Forming a Book Club

When deciding to start a book club, or literature circle, there are several aspects to think about.

Things to Consider...
1.

Book Choice

Being able to choose the book to study is important to make the situation seem more relevant. Limit the
choice to enough that there will be something of interest to every member (something as simple as
having a female protagonist, rather than just males.

Choose an assortment of books with similar theme, all by the same author, or sharing other
commonalities.
Choosing a recently published book is exciting for the students, especially because a lot of
Language Arts classes tend to focus on older, "tried-and-true" books that have been read for
decades.
Consider: comprehension to students of different abilities and interests; reflect students' language
needs and skills; address issues/topics relevant to students' lives; provoke thinking and
discussion (C-H)

Example:

There are 30 members of a book club. 6 books are offered: Frindle (fiction: young boy who makes
up a word), Mice at Center Ice (fiction: male mice play hockey against rats in a battle for the
Cheddar Cup), Charlotte's Web (fiction: a young girl adopts a pig as a pet), Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone (fiction: a boy wizard), Matilda (fiction: a young girl has magic powers), and A
Drop of Water (non-fiction: a science book illustrating the water cycle).
30 students vote to eliminate one book so there is an even amount of members per group. They
decide to eliminateHarry Potter. The students then take turns signing up for their book choice.
Most should be able to get their number one, or number two choices.

Resources for books:

English Language Arts Authorized Novels and Nonfiction Annotated List Grades 4 to 12:
https://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/english/resources/ela-list.aspx
The Canadian Children's Book Centre:
http://www.bookcentre.ca/
Newbery Medal and Honor Books:
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal
2.

Group Members

5-6 members are optimal to have success with a variety of alternating roles and continuous,
meaningful conversation
It is recommended that there is a minimum of 3-4 members
Varying levels of abilities and levels can be beneficial to learning (C-H); weaker members can
learn to model the stronger ones

http://mandymccullough.weebly.com/book-club.html Mandy McCullough

PS III Professional Inquiry Project

3.

Schedules/Routines

If the Book Club is being done during a specific class, the schedule will be simple. However, if the Book
Club is meeting outside of class time, it is important to find a time where all members can attend (staying
in Book Club
4.

Assigning the roles

Student roles in book club allow them to have responsibility over their own learning, and provide them
with a sense of purpose as part of the group. They will generally need coaching with each role at first,
giving examples and modelling what each role looks like. Roles change each week, allowing each student
to take on each role at least once. Ideally the students will internalize, and apply, the skills associated
with each role. Once this happens, it is no longer necessary to assign roles each week; however, it may
continue if it works well.

5.

Discussion leader: has open-ended questions prepared, discussion topics, etc.

Summarizer: oral summary of the reading
Word Master: choosing the new words to focus on with definitions that the other group members
can understand - ie, not reading straight from the dictionary
Passage Person: chooses key passages, explaining reasoning for each and significance to the
story
Travel Tracker: notices the setting(s) in the book, presenting a description or math/diagram

Literature Response Logs

Literature Response Logs allow students to record reminders to themselves of what they have read, how
they felt while reading it, problems they may have encountered, and/or questions they may have had.
With leading my first book club, I did not have any response logs and noticed that the students who were
eager to read would read their assigned sections immediately after the meeting, and by the time we met
again they had forgot what they read. This allows the students to not only remember what they read, but
comprehend it on a deeper level. These logs should be brought to each meeting for members to looks
back on.
These logs may be as informal as jotting down key words (main ideas, troublesome vocabulary,
confusing sections), or as formal as reflection journals or using specific writing prompts.
Another strategy to use instead of a response log is simply having Post-It notes with symbols placed for
different reminders. Students could mark areas with different colours for confusing passages, parts that
they stopped and made a prediction, a section that made them have strong reactions, etc.
6.

Strategies to Discuss with Students Prior to Reading: (C-H)

how to handle unknown words

how to respond and provide feedback to circle participants
how to select topics for discussion
how to get along as a group

** Book Clubs are also referred to as: literature circles (most scholarly articles will name them as literature
circles), grand conversations, reading circles, literature discussion groups

http://mandymccullough.weebly.com/book-club.html Mandy McCullough

PS III Professional Inquiry Project

During the Book Club Meetings

Book clubs are most effective if the students lead the meetings themselves, with little input from the
teacher/adult. If there is no role assigned as a leader each week, the teacher may begin the meeting with
opening comments or open-ended questions, reminding students of their roles and the expectations of
the meeting.
The conversations during the meeting should flow naturally and be relatively relaxed. This allows students
to transfer these conversations skills to their "real world", so they can have these kinds of conversations
with their peers or parents. For example, it is not necessary for them to raise their hands if they want to
comment or ask a question, as they would not do this in real life. Instead, they wait for the appropriate
opportunity to respond.
The First Meeting
Discuss roles and expectations with the students. Be thorough, descriptive and explicit. Decide on the
books together, and decide on a length to be read each week. Students should be encouraged
to not read ahead of the group so all members can make predictions at the same time and experience
the same passages together each week.
The Last Meeting
Read the last chapter of the book together, preferably out loud. It is a great moment to finish off a wellloved book together, especially after putting so much work into it.
The Teacher/Adult's Role

