A Dialectical Journal, or reader's notebook, is a method of annotating while reading. It encourages students to both read closely and reflect on the text, thus increasing their understanding of the text. Over the course of these assignments, students will be creating an organized conversation, or dialogue with the novel. The journaling format is set up to aid in tracing specific, important, and meaningful elements as they occur and then develop throughout the novel. An insightful, well-though