Book+Clubs+for+High+School+Students

= Why book clubs for high school students? =

Research has shown that the “role of social interaction in literacy is key” (Appleman, 2006, p. 6) and that such interaction benefits students as this it enables them to construct both meaning and a sense of self.

Literature instruction is designed to meet the requirements of a curriculum. And while we recognize the many benefits of reading and studying literature, our students often do not. Little do they know or think about how far they can travel on the pages of a good book, how much they can learn from the experiences of others, how what they know can quickly become what they thought they knew and how they can grow in thought and spirit. Students often do not realize that they share their experiences with others until they read them, and they do not understand the pain and joy of those around them. Of course, there are practical matters as well such as expanding their vocabulary or improving their writing skill. Yet, as teachers, we often find them disengaged and reluctant to read. They see no benefit to themselves and no connection to their own reality. Admittedly, this is sometimes the result of how literature is taught, and it is often made worse by the choice of novels in the classroom.

And while the goals of the literature classroom are varied, those of us who teach it also love it, and it is our deepest desire that our students will come to love it too. Yet this is often not the case.

Appleman (2006) writes that in order for our students to recognize the cultural importance of literature, they must remain readers after they leave school (p. 12). Further, they must see literacy “…as an act of interpretation rather than an acquaintance with commonly valued ideas and practices” (p. 13) and that we must develop “the ability of our students to create meaningful reflections of their world as they read” (p. 13).

Appleman (2006) shares the following statistics: The reality is that “students [are] spending 78 minutes of reading compared to 12 hours of watching television” (p. ). Only 18 percent of teens claim to read often (p. ).

If students are to continue reading beyond the classroom, then they must see reading as something that adults do because they want to rather than the way they see it now – “schoolish, adolescent, and feminine” (Appleman, p. 14).

Book clubs are not another way to teach the same thing literature classes have taught. Book clubs for high school students attempt to differentiate themselves through their setting – relaxed and comfortable, selection – appealing to adults and approach - voluntary (Appleman, p. 16).

** Criteria for Text Selection: **

 * Current
 * Enjoyable/playful
 * Discussion worthy – controversy, contention
 * Connects kids to adults – avoid strictly adolescent books
 * Literature with a buzz – connect with larger cultural concerns
 * Reasons for choice are articulated to help students make their own choices in the future
 * Appeals to female and male readers
 * Paperback – mostly for cost and hopefully allows students to keep their books and begin to build their own personal libraries
 * Non-fiction, sometimes
 * Participant input in choices
 * Paired books, sometimes to allow for gender and/or readability
 * Push literary boundaries, but not boundaries of participants so students are challenged (race, class, war, death, religion), but not silenced by discomfort. (Appleman, 2006, p. 18-21)

Note: In Appleman’s (2006) work, she discusses the unique situation of adolescents as they are not children, but not adults either; however, they “will avoid behaviors that seem childish even if they secretly still enjoy them, for example, listening to stories read aloud” (p. 2). For this reason, Appleman included the criteria that books read be books that were read by adults. In other literature, successful book clubs, participants self-selected literature that reflected their experiences and social issues. In these instances, book clubs allowed students to “…deal with the pains of adolescence … allow[ed] for transformation …to simultaneously enhance their reading and their social and emotional growth as well” (Polleck, 2010, p. 64)

** How is a book club different than a classroom? **

 * Texts are new to teachers and students
 * Teachers are not central and are quiet
 * No script for “right” answers or interpretations
 * Students address each other, not the teacher
 * Students receive any comments regarding interpretation, not the teacher
 * Questions don’t necessarily have answers. (Appleman, 2006, p. 26-27)

** Implications of Book Clubs **

 * Change in classroom literary practices and goals
 * Influence on book selection for classes
 * Influence on student attitudes toward reading
 * Reading becomes something unpredictable rather than the same old outcomes
 * Increased autonomy for students
 * Increased pleasure of reading
 * Connections to adult readers

**Practical Considerations**

 * Length of meetings should be about an hour in total
 * Two leaders is best - one helps to keep discussion moving and the other focuses on making sure everyone participates
 * Keep group under 20 - 10-12 participants is optimal; typically groups of 20 end up between 8-12 regulars
 * Meeting once a month gives time to read the book
 * Do lots of advertising
 * Involve students as much as possible in book selection (they may make the suggestions, choose from a list, vote, etc.) (Sprague and Keeling, 2007,152-156)

Check out Debra D'Andrea's article for School Library Journal entitled [|Care and Feeding of a High School Book Club] for more practical considerations and ideas!

