How to start your own reading journal

Do you love reading stories and discovering new characters, places, and ideas? Then a reading journal might be just the thing for you! A reading journal is like a diary for your reading adventures. It helps you remember the stories you’ve read, what you thought about them and how they made you feel.

Why keep a reading journal?

Keeping a reading journal can help you:

• Remember your favourite books and authors
• Think more deeply about what you read
• Track your progress and see how much you've grown as a reader
• Share great books with friends or family
• Record books you want to read in future
• Feel proud of everything you’ve achieved!

How to start your reading journal

You can use a notebook, a special journal, or even a folded piece of paper. If you like working on a computer or tablet, you can create a digital journal too!

Here are some simple steps to get started:

1. Give your journal a name – make it fun and personal!
Try something like “Ella’s Epic Reading Log” or “My Road to Reading Journal”

2. Set aside a page as your reading log
This is like a table of contents. Write the title, author and date you finished each book. You could even give each book a star rating!

3. Write a short review 
After you finish a book, write about it. This helps you read more deeply and think critically. Set aside a fresh double page or as much space as you like. 

Here’s some ideas of what you could include:

• A quick summary
• What you liked or didn’t like
• Your favourite part or character
• What were the key themes or messages? 
• What did you learn?
• Would you recommend it?

If you want more tips on how to review books, click here.

4. Get creative!
Draw a picture of your favourite scene. Add stickers, doodles, or fun facts. Make it your own! Creating artwork like this can help you imagine scenes and better remember them later on.

5. Plan ahead
You can assign a page for Your Reading Goals, or a list of books that you want to read next. The more books you read and things you learn about, the more other books you’ll find that you’re interested in! 

6. Keep it going!
You don’t have to write a long entry every time. Even a few sentences are great! Try to write in your journal after every book you finish, or once a week if you're reading something long.

Remember, this is your journal and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Having a record of what you’ve read over a summer or whole year is really interesting and can help inspire you to continue. 
A reading journal is like a treasure map of your reading journey. The more you add to it, the more you’ll discover about yourself as a reader.

So, grab a notebook and your next book - your adventure begins now!