Book Club Procedures
The first rule of Book Club is that YOU MUST READ FOR BOOK CLUB.
Every night you will be reading portions of your book club book. Each day in
class you will be discussing the reading from the night before.
Grading:
 Journal entries will be graded as a homework assignment and will be counted as a test grade.
 In class discussions will be counted as a participation grade and a test grade.
What is the Purpose of Book Club?
Book club is important because it teaches you how to be active readers. By actively reading a book or
any piece of literature, you will have a better understanding of the material and its significance.
Remember, authors don’t write books just because they have nothing better to do. Every book, story,
and written piece has a deeper meaning than may initially be apparent. Your job this year is to delve
deeper into all of our readings by thinking about the overall themes, messages, characterization, and
plot (among other things).
What is Active Reading?
The only way you can truly be an active reader and succeed in book club is to read your novel and
react while you are reading by using your sticky notes and responding to the required sections for
your journal.
Active reading requires that you do certain things before, during, and after reading in order to ensure
that you are not simply reading the text and memorizing what happened. Rather, active reading
requires you to be constantly engaged in the text which will allow you to have a better understanding of
what you read.
During Reading: How Can I Be an Active Reader?
1. Mark the Text – The most common way is to write a sticky note and put it in your book. This is
a way to help words, phrases, and sentences stand out to you as important so you know what
you want to discuss during in-class discussions and what to study before the final assessment.
2. Ask Questions – Active readers ask lots of questions! It’s one of the best things a reader can do.
Think about things like: Why is the writer talking about this? Who says this is true? What does
that mean? Remember to write your questions down!
3. React and Connect – When you read, you need to listen to the author and to yourself. You need
to think about what you are reading and relate it to your own life. Look for connections that are
text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self.
4. Predict - As you read, you should constantly be wondering how things will turn out. Think ahead
when you read and share your ideas about what’s going to happen with your group. Remember
to write down your predictions while you read as they will help you stay interested in what you
are reading.
5. Visualize – Because your thoughts are mere flashes in the brain, you need to record them if you
want to remember them. Making pictures in your mind can help you “see” what you were
thinking and help you remember. A chart, sketch, diagram, or any other visual aid can all help
you “see” and remember.
6. Clarify – Because so much is happening as you read, you need to be sure of the things you do
know. Pull together what you have learned by writing notes to clarify things for yourself or your
group. This could be an important detail, argument, or anything else that seems like an “AHA!”
moment.
After Reading: What do I write in my journal?
1. Summarize the portion of the book you read (at least 7 full and complete sentences).
2. Write one connection (text-to-text or a text-to-world)
3. Write one discussion question that you will discuss with your group.
4. Write one vocabulary word, its definition, and its page number, that you will discuss with your
group.
5. Write one Important part in this section of reading and why (at least four sentences).
During class:
Each class you will meet with your group. Below is the process you will follow. There should
never be a time where you are not working in your book club; there is always a question to ask.
1. Take turns summarizing what happened in the chapter/sections.
2. Identify how the theme played a role in your reading.
3. Talk about any confusing parts of the reading.
4. Define confusing vocabulary.
5. Identify the important parts of the reading so far. Find these parts in your novel and talk about
them as a group.
6. Talk about any connections you had to the literature.
7. Each student will pose their discussion question. Groups will continue to post/answer questions
for the remainder of the time.
Please remember that these questions are provided as a guide to help spur conversation during your
book club discussions. Please note that many of the questions are very general and/or incomplete.
Many times you may have to ask the question in a more specific way so that it directly pertains to your
book and you may also have to add additional how’s and why’s to the questions to incite more
conversation and dialogue in your group.
Personal & Textual Connections
 How does the story make you feel?
 Have you ever had similar experiences?
 Does the book remind you of another book?
 Do any of the characters remind you of someone in your life?
 How is this story like any other story you know?
 How are the characters, setting, and problems like those in other stories you have read?
 How are the characters, setting, and problems connected to your life?
 Were you reminded of anything in your own life?
 What does this story make you think or wonder about?
 What surprised you?
Setting
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Where and when does the story take place?
Where else could the story take place?
Could the setting be a real place that exists in our time?
Is the place important to the story? How?
What words did the author use to describe the place?
What can you hear, see, feel, or smell as you read?
How important is the place or time to the story?
How much time passes in the story?
In another time or place, how would the story change?
How did the author control the passing of time?
How is the setting like another place you know?
Does the season, time period, or time of year affect the characters or the plot of the story?
Plot
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How did the author begin the story to engage the reader?
What is the problem in the story? How do you think it will be solved?
What is the most important part of the story?
What is the high point/climax of the story?
Could the order of events in the story be changed or could any of the events be left out?
If you were the author, would you have ended it in any different way? How?
What clues did the author give to allow the reader to predict the ending?
What lesson(s) does this story teach about life?
Do you think the story really could have happened?
How does the author provide information or details to make the story seem realistic?
How does the author help you feel that you are really there?
What two or three sentences summarize the whole story?
Characters
 Are there any powerful characters in the story? What makes them that way?
 Who are the most interesting characters? Why?
 Who is the most important character? Why?
 What character is the fairest toward others? Why?
 Who is the bravest character? Why?
 Which character is teaching/has taught you the most?
 Who else could be in the story?
 What choices did a character have?
 How does one of the characters change? Why?
 Which characters change and which don’t? How are these changes important in the story?
 Who is a character that plays a small role? Why is this character necessary in the story?
 What did you learn from one character in the story?
 How did characters feel about one another? Why?
 Are the characters believable? Why or why not?
 What challenges do the characters encounter and how do they deal with them?
 What choices did the characters have?
 How do a character’s actions affect other people in the story?
Theme
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What is the author’s message?
What is the story really about (deeper meaning)?
Do you think the title is appropriate for the story?
What does the story mean to you?
Why did the author write this story?
What is the author really trying to say?
Perspective/Point of View
 From whose point of view is the story told? Is this the best person to tell it? Why?
 What other voices could tell the story?
 How would the story be different if told through another character’s eyes?
Language
 What are some interesting words, phrases, or sentences?
 Are there words that were used to create a feeling or picture in your mind?
 Where did the author describe something well?
 What were some of the strongest words the author used?
 Was any of the language especially interesting, vivid, or surprising?
Author/Illustrator
 Would you read other books by this author? Why or why not?
 What other books does this book make you want to read?
 What did the author have to know in order to write this book?
 What did the author do to interest the reader or pull the reader into the text?
 Did the author keep you interested? How or why?
 Why did the author choose the title? Would you choose the same one?
 What do you notice about the writing (the way the author wrote)?
Genre
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What is the genre of the book? How did you know?
Is this text a good example of this genre? Why or why not?
How is this book like other books you’ve read in this genre?
What do you find difficult about reading books in this genre?