Do you ever notice how two people may not respond in the same way when reading a book? Was there a book that you really liked but your friends didn't? Why is that? If everybody is reading the same thing, how come not everyone responds the same way?
Readers do not respond in the same way to the same book. One reason is that you, as an individual, are unique. Just like no one else in the world has your thumbprints, no one else in the world has quite your personality.
Your family, your friends, where you live and where you go to school, where you had traveled and things that have happened to you that made you happy or made you sad--these life experiences determine, in part, who you are and what you may like or dislike when it comes to reading.
So, the first thing you need to know is that reader response is personal. There is no one correct response when reading a book. Sure, the author wrote the book with a specific storyline and theme in mind. But once a reader picks that book and turns the pages, well . . . the author steps back and just has to wait and see what the reader's response will be.
Study the first image then discuss with the class the composition and the overall theme.
- What is happening in the composition? How do you know?
- Pay attention to small details. In the author’s real world, what items did Norman Rockwell include in the composition? What do these details tell you about the author who is writing on the typewriter? In the author’s imagined world, what items did Norman Rockwell include? What does this tell you about the story’s character?
- What is the overall message of this painting?
- This particular painting was created as an advertisement and so likely appeared in a magazine. What did the makers of the typewriter want the public to believe?
Now study the second image. Discuss with the class the composition and the overall theme.
- What is happening, in the composition? How do you know?
- Pay attention to small details. In the reader’s real world, what items did Norman Rockwell include in the composition? What do these details tell you about the boy and his life? In the reader’s imagine world, what items did Norman Rockwell include? What do these details tell you about the story’s characters?
- Look closely at the knight’s face. Who is he?
- Imagine that the reader is a young girl rather than a boy. How would the "bubble" above her head differ (if at all)?
- What is the overall message of this painting?
Write a paragraph about your own reading and writing experiences. Do you ever imagine what you are writing? Do you get a “picture” bubble above your head? When you are reading a book, can you picture the characters and the action in your mind?
Is what the author imagines always what the reader “sees” when reading? Provide reasons for your answer.
LAL is a national reading promotion program of the Center for the Book 
