice and a short answer format for differentiation. A multiple-choice quiz for vocabulary and a paragraph-writing assessment is included with each novel study. You can see an example of this from my Turtle in Paradise Novel Study.
All of my novel studies offer a Google Drive™ format, in addition to the printable format, shown above, to use with your students. This allows you to use novel studies in a 1:1 classroom, save paper, and easily engage students who are absent. The assessments are included as multiple-choice questions in a Google Forms™ format so that they are self-grading. Here’s an example page from the Google Drive™ format of my A Wrinkle in Time Novel Study.
The key, in my opinion, is not to overdo the testing. You need to be able to assess the students’ understanding of what they are reading, which can be done in many different ways that aren’t paper and pencil testing. Don’t kill the love the student is developing for the book you are reading!
I hope this series has been helpful to you in planning to use novels in your classroom. I promise you will not be sorry, you may just be the spark that takes your student on a lifetime love of reading!
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Looking for a historical fiction novel that will grab your students’ attention while giving you plenty of opportunities to teach reading skills and history?
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin is an excellent choice for a middle school or upper elementary novel study. With mystery, secret codes, World War II history, family secrets, and plenty of suspense, this novel gives students a reason to keep turning the pages.
Even better, The Bletchley Riddle provides natural opportunities to teach reading comprehension, vocabulary, inference, critical thinking, nonfiction reading, writing, and historical connections.
If you’re looking for a book that combines ELA and social studies, this one deserves a place on your reading list!
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What Is The Bletchley Riddle About?
The Bletchley Riddle takes readers into the world of Bletchley Park, the top-secret British site where codebreakers worked during World War II to decipher enemy communications.
The story follows siblings Lizzie and Jakob, who become caught up in a mystery involving their family, secrets from the past, and the world of wartime codebreaking.
The combination of historical fiction and mystery makes the novel especially appealing to students who might not automatically reach for a traditional historical novel.
Instead of simply reading about World War II, students get to experience history through a suspenseful story filled with clues, puzzles, secrets, and questions.
And that makes this book particularly useful in the classroom.
Why The Bletchley Riddle Works So Well as a Classroom Novel
1. The Mystery Hooks Readers
One of the biggest challenges when choosing a class novel is finding something that students actually want to read.
The Bletchley Riddle has an advantage right from the beginning: students have questions they want answered.
What is really happening?
Who can be trusted?
What do the clues mean?
How are the characters connected to the secrets of the past?
As students work their way through the story, they are constantly encouraged to make predictions, look for clues, and revise their thinking.
That makes the novel a natural fit for teaching inference, prediction, drawing conclusions, and using textual evidence.
Instead of asking students to read closely simply because the teacher told them to, you can give them a mystery to solve.
2. It Brings World War II History to Life
World War II can sometimes feel distant to young readers.
Dates, battles, political events, and historical figures can be difficult for students to connect with.
The Bletchley Riddle offers a different approach.
Students encounter the secret world of Bletchley Park and the people who worked there to break enemy codes through a fictional story.
This creates opportunities to investigate topics such as:
Bletchley Park
The Enigma code
World War II codebreaking
Alan Turing
The Polish mathematicians who helped lay the groundwork for breaking Enigma
The role of women at Bletchley Park
Intelligence and espionage during WWII
The impact of technology on warfare
These topics can easily become research projects, nonfiction reading lessons, discussion topics, or cross-curricular activities.
Most importantly, students begin to see that history isn’t simply a collection of facts to memorize.
History is made up of real people facing difficult choices and extraordinary circumstances.
3. It’s Perfect for Teaching Inference and Critical Thinking
Mysteries are wonderful vehicles for teaching critical thinking because readers can’t simply wait for someone to explain everything.
They have to figure things out.
As students read The Bletchley Riddle, they can practice:
Making predictions
Drawing inferences
Identifying clues
Using text evidence
Recognizing foreshadowing
Making connections
Drawing conclusions
Analyzing character motivations
Revising predictions when new information is revealed
You can even turn students into codebreakers themselves.
Have students create their own secret messages, investigate simple ciphers, or develop a series of clues for their classmates to solve.
Suddenly, reading comprehension becomes part of a mystery-solving experience.
