Aronson, Marc. Exploding the Myths: The Truth About Teens and Reading. Lanham MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001.
Backes, Laura. Best Books for Kids Who (Think They) Hate to Read: 125 Books That Will Turn Any Child into a Lifelong Reader. New York: Random House/Prima Lifestyles, 2001.
Books for the Teen Age. New York: New York Public Library. Annual.
Codell, Esme. How To Get Your Child To Love Reading: For ravenous and reluctant readers alike. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2003.
Cook, Sybilla, Frances Corcoran & Beverley Fonnesbeck. Battle of the Books and More: Reading Activities for Middle School Students. Fort Atkinson, WI: Highsmith, 2001.
Cooper-Mullin, Alice. Once Upon A Heroine: 450 Books for Girls to Love. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Dodson, Shireen. The Mother-Daughter Book Club: How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh, and Learn Through Their Love of Reading. New York: Harper Perennial, 1997.
Freeman, Judy. Books Kids Will Sit Still For: A read-aloud guide. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 1990.
Freeman, Judy. More Books Kids Will Sit Still For. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 1995.
Gurin, Michael. What Stories Does My Son Need? A guide to books and movies that build character in boys. New York: Penguin/Putnam/Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2000.
Irving, Jan. Stories NeverEnding: A program guide for schools and libraries. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.
Knowles, Eliza. Talk About Books! A Guide for book clubs, literature circles and discussion groups grades 4-8. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003.
Kimmel, Margaret Mary. For Reading Out Loud: Planning and practice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003.
Krashen, Stephen. Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 1993.
Kuta, Katherine Wiesolek. What a Novel Idea! Projects and Ideas for Young Adult Literature. Portsmouth, NH: Teachers Ideas Press, 1997.
Odean, Kathleen. Great Books for Boys. New York: Random House/Ballantine, 1998.
Odean, Kathleen. Great Books for Girls: More than 600 Books to inspire today’s girls and tomorrow’s women, revised ed. New York: Random House/Ballantine, 2002.
Odean, Kathleen. Great Books About Things Kids Love: More than 750 recommended books for kids age 3-14. New York: Random House/Ballantine, 2001.
Ruethling, Ann and Patti Pitcher. Under the Chinaberry Tree: Books and inspirations for mindful parenting. New York: Random House Broadway, 2003.
Simpson, Martha Seif. Reading Programs for Young Adults: Complete Plans for 50 Theme Related Units for Public, Middle School and High School Libraries. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1997.
Talk It Up! Book Discussion Programs for Young People. Ann Brouse, ed. New York: Youth Services Section, New York Library Association, (252 Hudson Ave., Albany, NY 12210-1802), 1999.
Webber, Desiree. The Kids Book Club: Lively readings and activities for grades 1-3. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2001.
DATABASE RESOURCES
NoveList
More than just a reader’s advisory tool, NoveList features include “What We’re Reading” (reviews by literature experts), “Features for Teachers” (articles on using literature in the classroom and annotated themed booklists, and booktalks), and reviews, author links, articles, read-a-likes, subject headings, and book information such as level of difficulty and awards won.
Thomson Gale Powersearch
Try Contemporary Literary Criticism for essays, reviews and articles, searchable by author, title or keyword (note: not many contemporary YA novels, even award-winners, are featured); Biography Resource Center + Marquis Who’s Who for full text of Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Black Biography, Encyclopedia of World Biography, Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults, The St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers and more.
Children's Roundtable Meeting. Book Group Books: Picks and Pans for Book Discussion Groups for children in grades 4-8 compiled by Sheila Levitan, Cary Memorial Library, Lexington. December 8, 2004.
Online Book Guide Websites
Barnes & Noble Reading Groups
Discussion guides, online reading groups, links to Oprah’s book club.
Bookfinder (Scholastic)
Incorporates pre-reading activities, teaching strategies, and related activities in addition to discussion guides, read-a-likes and author links.
Multnomah County Libraries Book Discussion Guides
Each guide contains a summary, age range, page count, discussion topics, and links
Random House High School Teachers Reading Guides
Guides to classics and contemporary fiction includes summary, review blurbs, awards, author information, and discussion topics
Teen Reads
Teen division of Reading Group Guides, an online community that provides discussion questions, reviews and critical praise, excerpt and author biography with links back to the publisher. They have contests and are a great resource for how to start a discussion group.
