Book Discussion Resources
compiled by Amy Brownlee
K-12 Library Media Specialist
Sterling USD #376
brownleea@usd376.com
This is my second year of holding voluntary book discussions with my 7th and 8th grade students and Sterling Jr. High. Below I have listed some tips and resources that have been useful to me.
# General Info
General Pointers for leading book discussions
http://www.unc.edu/srp/srp2000/pointers.html
Book Club How-to's
http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_discussiongroup_howtos
Tips for getting started
http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_discussiongroup
Book Discussion Group Sets Available in Kansas Libraries
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/KSL/libtech/bkdiscuss.html
(various loan periods reservation policies)
# Names for Book Discussion Groups
- Literature Circle
- Book Club
- Book Chat
- Chat 'n Chew (over lunch)
- Café Book
- Literary Lunch
# Ways to Organize and Form Groups
- Choose a book. Present it to kids. Have interested kids sign up. (librarian-initiated)
- Interested kids choose a book. Book is presented, other interested kids sign up. (student-initiated)
- Group of participants gets together to choose a book, set date for discussion.
- Choose a list of books for the year and purchase multiple copies. Throughout the year, kids are reading, discussing, then choosing a new book and forming new groups.
You will want to decide how often to meet, when and where to meet. Be sure to look at school and community calendars to avoid conflicts. Serving refreshments is always a good idea!
# How to Choose Books
- Age-appropriate
- Interesting & appealing to kids
- Stimulates discussion
- Lots of book lists available
- Ask your readers--kids, teachers, librarians, parents
- Literature circle titles good for discussion
- BE SURE YOU HAVE READ THE WHOLE BOOK BEFORE YOU PROMOTE IT TO KIDS
- #Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature (DAWCL)
Allows the user to search for books according to awards won, reader's age, setting, historical period, ethnicity and gender of protagonist, format (picture book, beginning reader, chapter book), genre,
and more. A great reader's advisory tool.
- #Mid-Continent Public Library Reader's Advisory -- see lists for children and teens. Includes suggested reading, award winners, lists of series, and books that have been made into movies.
# How to Get Multiple Copies
- School book fairs
- Book club orders from Scholastic, Arrow (cheap, no shipping)
- Budget to purchase a set number of multiple copy sets per year
- Interlibrary Loan (must figure in postage costs)
- Check with teacher classroom libraries (borrow!)
- State Library list of Book Discussion Group Sets
- SCKLS Matching Book Discussion Grant
- Garage sales, used book stores, Friends of the Library sales
# Coming Up with Discussion Questions
Questions to Use in Book Chats
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson55/RWT061-1.PDF
This list is actually designed for a teacher having a book conference one-on-one with a student, but the questions would work well for a group discussing a book. These are good, high-quality questions to elicit discussion, but are general enough to work with any book.
# Technology Components
Blogs and Online Bulletin Boards and are options instead of (or in addition to) face-to-face discussions. We are on our maiden voyage with ClassBlogmeister, a password-protected environment that makes it safe for kids to blog.
Why use technology?
- technology is a motivator
- shy kids can speak out
- don't have to find a common time to meet (kids are busy!)
- location is not an issue (you can participate in the discussion from any computer with Internet access)
# Professional Articles
Steven Layne
http://www.stevelayne.com
Motivating Kids to Read (middle school through high school)
The following articles are available through free statewide access to InfoTrac OneFile:
-
Food for thought: a brown-bag book discussion group has middle schoolers rushing to the library. (What Works) Martha Walker Baden; Rebecca Purdy. School Library Journal , Feb 2006 v52 i2 p33(1).
-
Making Reading a Riot. (recreational reading club at Roberto Clemente Middle School library in Philadelphia , PA )(Brief Article) American Libraries , April 2000 v31 i4 p24.