4. The Historical Connections Create Great Discussion
Another strength of The Bletchley Riddle is the number of topics it can bring into classroom conversations.
Students can explore questions such as:
What does it mean to be brave?
When is it acceptable to break a rule?
Can keeping a secret ever be the right thing to do?
How does the past affect the present?
How much should we trust the information we are given?
What sacrifices were people willing to make during wartime?
These questions encourage students to move beyond simple recall and engage in meaningful discussion about character, choices, courage, loyalty, trust, family, and truth.
5. It Offers Excellent Cross-Curricular Opportunities
Although The Bletchley Riddle works beautifully as an ELA novel study, don’t limit it to reading class.
This novel can connect naturally to several subject areas.
Social Studies
Use the novel as a springboard for studying:
World War II
The British home front
Intelligence operations
Bletchley Park
Women in World War II
The Enigma machine
Codebreaking
STEM and Technology
Students can explore:
Cryptography
Codes and ciphers
Encryption
Early computing
Problem-solving
The development of technology during wartime
Writing
Students can write:
Historical responses
Character analyses
Opinion pieces
Text-based responses
Creative stories
Research reports
Reflections about the novel’s themes
This makes The Bletchley Riddle a great choice for teachers looking for a novel that can support learning across the curriculum.
6. It Can Engage Reluctant Readers
Not every student loves historical fiction.
Some students see a book set during World War II and immediately assume it will be difficult or boring.
The mystery changes that equation.
The combination of adventure, secrets, puzzles, codes, family relationships, and historical events gives students multiple entry points into the story.
Students who enjoy mysteries have the mystery.
Students interested in history have the historical setting.
Students who enjoy puzzles have the codes and clues.
And students who enjoy character-driven stories have the relationships and family connections.
That’s one reason The Bletchley Riddle can work so well with a diverse group of readers.
Make The Bletchley Riddle Easier to Teach
If you’re planning to use The Bletchley Riddle as a class novel, you don’t have to spend hours creating chapter questions, vocabulary activities, writing prompts, nonfiction passages, and assessments.
I’ve created a complete The Bletchley Riddle Novel Study for Grades 5–8 designed to make teaching the novel as easy as possible.
The resource includes 285+ pages of printable materials, along with digital resources for a paperless classroom.
Students can work on:
Chapter-by-chapter reading comprehension
Vocabulary
Grammar
Writing
Critical thinking
Text evidence
Nonfiction reading
Historical connections
End-of-book activities
Story elements
The unit also includes Common Core standards alignment, teacher resources, answer keys, assessments, and digital Google Drive™ materials.
Explore the History Behind the Story
One of my favorite parts of this novel study is the collection of nonfiction reading passages that allow students to dig deeper into the real history behind the novel.
Students learn about:
Black Saturday
The Bletchley Park Code and Cipher School
The Men of Bletchley Park
The Women of Bletchley Park
Tyler Kent
The Polish Codebreakers
These passages give you an easy way to incorporate informational text and historical research into your novel study while helping students understand the real-world events that inspired the story.
A No-Prep Bletchley Riddle Novel Study for Grades 5–8
If you’re ready to bring mystery, history, and codebreaking into your classroom, The Bletchley Riddle is a fantastic novel to consider.
It’s an engaging choice for:
Upper elementary ELA
Middle school ELA
World War II units
Historical fiction units
Literature circles
Whole-class novel studies
Small-group reading
Independent reading
Homeschool
Cross-curricular ELA and social studies instruction
And with a ready-to-use novel study, you can spend less time creating materials and more time helping your students read, question, investigate, and think deeply about the story.
Ready to turn your students into codebreakers?
Try a free sample of the novel study for The Bletchley Riddle
Bring the mystery of Bletchley Park into your classroom and give your students a historical fiction experience they’ll want to keep reading.
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
💬 Connect with Fellow Educators!
Are you teaching The Bletchley Riddle this school year? How do you celebrate kindness in your classroom?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe is a novel that has stood the test of time, captivating the hearts and minds of young readers for generations. Bunnicula is a great novel to use in early fall to get your students into the spooky mood of Halloween.