Waltham Public Library/High School Student Book Group
Links to discussion questions, author website, interviews and book reviews
Online Book Discussion Sites
Adbooks
YA book discussion listserv for all ages.
Blogger Book Group
Roselle Public Library’s online book discussion, moderated by a librarian, participants discuss a new title each month
Girlzone
Reviews, read-alikes and book chat for girls ages 11-16
YRead? Youth Unite Through Books
http://www.yread.org/index.asp
Cleveland Public Library’s online discussion hosts reader reviews, read-a-likes and links to the author as well as the discussion
Readerville
Monthly YA book discussion
Waltham Student Book Group: A Public/School Collaborative High School Book Discussion Group Guide: Sabriel by Garth Nix
Book Group Discussion Questions compiled by Laura Bernheim, Waltham Public Library and Kelly McCollum, Waltham High School Library
Garth Nix website: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~garthnix
Waltham Student Book Group: A Public/School Collaborative High School Book Discussion Guide: Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman
Book Group Discussion Questions compiled by Laura Bernheim, Waltham Public Library and Kelly McCollum, Waltham High School Library
Terry Trueman’s website: http://www.terrytrueman.com
Waltham Student Book Group: A Public/School Collaborative High School Book Discussion Guide: What’s in a Name? by Ellen Wittlinger
Book Group Discussion Questions compiled by Laura Bernheim, Waltham Public Library and Kelly McCollum, Waltham High School Library
Ellen Wittlinger Homepage. http://www.ellenwittlinger.com
What’s in a Name? Discussion Resources
Carr, Howie. “Would Still Be the City of Sin.” Boston Herald. March 5, 1997.
Crittenden, Jules. “Ocean Park Idea Sinks as Lynn Survives ‘Cutesy Name’ Game.” Boston Herald. March 9 1997.
Daley, Beth. “Rhyme May Be a Reason to Change Name.” Boston Globe. March 6, 1997.
“Lynn Drops Plan to Change Name.” Boston Globe. March 8, 1997. Metro, B6.
Pingree, Mike. “Lynn Yes, Ocean Park Never.” Boston Herald. March 6 1997 p. 29
Sullivan, Paul. “Lynn by Any Other Name.” Boston Herald. March 5, 1997.
Teen Reads Biography: Ellen Wittlinger. http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-wittlinger-ellen.asp. February 15, 2005.
Vigue, Doirreen Iudica. “Some Don’t Revere the Name: Homeowners Try to Boost Sections Image with New Moniker.” Boston Globe. March 23, 1997 Metro Section, column B1
White, Diane. When Bad Rhymes Happen to Good Cities. Boston Globe. March 17 1997, Living Arts, C5.
McCall Middle School Literary Lunch:
A middle school/senior center collaborative book group
Jane Henchey, McCall Middle School, Winchester
Gerry Driscoll (retired, formerly of McCall Middle School, Winchester)
Barbara Travers (retired, formerly of Ottoson Middle School, Arlington)
Fiction
Skellig. Almond, David
Fever 1793. Anderson, Laurie Halse
Man Who Was Poe. Avi
Nothing But the Truth. Avi
Tangerine. Bloor, Edward
Jake's Orphan. Brooke, Peggy
Cracker Jackson. Byars, Betsy
Year of Impossible Goodbyes. Choi, Sook Nyul
With Every Drop of Blood. Collier, James Lincoln
Tunes for Bears to Dance To. Cormier, Robert
Lizard. Covington, Dennis
Walk Two Moons. Creech, Sharon
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. Curtis, Christopher Paul
Because of Winn-Dixie. DiCamillo, Kate
A Christmas Carol. Dickens, Charles
The Breadwinner. Ellis, Deborah
Parvana's Journey. Ellis, Deborah
King of Dragons. Fenner, Carol
Yolanda's Genius. Fenner, Carol
Bandit's Moon. Fleischman, Sid
Flying Solo. Fletcher, Ralph
Monkey Island. Fox, Paula
Cuckoo's Child. Freeman, Suzanne
The Thief Lord. Funke, Cornelia
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. Gantos, Jack
Lily's Crossing. Giff, Patricia Reilly
Wind in the Willows. Graham, Kenneth
Honus & Me. Gutman, Dan
Among the Hidden. Haddix, Margaret Peterson
M.C. Higgins, the Great. Hamilton, Virginia
Out of the Dust. Hesse, Karen
Hoot. Hiaasen, Carl
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. Holt, Kimberly Willis
The Lottery Rose. Hunt, Irene
Orphan Journey Home. Ketchum, Liza
Primrose Way. Koller, Jackie French
The View from Saturday. Konigsburg, E.L.
