Book Clubs that Promote Discussion and Higher Level Thinking

Hands down...book clubs are the best part of my day.

I love reading and discussing books with my kids and I actually read along with my students.  Seriously!  I read to the designated stop page and prepare for each meeting.  I'm just another member of the club. I try to keep up with all of my book clubs, but it can be tough. Sometimes I fall behind, but I'm always kicking myself afterwards. I find our discussions are always 150% better if I have just read the chapters and it is fresh.  Even if I have read the book before, I reread. I've read Because of Winn-Dixie at least five times...great book!

The best part about meeting in book clubs is I get to read with all my kids. Does anyone else find themselves meeting with their lower readers way more often than their high readers? Isn't it nice when you meet with your top readers?  It's like a vacation from teaching.  You just sit back, relax, and enjoy the conversation.

Again... best part of the day. 

So, here is what we're reading right now:

The Secret Soldier is new to me, but my kids are captivated. I love that it is a true story.
Horrible Harry and the Dragon is perfect for my kiddos reading below grade level.
Babe & Me is a fantastic book.  I always get my girls and boys hooked on this book/series. They love it! Plus... baseball.  :)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is a classic.  I haven't read it in years, so it has been fun to read about all of Fudge's crazy adventures.  Poor Peter!

Now, I have seen twenty different and wonderful ways to run a book club or literature circle including the different jobs (summarizer, visualizer, etc.) Over the years, I have tried many of these models, but I really love what I'm doing right now.  It is simple, easy, and my students love it!

They come prepared to discuss what they have read at each meeting. I used to use post-its, but I was flying through them. Now, I have a reading response sheet.  It looks like a lot, but it's really very simple.  The kids don't feel hassled filling it out and it always offers us a great jumping off point for discussion.

Book Club Thinking Discussion Sheet

Their favorite thing to share is their golden lines.  I start talking about golden lines in the beginning of the year during read alouds.  I explain that sometimes we read a sentence or a paragraph and that line just sticks with us.  We create a great mental image from it. It reminds us of something meaningful in our lives. It just seems important in the story...maybe a turning point. It makes use laugh. It's the moment when we figure something out about the characters or the plot for the first time.  I tell them there is no wrong answer, just find a line that speaks to you.  You would be amazed with what they come up with.  So many kids pick up on foreshadowing without even realizing it. :)

Now, as much as I would love reading to be just reading, realistically we live in a world where I have to give my students a grade.  Books clubs can be challenging to grade because all students are reading a different text at their instructional level.  I can't simply give a quiz on what was read.

 Below is the sheet I created to grade my students on book clubs.

Book Club Rubric

I am choosing to grade my students on their participation in our discussion and on how prepared they are when the come. I just follow the rubric.  Easy.  Each meeting, the student can earn up to 8 points.  I will then calculate their final grade based on points earned out of possible points.

So far everything seems to be working really smoothly.  My students are spending most of their time reading and talking about the books, not filling out worksheets.  I've been really impressed with the level of discussions and the eagerness with which students read and beg to meet with their group.

All and all... I'm loving my new system.
I hope some of you find it helpful as well.
Happy Book Clubbing!