Bunnicula blends humor, mystery, and unforgettable characters, and offers teachers a unique and engaging way to enrich their classroom experience. So, grab your garlic and wooden stakes (just in case), and let’s dive into the world of this fang-tastic literary classic!
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The Benefits of Using Bunnicula in Your Classroom:
Contains a Captivating Storyline: Bunnicula introduces students to the Monroe family and their lovable pets, Harold the dog and Chester the cat. When the family brings home a new pet rabbit named Bunnicula, Chester becomes convinced that this peculiar bunny is a vampire. This humorous and suspenseful premise sets the stage for a thrilling adventure that will keep students eagerly turning the pages. The story’s unique blend of mystery and humor makes it an excellent choice for engaging young readers and sparking their imaginations.
Encourages Critical Thinking: As students delve into the pages of Bunnicula, they’ll encounter a range of complex characters and situations that invite critical thinking. They can analyze Chester’s paranoia, Harold’s loyalty, and Bunnicula’s mysterious behavior, all while drawing conclusions and making predictions about the story’s outcome. Teachers can use these elements to stimulate classroom discussions, promote inference-making, and encourage students to think critically about character motivations and plot development.
Vocabulary Enrichment: The novel’s rich and varied vocabulary provides an excellent opportunity for vocabulary enrichment. Teachers can introduce students to new words and concepts, helping them expand their language skills. Vocabulary activities like word walls, context clues, and vocabulary journals can enhance students’ ability to understand and use unfamiliar words, fostering better communication skills.
Promotes Literacy Skills:Bunnicula serves as a gateway to developing essential literacy skills. Students can practice reading comprehension through discussions about the plot, characters, and themes. Additionally, the book can be used as a springboard for writing activities, such as book reports, character analyses, and creative writing assignments, allowing students to strengthen their writing skills while connecting with the text on a deeper level.
Opportunities for Multidisciplinary Learning: Teachers can integrate Bunnicula into various subject areas, creating a multidisciplinary learning experience. For instance, science lessons can explore nocturnal animals and vampire bat behaviors, while social studies can delve into superstitions and folklore. This interdisciplinary approach not only enriches students’ understanding of the book but also enhances their overall education.
Fosters a Love of Reading: Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of using Bunnicula in the classroom is its potential to ignite a lifelong love of reading. When students become engrossed in a story and connect with the characters, they are more likely to view reading as an enjoyable pastime rather than a chore. This enthusiasm for reading can have a lasting impact on their academic success and personal development.
Incorporating Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe into your classroom curriculum is a choice that promises to bring excitement, critical thinking, vocabulary enrichment, and a love of reading to your students. This timeless novel offers educators a wonderful way to engage young minds, spark their imaginations, and create an enriching learning experience that extends beyond the classroom. So, sink your teeth into this classic tale and watch your students become enchanted by the world of Bunnicula.
I offer a complete novel study for Bunnicula which is great for whole-class novel study, a small book group study, individual novel study, or whole-class read-aloud. I guarantee your students will love it and it’s the perfect complement to any classroom in the fall!
Try a free sample of the novel study for Bunnicula
You can purchase this novel study at the following locations:
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Some of my most vivid childhood memories of school were the novel studies I read for various subjects. It was my favorite way to learn skills, history, and any topic! I love books, and being allowed to read an entire book from cover to cover as a school assignment put me in heaven! I am sure this is a major reason why, as a teacher, my passion is to create and teach novel studies! I love introducing new books to my class, and as a community, being immersed in the book together. I love it when a student pulls us off the schedule with a question or comment from something they read and leads the class into a lively discussion. That’s where the real memorable learning takes place, after all!
I create novel studies more than any other product line simply because I like to focus on what I love. I want to work with my passion! I often get questions from readers asking how I would set up novel studies in my classroom. I decided to write a small series explaining my methods. For the most part, my novel studies include comprehension questions, vocabulary/grammar skill work, extension activities, and assessments.
Today’s post, Part 4, deals with the extras added to the novel studies, from writing activities to non-fiction research activities. You can read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here.
Novel Studies Part 4: The Extras!
Of course, when using novel studies in the classroom, you must hit the basics of comprehension and vocabulary. One of the wonderful bonuses of using novel studies is the opportunity to pull other areas of the curriculum into a larger thematic unit. The various topics of the different books can lead to a plethora of inquiry and learning.
