By Lynne Dorfman & Brenda Krupp

Why use book clubs? There are many benefits to consider. First of all, book clubs allow our readers to engage in a social activity with myriad opportunities to practice their conversation skills and learn from diverse perspectives. It gives students a chance to really bond over books, living with and through the characters, traveling to unfamiliar settings, and learning more about themselves and their readers’ identities. Students become better readers and grow a commitment to reading that extends beyond the school day. Book clubs are a chance for teachers to listen in to rich conversations and take notes about the skills and strategies book club members are demonstrating as they discuss a book, poem, play, essay, or article.

Student Self-Selection

Book clubs are a small group format that allows teachers to observe students in action, employing various reading skills and strategies, demonstrating empathy and compassion, zooming in on what it truly means to be human. They can be as small as two and as large as six or seven, and in their best use, students get to choose the books they want to read for book clubs.

They can do this in several ways. Sometimes, a teacher creates a small bulletin board space where students can post an invitation: I’m about to begin The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art by Cynthia Levinson. It’s a picture book biography about Ben Shahn who came to America from Lithuania and was hired during the Depression to paint stories of struggling Americans. Who wants to join me? Our classroom library has three copies. Teachers can also display choices around genres, authors, or topics/themes. Student-written book reviews and book talks may help students choose a book to read and discuss in a book club format. Sometimes, book clubs arise out of students who read books together. At other times, book clubs can be formed due to curriculum needs and interests. Students may want to continue to read about women after a Women’s History Month unit of study or choose to read a book about the planets and other celestial bodies after a study of the solar system in science class. Perhaps Masterminds by Gordon Korman or Space Case by Stuart Gibbs for a science fiction read. Remember, book selection is important for the success of book clubs, but sometimes, it’s okay to give the class something to think about. After browsing your students’ interest surveys, select three to five books to book talk and display the books (and multiple copies, if possible) where students can browse if they so choose.

Getting Conversations Started and Sustaining Interest

Before you launch book clubs, organize some informal groups that will sit together during your read-aloud time. When you ask students to turn and talk or stop and jot, these students can share their questions, comments, and opinions. During this time, listen to their conversations to note possible minilessons that will help these readers be successful when they have launched a book group.

Make sure to review key social skills such as active listening (eyes on the speaker), one speaker at a time, use each other’s names, and encourage with nonverbal signals (head nods, thumbs up, leaning in towards the speaker).

You can provide scaffolds for getting started with response, although it may not always be necessary. Scaffolds should be very open-ended. Sometimes, a list of possible questions can be posted as an anchor chart. Here are some examples:

• ●  What is the text about?
• ●  What parts do you especially like?
• ●  What suggestions, questions, or comments would you have for the author?
• ●  How can you present a key idea from this text to your classmates?
• ●  What is/are the theme(s)?

Sometimes protocols for discussion are helpful and can provide variety to a book club discussion. (See Appendix G: protocols for Book Club and Small Group Discussion in Welcome to Reading Workshop: Structures and Routines That Support All Readers, 2023).

It’s often helpful for club members to have a plan about how many pages they will read for the next session and a target date when the book will be finished. A mini-lesson on why it is important to support their thinking with evidence from the text is very helpful, as well as ways they can piggyback on each other’s thinking. Some examples to help students envision ways they can connect with others might include “I agree with Sofia, but I would like to add…” or “Jaelyn makes a good point; however, I disagree with his thinking about the character’s motives because I believe…” In addition, urge students to place sticky notes (sparingly) on pages to jog their memory about points they would like to discuss. Finally, create an anchor chart with a set of questions the students would like to use as self-evaluation. “Did I stay focused on the conversation?” and “How did I support my book club today?”

How Do We Assess What’s Going On?

Finding ways to follow the progress of a book club, even when you are not present for the club meeting, is key to your comfort and the club’s success. As teachers, we often fear that little learning is happening if we are not present. However, when we give students ownership of the club and let them lead, we often find they are making progress.

One valuable source of information is the reader’s notebooks and the entries the club members are keeping. How are the students responding? Is there evidence of deeper thinking, or are they just retelling? The content of the entry can help you decide if you need to work with that group or student to lift the level of responses, teaching them ways to elaborate that include personal thinking as well as text evidence. Consider posting sentence starters on an anchor chart that will help students move beyond simple retelling. This can be done through the use of double-entry journals. One column is used to record main points about the story (characters, problem, events, plot, resolution), interesting quotes, author’s craft, and vocabulary while the corresponding column is used for students to respond with their thoughts and feelings.

Another option you might try is recording the book club to listen to later. This can allow you to hear responses, note who contributes to the conversation (and how), and make decisions about future interactions you will have with the club.

As in all assessments, consider your original intentions for the book club. If your goal was to improve conversational skills, watch for how students keep the conversation going and how they get every member involved. Was your goal to have students offer thoughts and opinions with text support? Notice the use of sticky notes in books and who uses them in conversation to support thinking. Consider what has been taught during minilessons and look for tracks of your teaching in written responses as well as in the conversations.

Be careful of assigning a “fake” project as a form of assessment when a club wraps up. Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels (Comprehension and Collaboration; Inquiry Circles in Action. 2009) remind us that as adults, we don’t rush to “make” something when we finish a book; instead, we move to talk about it. They urge us to make reading responses that are authentic. Perhaps have the group share out during a share session the ways the book changed the group’s thinking about the topic, or how the reading of the book has grown their desire to learn more about the topic. Club members may want to create a book talk to get others to read the book or write a book review that could be placed in the book when it is reshelved. It’s tempting to assign a project, but when we allow students to choose how they will respond, we give them a voice and show them we trust them and value their thinking.

Keeping Notes During Book Club Discussions

Keeping track of observations can be tricky. It is often a matter of finding a system you are comfortable with, one that works for you and one that you can and will use. A simple way is to write one or two observations on a sticky note. Then, transfer these notes to a more permanent location, such as a page in a notebook that is dedicated to the student you observed. As you move the note, you have the opportunity to reflect on the information and make some notes for future instruction. You might consider having a three-column notebook page for each student. The first column is where you will tape the sticky notes, the second for thoughts about the observation, and the third for future instruction. Remember, the system you use needs to work for you! Be creative. Be flexible. Find what you are comfortable with.

What Happens if a Student Does Not Want to Participate in a Book Club?

Sometimes, one or two students may be resistant to joining a book club. These students can continue to read independently and offer their thoughts in a one-on-one conference with the teacher. Other times, a student may be persuaded to partner with another student to read and discuss a book the two students select together. Giving these reluctant joiners a chance to observe one or several book clubs in action may be another way to move them closer to participation later in the year. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of finding the right book to read and talk about with others. It’s important to welcome partnerships into our book club routine to allow for greater choice and to help all readers feel safe and have ownership in the entire process.

Final Thoughts

Book clubs increase peer interaction time and help students share their excitement for reading. Through discussion and reflection, students will be able to imagine how their reading work can be used in new settings across the day. Books clubs help readers grow in enthusiasm and interest in reading, cultivating a habit that will last throughout their adult lives. Most students will end up reading more and more thoughtfully when they commit to a book club.