Why has it taken me so long? I really like whole class novels. I’m good at selling it—I don't have a problem with buy-in. Reading, discussing, and writing about the same significant topic builds a rich class culture. And even with whole class novels, I value teaching readers, not the novel, giving readers a pattern for capturing the way they use reading strategies, the questions they have, the images they envision, the great quotes and writing moves they come across as they read—so they can remember them for the next day’s discussion—equipping readers not just with knowledge about a given book, but with the skills, strategies, and confidence to read other books.
What are book clubs? Also known at literary circles, book clubs offer choice, peer accountability, and an authentic reading experience. A selection of books, usually with something in common (topic, genre, author, etc.), is offered for study. Students choose the book that best fits their ability and interest, and the group reading a given book sets their own schedule (within the teacher's parameters) for reading and discussing.
Still, I kept hearing about this great pedagogical approach of using book clubs—giving students choice and agency—and it sounded great, like what real readers do. I wanted to try it—I really did. But what I was already doing was going well, so I didn’t really want to lose any of the novels I was already teaching—Wonder, Ghost Boys, A Long Walk to Water, and When My Name Was Keoko.
Enter this year’s combined 6/7 class. Two years ago when I first taught Wonder, not a single student had read it. Last year when I taught the 4/5 class, I had noticed Wonder circulating. So this year I asked how many had read it, and over half of the hands in the class went up. I had 3 thoughts simultaneously:
- Bummer—I won’t get to have the experience of introducing it to these kids!
- Wow—That’s an amazing indicator for how a reading culture has grown in 2 years!
- Hmmm—This could be the perfect opportunity to try out book clubs with one of the options being Wonder!
What are book clubs? Also known at literary circles, book clubs offer choice, peer accountability, and an authentic reading experience. A selection of books, usually with something in common (topic, genre, author, etc.), is offered for study. Students choose the book that best fits their ability and interest, and the group reading a given book sets their own schedule (within the teacher's parameters) for reading and discussing.
During the study, the teacher can teach whole-class mini-lessons that apply across works. The mini-lessons can be on discussion skills (like how to respectfully disagree), reading strategies (like making inferences), or literary content (like characterization, plot structure, or symbolism). Students then apply the mini-lesson in their small group discussion that day. When the study is finished, students can compare the different books they’ve read.
Yesterday, I ordered the books for the winter term’s book clubs. We’re doing this!
I decided on the topic resilience. Then I hunted for additional books on the same topic that have a modern setting, but a variety of reading levels, cultures, and both male and female protagonists represented. Here are the choices I came up with:
On 2 consecutive Fridays I spent a good chunk of the period introducing my students to the book choices. I read aloud the first couple of pages to give a feel for the style and reading level. And I put up a poster with Amazon reviews and left out a display of the books students could examine more closely during independent reading time. Finally, I asked students to rate their top 3 selections.
All students but one got their first choice. That was because only one student picked While I Was Away for a top choice. I was surprised because I thought that being in Japan and largely Japanese, my students would really connect with that story. Maybe it was too much like daily life?
Yesterday, I ordered the books for the winter term’s book clubs. We’re doing this!
I decided on the topic resilience. Then I hunted for additional books on the same topic that have a modern setting, but a variety of reading levels, cultures, and both male and female protagonists represented. Here are the choices I came up with:
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio: Auggie is a boy born with severe facial deformities who has always been homeschooled due to the need for frequent hospitalization. This novel follows him as he navigates his first year in school. It deals with bullying, friendship, growing up, and so much more.
- Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo: This is a classic while also being the shortest and easiest reading level, specially picked for my many English learners who may be intimidated by the size of the other books. It still offers many opportunities for deep and critical thinking as the stray dog Winn-Dixie leads Opal into choices that build empathy and community.
- While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown: This is a true story about when the Japanese-American author’s parents sent her to Japan for 5 months to be reintroduced to her heritage, live with her grandmother, and attend the local public school.
- Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn: Cat takes good care of her little brother Chicken while their mom is busy working since their dad’s death. Then summer child care plans fall apart and the children are suddenly dropped off at the home of their mom’s parents—who they’ve never met—on an island on the Atlantic coast of the US. Cat learns a lot about family, friends, and the variety of ways that people connect and reconnect.
- Dan Unmasked by Chris Negron: Dan’s world is baseball, superhero comics, and his best friend Nate. Until an accident at baseball practice leaves Nate in a coma. Nate was always the heroic one. For Nate's sake, can Dan be the one to pull people together now?
All students but one got their first choice. That was because only one student picked While I Was Away for a top choice. I was surprised because I thought that being in Japan and largely Japanese, my students would really connect with that story. Maybe it was too much like daily life?
The final distribution looked like this:
- Because of Winn-Dixie: 7 (All of them 6th graders, so a good grouping, though the reason they gave was mostly because they liked dogs!)
- Wonder: 5 (Still a good chunk here--yay! One student said that even though she'd already read it, she'd loved it so much she wanted to discuss it with others.)
- Caterpillar Summer: 2 (Both avid readers, so this will be very fun for them, I think!)
- Dan Unmasked: 2 (Both very competitive boys who tend to read ahead and, intentionally or unintentionally, deliver spoilers. It will be interesting to see how they work together!)
It's been an interesting experiment already, and I think we're all looking forward to continuing it next term! Resources I'm using include the following by Lesley Roessing:
How about you? What is your experience with book clubs? Any advice for me?
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