As I create a novel study, I open my mind to all the places the story is taking me. Some books are easier to explore outside the reading domain than others. Some take me down the rabbit hole of investigation with a deep-thought question that allows for longer writing passages that can lead to some really inspiring class debates!
With The One and Only Ivan Novel Study, students can research gorillas and elephants. They can learn about and compare life for these animals in the wild vs. captivity. The most interesting to me was the true story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla that inspired the story!
A book like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH leads to some deep-thought questions regarding animal testing that can be debated and discussed in-depth in the classroom.
All of my novel studies offer a Google Drive™ format, in addition to the printable format, shown above, to use with your students. This allows you to use novel studies in a 1:1 classroom, save paper, and easily engage students who are absent. The “extras” of the novel study are included in the Google Drive™ format as well. Here’s an example page from the Google Drive™ format of my The Lightning Thief Novel Study.
I love how you can combine the theme from a full novel throughout different curriculum areas in a way that you just can’t do with short passage reading instruction. This allows for even deeper learning by using novel studies!
Join me for the conclusion of my series to learn how I handle the assessments to end my novel studies.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Looking for a high-interest novel that will engage your 5th–8th grade readers while giving you plenty to teach?Ghost by Jason Reynolds is an excellent choice for an upper elementary or middle school ELA novel study.
This fast-paced, relatable novel gives students opportunities to explore character development, theme, perseverance, identity, family, friendship, decision-making, and personal growth while strengthening essential reading comprehension and critical-thinking skills.
Even better, Ghost has the potential to hook students who don’t always consider themselves “readers.”
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📚 Why Teach Ghost by Jason Reynolds?
Choosing the right novel for a whole-class or small-group novel study can make a huge difference in student engagement. Students need characters and situations they can connect with—and Ghost delivers.
The story follows Castle Cranshaw, nicknamed Ghost, a talented young athlete who is dealing with difficult circumstances while discovering that his choices can have lasting consequences.
That combination of sports, family, friendship, conflict, humor, and personal growth gives teachers countless opportunities for meaningful classroom conversations.
Here are just a few reasons Ghost works so well as a classroom novel.
⭐ 1. Students Can Connect With the Characters
One of the greatest strengths of Ghost is its relatable main character.
Castle isn’t perfect. He makes mistakes, struggles with his emotions, and sometimes makes impulsive decisions. At the same time, he is talented, determined, funny, and capable of tremendous growth.
These characteristics make Castle an excellent character for teaching students how to:
Analyze character traits
Identify internal and external conflicts
Examine character motivation
Track character development
Make inferences
Support ideas with text evidence
Analyze how experiences influence a character’s choices
Students can also consider an important question throughout the novel:
How do our experiences shape the people we become?
🏃 2. Ghost Explores Perseverance and Personal Growth
Perseverance is a powerful theme throughout Ghost.
Castle has experienced difficult circumstances, but he doesn’t allow those experiences to completely define him. His journey gives students an opportunity to examine what it means to keep moving forward even when life isn’t easy.
The novel can lead to meaningful discussions about:
Overcoming obstacles
Making better choices
Taking responsibility
Learning from mistakes
Setting goals
Handling disappointment
Building confidence
Persevering through challenges
These are conversations that extend far beyond the pages of the book.
👥 3. Explore Friendship, Family, and Relationships
Ghost also provides rich opportunities to examine relationships.
Students can analyze the influence that family members, coaches, friends, and other adults have on Castle’s development.
Ask students questions such as:
Who has the greatest influence on Castle?
How do the adults in Castle’s life respond to his mistakes?
What makes someone a good friend or mentor?
How can the people around us influence our choices?
These questions naturally encourage students to support their opinions with text evidence.
💭 4. Encourage Critical Thinking and Meaningful Discussion
A strong novel study shouldn’t be just a series of comprehension questions.
Ghost gives students opportunities to think beyond “What happened?” and move toward “Why did it happen?” and “What does it mean?”
Students can analyze:
Character motivation
Cause and effect
Conflict
Theme
Point of view
Author’s craft
Important events
Character relationships
Choices and consequences
The novel’s accessible writing style makes it an especially useful text for helping students develop these deeper reading skills.
