Write a letter of advice to the main character of the entry.

Write a free verse poem about an entry from BEHIND THE SONG.

If you could change anything from the entry what would you change? Why would you change it? How would you change it?

Write a news article that might have appeared in the hometown newspaper of the entry you read. Be sure to include as much information from the entry as you can.

Draw and label a portrait of your favorite character from the entry. Make sure the labels reflect facts or parts found in the entry.

Make a compare/contrast chart or Venn diagram comparing/contrasting two characters from the entry.

Write about your favorite part of the entry. Explain the part in detail and then explain why it’s your favorite part.

Using sketches or words, create a collage of images and words to represent the main idea of the entry OR one of the characters.

Choose a scene from the entry and rewrite it as a play. Use the entry to get the dialogue right.

Authors often use vivid (colorful, brilliant, distinct) words to turn an ordinary description into a more interesting one. For example, a writer might say a character was “choking back tears” instead of just saying they were “sad.” Return to a part in the entry where the author used vivid details to describe a person, place, or event. Make a list of the words/phrases the author uses to make the story more interesting (vivid language).