Why do the best stories leave you wanting more?  Have you ever imagined what happens to your favorite character on the day after the final page? Your students feel the same way, and can learn a lot about a storybook by imagining what comes next; it builds their inferential and evaluative reasoning skills—and is a heck of a lot of fun! You can start by asking a simple question, "If the butterfly was still hungry what would it eat next?" Also, you can break it down to the following steps.

1. Choose a favorite book.

2. Brainstorm a list of possible directions for the story and characters to go as a class or in small groups.

3. Use the following to guide the brainstorming session: setting, character "wants," problems/obstacles, plot events, and the resolution.

4. Have the students write their sequels down in their journals.

5. Use the Back Fence Sharing Strategy (students share with the person behind them—like a back fence) to allow the students to share their stories.