✏️ 5. Strengthen Reading and Writing Skills
Using Ghost as part of a structured novel study allows you to combine reading and writing instruction.
Students can practice:
Reading comprehension
Making inferences
Finding text evidence
Determining theme
Character analysis
Summarizing
Vocabulary
Grammar
Written responses
Critical thinking
Extended writing
Literary analysis
Instead of teaching these skills in isolation, you can teach and practice them within a story students are already invested in.
📖 Ghost Can Hook Reluctant Readers
Finding books that appeal to reluctant readers can be challenging.
The sports connection is an obvious draw for many students, but students don’t have to be athletes to connect with Castle’s story.
The novel’s fast-paced plot, relatable characters, humor, conflict, and emotional depth give students plenty of reasons to keep reading.
And once students become invested in Castle’s story, you’ve created an opportunity to help them discover that reading can be enjoyable—not just another assignment.
🎯 Looking for a Ghost Novel Study?
If you’re planning to teach Ghost by Jason Reynolds, you don’t have to spend hours creating your own lesson plans, comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, writing assignments, and assessments.
I’ve created a complete Ghost Novel Study for grades 5–8 with both printable and digital resources.
What’s Included in the Ghost Novel Study?
The resource includes ready-to-use materials for:
Reading comprehension
Vocabulary
Spelling
Grammar
Writing
Critical thinking
Literary analysis
Nonfiction connections
Assessments
Story elements
Interactive notebook activities
Common Core ELA standards
You’ll also receive teacher lesson plans, student activities, answer keys, assessments, and digital Google Drive™ resources.
🖨️ Printable + 💻 Digital Options
Whether you prefer paper-based instruction or digital learning, this Ghost book unit gives you both options.
Use the printable materials for:
Whole-class instruction
Small groups
Reading intervention
Literature circles
Independent reading
Traditional classroom instruction
Or use the digital resources for:
Paperless classrooms
Digital assignments
Distance learning
Independent student work
Google Classroom™ activities
That means less time creating materials and more time teaching.
🎁 Try the FREE Sample
You can check out the FREE sample before purchasing to see the types of activities included in the complete resource.
🛒 Get the Complete Ghost Novel Study
Ready to make teaching Ghost by Jason Reynolds easier?
The complete Ghost Novel Study | No-Prep Printable & Digital Book Unit for Grades 5–8 is available in my store.
Give your students a compelling story to read—and give yourself a ready-to-teach ELA unit that saves hours of preparation.
❤️ Final Thoughts
Ghost by Jason Reynolds is much more than a story about running.
It’s a story about choices, challenges, relationships, perseverance, and discovering who you want to become.
Those themes make it an excellent choice for a 5th–8th grade novel study, particularly when you want a book that can generate authentic discussion while strengthening students’ reading and writing skills.
If you’re looking for a high-interest middle school novel with meaningful themes and plenty of opportunities for ELA instruction, Ghost is a book worth adding to your classroom library and curriculum.
💬 Connect with Fellow Educators!
Are you teaching Ghost this school year? How do you celebrate kindness in your classroom?
Join our free community, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank, to share ideas, grab freebies, and connect with 3rd–8th grade teachers using novels in the classroom!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
Novel Studies Part 5: Assessment
I often get questions from potential buyers asking if there are assessments after every chapter of my novel studies. I kind of cringe when I get these questions because I can only imagine the dread the students must have if they are tested after every chapter! Testing is not the only way to assess if a student has read and understood. In my experience, class discussions and the writing in the comprehension answers are more than sufficient evidence of learning and understanding by the student. It is imperative when using novel studies not to lose focus and kill the joy of reading for your students! Your goal is for them to voluntarily pick up another book to read when a novel study is over, not run as far as they can from books!
Novel Studies Part 4: The Extras!
All of my novel studies offer a Google Drive™ format, in addition to the printable format, shown above, to use with your students. This allows you to use novel studies in a 1:1 classroom, save paper, and easily engage students who are absent. The “extras” of the novel study are included in the Google Drive™ format as well. Here’s an example page from the Google Drive™ format of my 
