Here are some photos of a couple of pages in my book. Notice how I use what I write in the margins. I do this for the same reason social media uses #hashtags!

I’m reading right along with you this summer! Did you know The Namesake (the required reading in PREM and TERM) takes place where I’m from (and where I am currently), in the northeastern region of the United States called New England? Cambridge, Massachusetts is about an hour drive from Rhode Island and just outside of Boston! (Rhode Island is mentioned in the book! Can you find the page where this occurs?!)

As you read the book, you’ll notice there are common themes and symbols. Some of these in The Namesake are…

#names, #death, #integration, #cultural differences, #Americans (and what they are like), etc. You can also “hashtag” character names, to keep track of important information you gather about them.

When I start to notice that the author seems to comment on something a lot, I develop a “hashtag” and write that “hashtag” in the margin. My notes in the margins and my underlines allow me to flip through my book and collect information, quickly identifying important moments and making connections underneath each “hashtag.”

Happy Reading!