Alan and Naomi. Levoy, Myron
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Lewis, C.S.
The Art of Keeping Cool. Lisle, Janet Taylor
Gathering Blue. Lowry, Lois
The Giver .Lowry, Lois
The K ite Rider. McCaughrean, Geraldine
The Pushcart War. Merrill, Jean
And One For All. Nelson, Theresa
Same Stuff as Stars. Patterson, Katherine
Brian's Winter .Paulsen, Gary
A Long Way from Chicago. Peck, Richard
A Year Down. Yonder Peck, Richard
Freak the Mighty. Philbrick, Rodman
The Mighty. Philbrick, Rodman
First Test - Protector of the Small. Pierce, Tamora
After the Dancing Days. Rostkowski, Margaret I.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Rowling, J.K.
Esperanza Rising. Ryan, Pam Munoz
Riding Freedom. Ryan, Pam Munoz
Missing May. Rylant, Cynthia
Holes. Sachar, Louis
The Little Prince. Saint-Exupery, Antoine de
Bridges of Summer. Seabrook, Brenda
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Smith, Betty
Wringer. Spinelli, Jerry
Shabanu. Staples, Suzanne Fisher
Surviving the Applewhites. Tolan, Stephanie S.
The Prince and the Pauper. Twain, Mark
Jar of Dreams. Uchida, Yoshiko
Journey to Topaz. Uchida, Yoshiko
Belle Prater's Boy. White, Ruth
Bat 6. Wolff, Virginia Euwer
Dragonwings. Yep, Laurence
The Friends. Yumoto, Kazumi
Non-Fiction
Farewell to Manzanar. Houston, Jeanne Wakatsuki
Acorn People. Jones, Ron
A Night to Remember. Lord, Walter
Night. Wiesel, Elie
Books That Did Not Work!
The Man Who Was Poe. Avi
Reason: Insufficient material for a rich group discussion!
McCall/Jenks Literary Lunch Book Discussion Guide: Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Author’s website: http://www.carlhiaasen.com/faqs-hoot.html
Ashland Public Library - Kids Book Group - Grades 4 & 5
Lois McAuliffe, Ashland Public Library lmcauliffe@minlib.net
Books we have used so far:
July 8 Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klies (excellent choice for 1st book!)
July 15 Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka
July 22 From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
July 29 Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (***All the kids were aaway this week and we didn’t actually meet to discuss the book, although most of them read it – some thought it started out slowly)
August 5 The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
August 12 The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth
August 19 So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
August 26 Prince of the Pond by Donna Jo Napoli
September 23 Fourth Grade Weirdo by Martha Freeman
Oct 21 Ereth’s Birthday by Avi
November 18 Bill Peet, an Autobiography by Bill Peet
Schedule to be used in upcoming months:
December 16 Kidnap Kids by Todd Strasser
January 20 Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
February 27 My Brother Made Me Do It by Peg Kehret
March 17 Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
April 14 the Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively
So far my kids have liked all the books quite a lot. They usually ask for more books by the same author or read-alikes.
Ashland Public Library - Kids Book Group - Grades 4 & 5
We had lots of fun doing our first Kids’ Book Group this summer. The group was open to kids entering grade 4 in the fall through kids entering grade 6 in the fall. I knew I would get a range of reading abilities so I set it up with two separate groups of 4 titles (easier and more challenging), but a lit of the kids read 7 or 8 of the books. I had 9 boys and 10 girls who participated. The first week 15 kids came and then it trickled down to 6 most weeks and only 3 or 4 a couple of times. Since school has restarted, I have had 4-8 kids. I find it is easier to keep the discussions going when there are more kids attending, but we have fun even when we only have 3.
Next summer I will get everyone’s vacation/camp schedules at the beginning. We could have skipped over Gone-Away Lake, because everyone ended up being away that week (most kids read it anyway).
