These highly-effective, literature-based critical thinking activities develop the analysis, synthesis, and vocabulary skills students need for exceptional reading comprehension. This 208-page activity book is especially effective at helping students in Grades 7-8 understand challenging critical reading concepts such as making inferences, drawing conclusions, determining cause and effect, using context clues to define vocabulary, and making predictions and generalizations.

Students read and analyze short literature passages and stories that include fiction and nonfiction genres. Then they answer multiple-choice and short-response questions, citing sentence evidence to support their answers. Concepts and skills covered include:

Literary Analysis Skills
• Define vocabulary using context clues
• Recognize figurative language
• Identify main idea, supporting details, and theme
• Recognize literary devices
• Identify story elements: theme, plot, setting, and characters

Reading Detective® B1 includes the following genres:

Award-Winning Literature Excerpts
• The Cay
• Sparrow Hawk Red
• El Güero
• The Moon by Night
• The Giver
• Under the Blood-Red Sun
• The View From Saturday
• The Trolley to Yesterday
• "How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin" From Just So Stories
• Face to Face
• The Bronze Bow

Stories and Articles
• Mystery
• Humor
• History
• Adventure

Nonfiction Topics
• Science
• Math
• Geography
• History
• Biography
• Inventions
• Sports

The Grades 7-8 (B1) level include mixed-skills throughout. All levels provide an introductory lesson for each skill. Teaching Support Includes: pretests, post-tests, lesson guidelines, and answers with detailed evidence. Reading and literary analysis skills are based on grade-level standards.