model appropriate discussion behaviours - thoughtful responses about the readings, respectful
feedbacks of comments and interpretations, good listening and questioning (C-H)
ask open-ended questions if things are "stuck" (although this should be rare, as the students are
encouraged to "un-stick" the situation)
Observe behaviour - individual role performance, participation, constructive (minimal) feedback
(S-S)

Response Logs

While reading before each meeting, students should make notes pertaining to their roles, as well
as writing down questions they may have, parts they find exciting, words they were unsure of,
predictions, etc.
Bring these response logs to each meeting, and use these as reminders for conversation points
Students should not rely on their logs or read word-for-word from them

http://mandymccullough.weebly.com/book-club.html Mandy McCullough
PS III Professional Inquiry Project

After the Book

How/What to Evaluate
If this is to be graded, it is important to decide what you want to observing and evaluating. What areas are
you trying to have the students improve on? Potential things to evaluate, depending on what you will
focus on include:

active participation
adhering to assigned roles
learning response log entries

Self-Evaluation
Provide students the opportunity to reflect on their own contributions to the book club, and what they may
have learned by participating.

How effective was my contribution?

How has my reading improved?
What have I discovered about myself in relation to reading and sharing my ideas?
What have I learned about working in a group?
What did I enjoy about this book? Would I enjoy reading other books like it?

Celebration of the Book

After the book has been completed, it is important to celebrate the book before moving on to the next
project. Allow the students to celebrate finishing the book and experiencing what the book had to offer.
This "celebration" does not necessarily mean throwing a party. There are many ways to celebrate...

Extension projects, such as writing a chapter from a different character's perspective; writing a
script for a play about the book; shooting a video of your favorite scene, etc.
Book talks to other groups about what the book was about and why they enjoyed reading it
Presenting the book to another grade
Creating a display in the school's library showcasing the book
If students enjoyed the book, help them discover where they can find other books like it

Contacting the Author

Students can practice letter-writing skills by writing a letter to the author of the book, possibly telling them
why they enjoyed the book, or that they are excited to read other books by them. A lot of authors will write
back to students who are enthusiastic about the books, and it is incredibly exciting for students to get mail
from a 'famous person'. However, students should be warned that authors are very busy and that they
may not write back.

http://mandymccullough.weebly.com/book-club.html Mandy McCullough

PS III Professional Inquiry Project

Why Begin a Book Club?

reading comprehension, discussing ideas is key to advancing literacy skills

socialization factor - make books "cool"; something for the non-athletes to do socially
allows "real-life" conversations, being able to transfer these skills in other areas of their lives
(more likely to talk to friends, family about books they are reading in a meaningful way) (S-S)
encourages reading for pleasure and lifelong reading habits (S-S)
post-club tasks can consolidate and extend understanding and interpretation (S-S)
insights and reflections guide the learning, rather than ready-to-use questions and worksheets.
Makes the learning more "real"
opportunities to create connections between texts and personal experiences, listen to various
interpretations presented by others
monitor and take ownership of their own learning through discussion and sharing with each other
deepening understanding and heightening enjoyment of texts
if done in classroom environment - promotes classroom climate that is cooperative, responsible
and enjoyable - students are given added responsibilities for working with each other and making
decisions in accordance with their needs and interests (C-H)
learn to respect multiple perspectives on topics and issues
girls in literature circles are more likely to critically examine gender issues and to question
pervading female stereotypes in society (C-H)

English as a Second Language

allows second language learners opportunity to improve their language in a natural setting with
genuine motivation and arena for communicating ideas (S-S) Supports vital components for
language acquisition - peer-initiated feedback on language choice and usage, coupled with
teacher-led feedback on task performance
make use of linguistic resources and knowledge in order to make sense of the text, relate it to
their life experience, participate in the discussion in meaningful and functional ways (C-H)

Resources
Chia-Hui, Lin. "Literature Circles." Teacher Librarian 31.3 (2004): 23-25.ProQuest Education Journals.
Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Sanders-Brunner, Maureen. "Literature Circles." School Library Media Activities Monthly 20.7 (2004): 3943. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Shelton-Strong, S. (2011). Literature Circles in ELT. ELT Journal, 66(2), 214-223

http://mandymccullough.weebly.com/book-club.html Mandy McCullough
PS III Professional Inquiry Project