In looking back t the choices I made for the summer, I realize that I picked too many quiet books and too many older titles. They liked all of the books we’ve read so far, except some of the kids thought Gone-Away Lake was boring. Since we didn’t end up discussing that one, I don’t have all the reasons why they didn’t like it, but my impression is that it starts out slowly and they didn’t give it a chance. They loved The Saturdays by the same author and similar in ‘flavor.’ I think the older titles would have worked better if I had alternated them with some books with more action. Also I didn’t expect them to be reading all the books from both lists, so taken separately, they wouldn’t have been so many older titles in a row.
When planning my books for the school year, I read an article in SJL about books to keep boys interested. For the Fall group I aimed for more action and books with plenty of “boy” interest. I stay away from newer titles, as I don’t want to grab everyone’s new books, and I also stay away from really popular titles, like Frindle, that a number of my kids have already done in school or on their own. I’ve been trying to select titles that they might not have discovered yet. I have some voracious readers in my group.
We had some interesting discussions about the illustrations in the books and the cover art. All of the books this summer except one were illustrated, and we talked about how that influenced their reading of the book – whether it added to the story. Of course, Regarding the Fountain really relies on the artwork – they loved the pictures and spent a lot of tile discussing all the clever names. It was a great book to use as our first title. They had so much fun talking about it.
We had 5 different editions of So You Want To Be A Wizard and we talked about “judging a book by it’s cover” and about which cover best represented the story. All the copies of The Saturdays were really old and unappealing, and we talked about how they liked the book anyway, but that they probably wouldn’t have given it a try if I hadn’t told them they’d like it. I used The Enormous Egg because it was one of my childhood favorites, and because most kids haven’t heard of it (how can you miss with dinosaurs?).
This summer the kids had 2 weeks to read each book. During the school year they only read one book a month. I try to keep the books on the shorter side even though most of my kids like to be challenged – they all have so much homework and outside activities to contend with these days, and I don’t want Book Group to seem like homework. I have a couple of boys who think “longer is better,” and I like it when they admit that they really enjoyed the shorter books too.
I hope to add a younger group next summer. I plan to announce the titles and let the kids decide for themselves if they are at the right reading level, instead of saying “for grades 2 & 3.” I’ve also considered letting some of the younger kids have the books read to them – they can still participate in a discussion groups about the content.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or would like to share some good titles.
Lois McAuliffe, Ashland
lmcauliffe@minlib.net
Ashland Public Library - Kids Book Group - Grades 4 & 5
The Kids Book Group, for kids in grades 4-5-6, meets once a month at the Ashland Public Library. You have 4 weeks to read each book, then we meet on a Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. to talk about it. Books will be provided by the Library. If you would like to join us, stop In at the Library to pick up a copy of this month’s book. (Please bring a library card with you) 508-881-0134
Dec. 16 Kidnap Kids by Todd Strasser
Most kids wish their parents would leave them alone. Twelve-year-old Steven and his younger brother Benjy would feel that way too, if they saw their parents once in awhile. So they decide to force their extremely busy parents to actually spend some time with them. After all, you can’t get arrested for kidnapping your own parents, can you?
Jan. 20 Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
When he is shipwrecked on an island with his dog Stella, twelve-year-old Michael struggles to survive on his won. He can’t find food or water. Just when things are at their worst, Michael realizes that he and Stella are not alone. Kensuke, an elderly Japanese man, has been living on the island for over 40 years. How Michael learns to survive with the help of Kensuke makes for a suspenseful modern-day Robinson Crusoe tale.
Feb. 17 My Brother Made Me Do It by Peg Kehret
In letters to her elderly pen pal, eleven-year-old Julie describes how her younger brother is always getting into trouble, how she is dealing with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and how she struggles to compete in a fund-raising race while on crutches.
Mar. 17 Owls In The Family by Farley Mowat
This is the hilarious story of young boy names Billy who has a menagerie of pets including crows, magpies, about thirty gophers, and a dog. When two rescued owls are added to the mix, they turn the household upside down, outwit the family dog, and terrorize the entire neighborhood. Based on the author’s real life.
Apr. 14 The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively
When James Harrison and his family move into an old English cottage, strange things start to happen. Since James likes to play pranks, he gets blamed for the mischief, but James knows he’s not the one doing it! The True culprit is the ghost of a seventeenth century sorcerer who wants to make James his apprentice.
Ashland Public Library Kids Book Group – Discussion Questions
(These are questions to use when the kids run out of things they want to say – to stimulate more discussion)
For Historical Fiction, or books written over ten years ago--
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