Breathing New Life into Book Clubs: A Practical Guide for Teachers

by Sonja Cherry-Paul, Dana Johansen

Sonja and Dana have both a confession and a challenge to teachers. Managing classroom book clubs can be hard. Real hard. But honestly, is there any better way to get students vested in reading? When book clubs work, don't they create a culture of reading unlike anything else? One that brings out the very best in our students? With both infectious enthusiasm and a realistic perspective, Sonja and Dana take on teachers' doubts and concerns about book clubs, and build a compelling case for their value in every classroom. They provide all the nuts and bolts for creating and managing successful book clubs, Whether you're looking to breathe new life into book clubs or begin implementing them in your classroom, Sonja and Dana give you essential strategies to make book clubs work. "Because book clubs," they write, "are where students fall in love with reading."

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Professional Development, Books About Books

176 pages, Paperback

Published May 23, 2019

Reviews

[Beth Honeycutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good review of the what and why of book clubs. There are some great reminders for teachers to think about along with some new strategies/ideas for student talk, student writing, and student sharing.

[Kris Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A book that is pro TCRWP and pro technology. I also love their book Flip Your Writing Workshop.

[Dat Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

For starters when I picked up the book for a class I was expecting it to be like a traditional book, but I was wrong. The book is written more like a textbook where the book is broken up into major chapters and then subsections that pertain to that chapter. None the less I found the book to be very helpful. For one it talks about how to start, maintain, select books and many other things that could go on within a book club. Also it mentions online book clubs. I found this particular part to be interesting because of how easy it could be to just join an online book club. For starters you could go and search up forum sites or servers that have similar interests as you and begin your reading journey from there, or you could go the traditional route and start your own book club. This books allows you to do either while giving you the help you need to start, maintain and entertain said book club.

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️s

I have done but clubs in my classes for the last several years. Many of the concepts in this book are ones that I’ve already used in my classroom and have found to be very successful. There were a couple of things that were new that I plan to try in the upcoming school year but this was basically a book for those who have never done book clubs before.

[Kim Clifton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent how-to manual for starting book clubs with upper elementary students. I’ve been wary of book clubs because I am so nervous about giving up control in my classroom, and the times I did were… bad. But the authors recognize that fear and assuage it with a plethora of resources to show teachers how to structure a gradual release. I’m feeling much better. And excited! In July!!

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if you do book clubs with kids.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well laid out and full of practical advice.

[Hannah Hearts Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid book for any teacher who wants to try their hand at book clubs. The authors' topics run the gamut of questions and pitfalls that normally happen in classrooms that have book clubs. This professional text really did 'breathe new life' into my mindset of book clubs in a classroom setting. And there are printable downloads as well? I'm sold!

I like that the authors give real suggestions and mini-lessons for any situation that could arise.
The authors also have suggestions for how to weave in technology such as padlet, flipgrid, blogging, and much more. I love that they have made sure that book clubs should have ways for all students to voice their ideas-- not just the loudest kids in the room. (Yes, there are mini-lessons for that!)

I also appreciate the list of suggested titles for each grade level. The book has suggestions for grades 3-8. However, I would say that I don't fully agree with the suggestions of certain texts for 8th graders. I'm not saying this to limit any child from any book of their choosing. I just feel that some of the 8th grade selections like Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier would need a lot of facilitation on the teacher's part, which is kind of counterintuitive for book clubs.

One thing I wish that the authors would have done was give pointers on how to possibly take a grade from book club. When teachers are strapped for time and are expected to crank out a certain amount of grades it would be nice to have some pointers beyond the basic data collection. Please don't hate me reading teacher hippies. I, too, am a reading teacher hippie and want to let my kids just read to read... but I also acknowledge the reality of constructs that teachers are placed in.

Other than that, I feel this was a fantastic and inspiring read for teachers who want to do something beyond the regular read a passage-answer the multiple choice question hamster wheel. Very enjoyable!

[Morgan McCorkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathing New Life Into Book Clubs: A Practical Guide for Teachers is a great starting point for teachers everywhere that are interested in starting a book club. This cover all bases guide goes over the information necessary to start a book club, while also diving deep into ways of making them more engaging. Topics such as book genres, reading culture, technology, location, and others are discussed in a way that also makes reading fun and enjoyable. Throughout the book there are many outlines and ideas for different prompts and activities to use within the book clubs, making it a useful tool in teaching. Overall this book could be used with a wide variety in grades, as small tweaks could be made for younger or older students, but the basis of the books information is broad enough to satisfy many different types of book clubs. I believe this book to be a useful tool in any elementary/literature teachers shelf.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though student-led book clubs can be challenging, this book gives you all the details on how to go about creating an engaging and enriching book club experience for your students. It gives you ideas on how to include everyone in the club, how to give the students power and voice, and gives great suggestions based on grade level. It includes ways to have genre, goal, theme, author/series, and identity-based book clubs. Honestly, it basically gives you a step-by-step plan on how to make these things work. Everything suggested is definitely practical, hence the name. This would be a great resource for teachers to learn about reading and how to involve their students, even without the book club.

[Elaina Albarado · Rating 3 out of 5]

When reading this Guide for teachers about Book Clubs I thought that the authors both had very great information to share in the text, but also in the diagrams that were shown in the book. This book had a lot of helpful tips and tricks to share with teachers who are interested in trying to start a book club with their students. Some helpful ideas that stuck out to me where having certain themes for book clubs like genre based, series based, goals based, identity based. This is a good way to start and get students interested in what they like but also get students to find new interest as well. Another main information part that stuck out to me was how to gets students involved and engaged, and how to get the discussion flowing.