Tips for Facilitating Book Club Discussions

 * Start with a brief ice-breaker activity
 * Explain "rules of engagement" - no grading, discussion is up to them, no raised hands, respect for opinions, everyone participates, no one dominates (be brief), good listening
 * To get things rolling, students may come with a favourite line or a question
 * Teacher begins meeting but does not participate
 * Embrace silence - be patient
 * Teacher questions should be authentic questions only
 * End with positive reinforcement - hand out next book, meeting date
 * Have fun! (Appleman, 2006, p.99)

Possible Questions
Sprague and Keeling (2006) share these suggestions from //The New York Public Library Guide//:
 * What is the book about? Talk about the ideas, not the plot.
 * To you, what are the important themes?
 * Is this book driven primarily by plot, by an idea, or by its characters?
 * What are the main characters' distinguishing traits? What do you admire or dislike about them?
 * Describe the interaction among the major characters. What are the most important relationships in the book?
 * What are the most revealing scenes? Do they further the action of the novel?
 * Are any of the events depicted relevant to your own life? (p. 158)

Book Clubs for Girls
Sprague and Keeling cite the work of Michele Haiken who created a girls book club after noting that girls in her middle years class were silencing themselves. She found that the book club allowed the girls to:


 * 1) Raise consciousness and socialize in a safe environment
 * 2) Gain self-knowledge and self-esteem
 * 3) Enhance communication and
 * 4) Realize the power they possess over the direction of their own lives (Sprague and Keeling, 2006, p. 148)

Other works cited by Sprague and Keeling (2007) find similar results, most importantly allowing girls to speak freely, explore issues including sex, relationships, societal expectations, and their own power or lack thereof. Some girls’ book clubs look specifically at issues faced by girls.

** Book Clubs for Boys **
Deborah Appleman (2006) dedicated a section of her text to book clubs for boys as she notes that others have already demonstrated that “…literacy instruction often seems to serve girls better than it does boys” (p. 54). There continues to be a greater gap in literacy achievements between boys and girls and there appears a myriad of reasons; however, as Appleman (2006) points out “Literacy practices do not seem consistent with social constructions of masculinity” (p. 54).

Appleman (2006) found that some of the key elements of successful book clubs for boys are:


 * boys only
 * lead by males
 * quicker reads
 * more plot driven books (p. 54-55)

There are, of course, other types of book clubs. Kathy Hicks-Brooks (2008) developed an action research project and had a number of different book clubs operating in her school. “These clubs were chosen due to the number of students that wanted to read a certain genre, read independently or wanted the media center to [provide incentives]” (p. 5).


 * References **

Appleman, Deborah. (2006). //Reading for themselves: How to// // transform adolescents into lifelong readers through out-of-class // // book clubs. // Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Hicks-Brooks, Kathy. (2008). Designing multiple book clubs to the interest of diverse populations//. International Association of// // School Librarianship, Selected Papers from … the Annual //// Conference. // Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236085004?accountid=50387

Jacobsohn, Rachel W. (1998). //The reading group: Everything you// // need to know to start your own book club //. New York: Hyperion.

Polleck, Jody N. (2010). Creating transformational spaces: High school book clubs with inner-city adolescent females. //High School// // Journal, // //93,// 50-68.

Sprague, Marsha M. and Keeling, Kara. (2007). //Discovering their// // voices: Engaging adolescent girls with young adult literature. // Newark: International Reading Association.