[Julie Jaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This past school year was the first time I really did book clubs, and they went really well. I got this book because I’m always seeking to improve. I used Marissa Thompson’s TQE method, and it was great for my 7th graders. They had rich discussions that were completely student led and generated.

Yet I still was able to compile two pages of notes of ideas to improve for next year. This book helped me come up with new ideas to improve the work I’ve already established successfully.

I recommend this book to English teachers who want to start book clubs, but also to teachers who have found success with book clubs. Excellent book, with very usable resources!

[Hang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very great book for future and current educators. I would have never thought to read this book, but I am glad I did because it has given me a lot of great tips and strategies that I will use in my classroom. I think this is a must-read for educators who plan to read with their students! I highly would recommend this book to teachers or anyone thinking about starting a book club. What I really like about this book is that it consists of mini-lessons and is useful in guiding book clubs for readers of all ages. This was an enjoyable read that I will look back on whenever I start teaching!

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I had read this book, I didn't realize how necessary book clubs are to society. This is a perfect book for teachers, parents/guardians, and librarians. The importance of reading is reduced down to reading by oneself. But once I read this book, I found that it's actually more important to include interaction with reading. This allows for different interpretations to the surface, as well as an active part in the reading. This is especially for children. Once you start reading to a child, aloud, when they are young they will become better and more active readers in their adulthood. I really enjoyed the depth that Cherry-Paul went to in order to convey this approach.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fascinated by this book and the way the authors broke down book clubs. They take the time to show how book clubs are attainable in any class by breaking down schedules. Time may not always be on the teacher's side, but if you want to include book clubs into your year, you can. There were many helpful resources that I plan to use when making future plans that pertain to book clubs.

I also really enjoyed the ownership they put on their students. They also include many opportunities for students to have voice and choice, which is something that I find important in the classroom. I plan on using many of the resources laid out in this text.

[Katlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars-
This is a great introduction to book clubs for teachers in grades 3-8. It's especially useful for the middle grades, 4-6, in my opinion. Many of the strategies and structures seem like they would work best in a longer literacy block. I have been working with book clubs for years, and found that many of the ideas in the book were not necessarily "new" to me, but I would definitely recommend this to teachers just starting out with book clubs, or those who are stuck using roles to feel comfortable with book clubs.

[Taylor Oddo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for all educators to read. It shows us many different concepts that could be used in book clubs. This book has taught me a lot and would love to use these strategies that were mentioned with my future students and my own children one day. Book clubs have really changed from when I was in elementary, middle, and high school. Now you can make your own clubs and pick which books you would like to read. This makes students more willing to participate in these types of after school curriculums.

[Alyssa Victoriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for up and coming teachers or librarians. This gives you examples of how to start a book club or get students excited to join a book club or to get into reading. This book gives you tips on how to promote books clubs and how you should go about picking books. I think it was a good book for me to read so I know what I can do to allow my students to have an easy transition into reading and creating book clubs for my classroom. I recommend this book for anyone looking to work with children.

[Madison Kozeny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written as if the intended audience is experienced in book clubs. However, I think this will be mostly beneficial to teachers who are new to facilitating book clubs.
This book is rare in that is it pro TCRWP AND technology (how exciting is that???). It gives some really great ideas for incorporating tech into your book clubs.
This book is an excellent addition to any teacher’s collection and I can see myself returning to it again for mini lessons and ideas for my ELA block.

[Abby Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathing New Life Into Book Clubs: A Practical Guide for Teachers by Sonja Cherry-Paul is an excellent read for educators or anyone starting a book club. The book covers tips on managing book clubs and creating a reading culture. I especially like the part of the book where the author suggests letting kids choose their own books and creating genre-specific books clubs. Overall, very interesting book that provides readers with the nuts and bolts of managing a book club.

[adeservingporcupine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read full of solid ideas for making book clubs more engaging — or getting started in running book clubs if you haven’t tried them before. I LOVED the way lesson plans were organized at the end of each chapter. It makes everything you remembered your wanted to try super easy to find. If anything this felt targeted to younger kids, but easily can be tweaked for 8th graders.

[Jessica Skoglund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated the tangible ideas this book provided, including the resources at the end of each chapter! The book was geared a little more toward elementary and middle school students, however, so some things weren't really applicable to my high school students. However, this is a great read for teachers looking to start or make improvements to book clubs in their classrooms!

[Jami Hines · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is informative and helps educators learn techniques about book clubs. There are strategies for teachers. Ways to get children to love learning. It talks about picking books upon genre, culture, diversity, and just letting the students pick what is interesting to them.
It was a book I had to read for school. But it was informative as well.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great ideas that can be used for independent reading activities or just in general. Love the approach shared and how to incorporate accountability without taking away the freedom and choice from students. I dog eared a ton of pages and will be adding lots of these ideas to upcoming work this semester!

[Diane Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m pleased to have come across this book! I love blogging with students and will implement book clubs with them this school year. My class Edublogs will have Book Club tabs as well as others. Count me in to try & use ways to promote reading & writing and connecting with others.

[Rachel Saum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually dont count my “textbooks” into my good reads but this book helps set practical ways of starting a book club in the classroom. As a college students I will be holding onto this one and keeping it for future reference for my classroom!

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for new and veteran teachers to updates their literature circle/book club practices with their students. Lots of practical tips and researched methods for rolling out book club groups. This book made me excited to start organizing my book selection for groups this fall.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best professional development books I have found for book clubs. If you are an English teacher, I highly recommend it. I have so many tabs in this book to reference back to for highly engaging and innovative activities. Lots of technology driven information, which is fantastic.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I have already marked up with thoughts and ideas. I can't wait to put these things into practice in my classroom.

[Mandy Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas!