Young Adult Book Clubs
in the Secondary Classroom:
An Opportunity for Collaboration
AASL National Conference
Minneapolis, MN
October 28, 2011
Cassandra Barnett
Fayetteville High School Library
cassandra.barnett@fayar.net
Book Club – Selection Process
Book Club – Selection Process
Benefits:

Students who read more minutes per day have
higher percentile scores on tests.

At all grade levels, students who reported talking
about their reading activities with family or friends
once or twice a week, or at least monthly, had
higher average reading scores than students who
reported doing so rarely or never.

Students who discuss the reading develop better
communication skills.

Students' insights and reflections, rather than
ready-to-use questions from the teacher, drive the
learning in literature circles. Students and teacher
work together to break away from the traditional
literature teaching methods. These learners also
generate their own ideas and contribute to
thoughtful conversation about what they read. This
kind of practice helps to develop thoughtful,
competent, and critical readers (Brabham &
Villaume, 2000).
Benefits:

Students who read more minutes per day have
higher percentile scores on tests.

At all grade levels, students who reported talking
about their reading activities with family or friends
once or twice a week, or at least monthly, had
higher average reading scores than students who
reported doing so rarely or never.

Students who discuss the reading develop better
communication skills.

Students' insights and reflections, rather than
ready-to-use questions from the teacher, drive the
learning in literature circles. Students and teacher
work together to break away from the traditional
literature teaching methods. These learners also
generate their own ideas and contribute to
thoughtful conversation about what they read. This
kind of practice helps to develop thoughtful,
competent, and critical readers (Brabham &
Villaume, 2000).
Reading Material Selection
The reading materials used in literature circles are
important to lively and meaningful discussions
(Farinacci, 1998). According to Brabham and Villaume
(2000), fiction is the most commonly used reading
material in literature circles, although other types of
texts, such as nonfiction, picture books, and newspaper
articles can also be used with great success. Some
authors, including Farinacci (1998) and Peralta-Nash
and Dutch (2000) have suggested the following criteria
for selecting texts to use in literature circles:

Comprehensible to students of different abilities
and interests

Reflect students' language needs and skills

Address issues/topics relevant to students' lives

Provoke students' thinking and discussion
Reading Material Selection
The reading materials used in literature circles are
important to lively and meaningful discussions
(Farinacci, 1998). According to Brabham and Villaume
(2000), fiction is the most commonly used reading
material in literature circles, although other types of
texts, such as nonfiction, picture books, and newspaper
articles can also be used with great success. Some
authors, including Farinacci (1998) and Peralta-Nash
and Dutch (2000) have suggested the following criteria
for selecting texts to use in literature circles:

Comprehensible to students of different abilities
and interests

Reflect students' language needs and skills

Address issues/topics relevant to students' lives

Provoke students' thinking and discussion
Selection Tasks:

Read about the 64 fiction/non-fiction choices (you
are not limited to these choices; however you
would need to provide the book club books if you
deviate from the list)

On the back of this sheet, write a MLA heading &
list 10 books that appeal to you and briefly state a
rationale for why a person would want to read this
piece. (considering that you might have to
convince someone at your table to read it.)

Negotiate with your book club (literature circles)
members. Select 5 books you want to read
together. Choose these books with great care.
Selection Tasks:

Read about the 64 fiction/non-fiction choices (you
are not limited to these choices; however you
would need to provide the book club books if you
deviate from the list)

On the back of this sheet, write a MLA heading &
list 10 books that appeal to you and briefly state a
rationale for why a person would want to read this
piece. (considering that you might have to
convince someone at your table to read it.)

Negotiate with your book club (literature circles)
members. Select 5 books you want to read
together. Choose these books with great care.
Preliminary Book Club
Book Selection
Table #_____ Period_____
Group Members:
_____________________________
_________________________________
_____________________________
_________________________________
_____________________________
_________________________________
Tasks:
1. Go to the library’s website and access the Lit Set Database. Choose 5 or more
titles you would like to read. Record your choices here.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2.
Discuss your personal choices with your group members.
3. Negotiate, persuade, coerce, and bribe your group members into agreeing to
examine 5 books for your table book club to consider next week.
4. Write your list of 5 books below.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Sharing thoughts about a book (or a movie)
Sharing thoughts about a book (or a movie)
Teacher Note:
While reading is generally a solitary activity, being able to
share your thoughts with someone else can elevate the whole
experience. Most of us enjoy sharing our opinion about a
book read, or movie we have seen - as listening to
conversations at the exit door of a movie theater can attest.
(Most people can't wait to talk about what they have just
experienced!)
Discussion brings out new interpretations,
opinions and a sharing of group members' past experiences
related to the topic. Additional information is often
presented. Sometimes more questions are raised than
answered, but all contribute to the expansion of our minds
(critical thinking) and forming community.
Teacher Note:
While reading is generally a solitary activity, being able to
share your thoughts with someone else can elevate the whole
experience. Most of us enjoy sharing our opinion about a
book read, or movie we have seen - as listening to
conversations at the exit door of a movie theater can attest.
(Most people can't wait to talk about what they have just
experienced!)
Discussion brings out new interpretations,
opinions and a sharing of group members' past experiences
related to the topic. Additional information is often
presented. Sometimes more questions are raised than
answered, but all contribute to the expansion of our minds
(critical thinking) and forming community.
Preparation for group discussion
TASKS:
1) Place a MLA name heading on your paper.
2) Write a MLA style bibliography for the story.
(use your model)
3) Circle 5 questions from the following list that
you wish to answer about your book.
4) Answer the five (5) questions on your paper.
(You do not need to write the question)
5) Staple this sheet to your answers.
6) Use for table discussion, and then hand in.
1. What did you enjoy about this story? (If you didn’t enjoy the
story, then write about something you didn’t enjoy)
2. Write about something you have read, a movie or TV show you
have seen or an experience you have had that is similar to
this story?
Preparation for group discussion
TASKS:
1) Place a MLA name heading on your paper.
2) Write a MLA style bibliography for the story.
(use your model)
3) Circle 5 questions from the following list that
you wish to answer about your book.
4) Answer the five (5) questions on your paper.
(You do not need to write the question)
5) Staple this sheet to your answers.
6) Use for table discussion, and then hand in.
1. What did you enjoy about this story? (If you didn’t enjoy the
story, then write about something you didn’t enjoy)
2. Write about something you have read, a movie or TV show you
have seen or an experience you have had that is similar to
this story?
3. List 2 major theme topics of this story? (abstract ideas)
3. List 2 major theme topics of this story? (abstract ideas)
4. Write what you think the author was trying to accomplish with
4. Write what you think the author was trying to accomplish with
this story?
5. Write the name of your favorite/most interesting/most
this story?
5. Write the name of your favorite/most interesting/most
intriguing character in the story. Write a brief explanation of
intriguing character in the story. Write a brief explanation of
your rationale.
your rationale.
6. Write one MLA style citation in reference to characterization
that you wish to discuss with your table.
7. Write about the type of person who you think would appreciate
this story.
6. Write one MLA style citation in reference to characterization
that you wish to discuss with your table.
7. Write about the type of person who you think would appreciate
this story.
8. Write a question that you have about the story/plot/style/etc.
8. Write a question that you have about the story/plot/style/etc.
9. Write something you would have done differently if you had
9. Write something you would have done differently if you had
been the author.
10. If this story were made into a feature film, name a celebrity
who should be cast as the protagonist.
been the author.
10. If this story were made into a feature film, name a celebrity
who should be cast as the protagonist.
Book Club
Part 1: Roles: What are the specific purposes of the roles?
The roles are designed to invite different cognitive perspectives of your book (drawing a response,
reading passage aloud, debating interpretations, connecting to one’s own life, creating a summary, tracking the
scene, focusing on words and tuning in to one character). The students practice the roles on a rotating basis
until they are internalized. Ther are four basic roles to help the students to surface and independently discuss
important topics on their won.
 Discussion Director: has the official responsibility to think up some good discussion questions, convene
& record the meeting, and solicit contributions from the other members (discussive/analytical)
 Passage Master: takes readers back to memorable, important sections of the text and reads them aloud
(oral/dramatic)
 Connector: takes everyone from the text world out into the real world where readers’ experience
connects with literature (associative)
 Illustrator: provides a graphic, nonlinguistic response to the text which often elicits very helpful
contributions from kids who don’t always succeed at the usual school-language prompts
(graphic/artistic)
Part 2: Talking About Books
A: Questions:
Create your own list or select questions listed below
B: Discussion Responses with Elaboration:
Use the questions as a guide to make a statement. For example, if your question asks who your favorite
character is and why, your statement might be, "My favorite character is Lilly because she is so strong." You
will use your statement as part of an elaboration where you provide evidence that Lilly is strong and is worthy
of being your favorite character. Use details (passages) from your book to support your answer.
1. Is the main character similar to a character you found in another book? What are the similarities?
2. Are there any connections between this book and your own life?
3. Would you like to acquire a personality trait of a particular character? What is the trait and why do you like
it?
4. What clues did the author use to help you predict what was going to happen later?
5. What makes you wonder in this book?
6. Is there an idea that makes you stop and think or prompts questions? Identify the idea and explain your
responses.
7. If your book took place in a different setting, how would that change the story? Why?
8. What are your favorite lines or quotes? Why are they particularly significant?
9. How have you changed after reading this book?
10. What do you know now that you didn't know before?
11. What questions about this book would you like answered?
12. Would you like to read more books by this author? Why?
13. What do you predict will happen next in your book? Why? 1
14. What character do you like least? Why?
15. What character do you like best? Why?
16. What incident or conflict does the author use to begin the story? Why do you think the author chose this
beginning?
17. How does the author create suspense?
18. If you could change the ending of the book, what would you do? Why?
19. Did the book end the way you thought it would? What clues did the author give you that made you think
that? Did you think these clues were important when you read them?
20. Did any characters change during the course of the book? How did they change? What forces caused this
change?
21. What is the mood or tone of the book? How does the author create that mood?
22. Does this book seem similar to any other book you have read? In what ways are the two books similar?
23. What were your feelings after reading the first few pages of the book?
24. What other important characters are there in the book besides the main character(s)? How are they important
to the plot?
25. What clues did the author use to help you predict what was going to happen later?
26. What character would you like to be in this book? Why?
27. What do you think of a particular character's actions? Are they right or wrong? Why?
28. What confuses you in this book? Why?
29. What were some of the events that created conflict in your book? What made these things happen? Why?
30. What is the most important part of the book? Why?
31. What advice would you give a particular character? Why?
32. If you could introduce a character from your book to your family, who would it be? Why?
33. Which character would you be ashamed to introduce to your family? Why?
34. Do you think the author is asking you to judge one of the characters? Why?
35. Do you think the author is asking you to cheer on one of the characters? Why?
36. Do you think the author is asking you to believe things in the book exist when we know they do not? Why
and How?
37. Do you think the author wants us to hope that two characters will become romantically involved? Why
38. What is/are the author’s message(s)/theme(s)?
Bloom's Taxonomy Book Review Questions
KNOWLEDGE: 1 point each
1. Make a list of facts you learned from the story
2. List the characters and describe them
3. List five new words you learned in the book. Write down their dictionary pronunciation and meaning.
4. If your book was a mystery, tell what the mystery was and how it was solved
5. List ten good words from the book. Put them into a word search
6. What problems does one of the characters have, and how does he or she solve it?
7. Where did the story take place?
8. List the places mentioned in the book.
9. What other books has this author written?
10. What is the time period in which the book happens?
COMPREHENSION: 2 points each
11. What was the problem in the book, and how was it solved?
12. Did anyone in the book do something you did not like? Why?
13. What kind of book is this? List three evidences of this
14. What was the author's purpose or purposes in writing this book?
15.If you could continue the story, what events would you include? Why?
16. List the five major events in the story in the correct order.
17. Tell in your own words the beginning of the book
18. Describe what is happening in the first illustration in the book
19. How did the main character feel during the book? Give evidences of this.
20. What did the title have to do with the book?
21. Tell in your own words how the setting of the story made it more interesting.
APPLICATION : 3 points each
23. Did this book remind you of anything that has happened to you? What? Why?
24. Did this book give you any new ideas about yourself? Why?
25. What would the main character be likely to do if s/he visited out classroom?
26. If you were in a problem situation like one in the book, how would you have acted? Be sure to tell what the situation is.
27. What lesson did you learn from the story?
28. Tell about a time something similar to what happened in the story happened to you or to someone you know.
29. Write a letter to a friend recommending this book.
30.Pretend you are one of the characters in the book. Write a diary about the happenings in your life for two consecutive days.
31.List the places in the book that are important. Then make up a map including these places as you imagine they may look. It may be
a city map or a country map or any other kind of map.
32. What changes would have to be made if the book occurred 200 years ago?
ANALYSIS : 4 points each
33.If your story happened in a foreign land, compare that land to the United States.
34.If your story occurred long ago, compare that time with today in a good paragraph. If it was a modern story, compare it with a long
time ago and tell what would be different
35.Pick one of the main characters. Think of a shape that fits that person's traits. Draw the shape. Then describe the character inside
the shape
36. Decide which parts of the book include the five W's (who, what, when, where, why) and the H (how). Then write a good paragraph
for a newspaper article including these facts.
37.Write a different ending to the book. Tell why you changed it.
38. Tell five ways the main character is like you
39. Find one word that describes a character in your book very well. Give five reasons for your choice of words.
40.In a good paragraph, state the main idea of the book.
41. Compare this book with the last book you read.
42.Compare two of the characters in this book.
SYNTHESIS : 5 points each
43.What part would you change in the story, and why?
44.Using information from the book about one of the main characters, rewrote the ending of the book.
45. Write another short story using the same characters.
46. Name one character. Rewrite the story from this character's point of view.
47.Write a poem about this book.
48. Organize this book into three or more sections and give your own subtitle for each section.
49.Design a poster for this book.
50.Pretend you are a librarian recommending this book to someone. Write a paragraph telling what you would say.
51. Make an eight section comic strip with captions showing the main events of the story
52. Make a radio announcement t advertise the book. Write it out.
53. Prepare a book jacket that illustrates the kind of book as well as the story
54.Design costumes for the characters
55. The climax of any book or story is the exciting or interesting part. Tell what you think is the climax of the book and why.
56. Choose an interesting character from your book. Think of what his/her dislikes are; then think of a gift you would like to give
him/her. Design a greeting card to go along with the gift in which you explain why you gave that gift.
57.Identify one problem in the book and give an alternate solution one not given by the author.
EVALUATION : 6 points each
58. Who do you think the author intended to read this book and why?
59. If you could only save one character from the book in the event of a disaster, which one would it be and why?
60. Is the title a good one or a poor one and why?
61. Did you like the way the story ended? Why or why not?
62. Which character in the book would you choose for a friend? Why?
63. What did you think was the most interesting part of the book? Why?
64. Tell about the most exciting part of the book. being sure to give at least three reasons why
Book Club Selection Critique
Title________________________________
Author_________________________________
BOOK CLUB Members:
Teacher Note: There are many different styles of critiquing. The checklist and questions presented here are offered as
food for thought, not as a strict set of rules.
Tasks:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Place a MLA style name heading on this page
As a group, read and respond to the questions in the margins.
Individually:
Place a MLA style heading on paper
Write substantive, elaborative statement about each of the 11(A-L) fiction topics that give a future reader insight
into your critique of the book.
6) Hand in group critique and individual 11critical statements.
Things to Look for in Fiction
Note: Refer to literary terms definitions if needed.
a. Opening/the hook
Do the first few sentences or paragraphs of the story grab your attention? Do they present the protagonist's main problem?
Remember how you judge a book or story when you first see it in a bookstore. Don't we often base our decision to buy or
not buy upon those first few sentences? Did this author grab your attention fast enough?
b. Conflict
1. By conflict, I do not mean lots of slam-bam action. Conflict is "The mental or moral struggle caused by incompatible
desires and aims. That is the kind of conflict that makes stories vitally alive.
2. Is there emotional conflict WITHIN the main character? Between the main characters? Emotional conflict is part of
what gets readers interested. For example: love vs. loyalty; greed vs. duty; fear vs. desire; revenge vs. self-doubt.
3. Are there too many or not enough conflicts?
"The writer's job is to be a troublemaker! Stir up as many levels of conflict and problems for your protagonist (hero) as
you can. Let one set of problems grow out of another. And never, never, never solve a problem until you've raised at least
two more. It is the unsolved problems that form the chain of promises that keeps the reader interested." - Ben Bova. Until
the end, of course, when all the conflicts should be resolved.
4. Is there enough conflict between the characters? Is it expressed through action, dialogue, attitudes, or values? Were the
characters sufficiently contrasted? Or did they seem to be totally satisfied with their roles? Did they have the potential to
transform each other?
c. Plot
1. Was the main plot clear and believable?
2. Did the main character have a clearly defined problem to solve? Did you feel by the end of the piece that this problem
was solved or did the character become resolved to live with it?
3. Were you able to determine the time and place of the story quickly enough?
4. Did the story start at the right place? Did it end at the right place in the plot?
5. Are there scenes which do not seem to further the plot?
6. Were there too many flashbacks, which broke your attention?
7. If the piece was a short story, were there too many subplots? If the piece was a novel, could it be improved by more
attention to the subplots or have more subplots? Conversely, does it have too many subplots and you got confused about
what was happening?
8. Was every subplot useful? Did it add to the overall story or did the author seem to stick it in just for complexity?
9. Pacing: Did the plot/subplots move fast enough to keep the reader's attention?
10. Resolution of conflict: Did the conflict and tension in the plots and subplots come to some reasonable ending? Or did
the author leave us hanging, wondering what happened? When you finished, were there things that you still felt needed to
be explained? If the author did leave some conflict unresolved, did they indicate somewhere that future stories are
pending?
d. Setting
1. Is there enough description of the background in the story to paint a picture that seems real enough for the reader? Did
you feel that you were transported to 'that time or place'?
2. Was there too much description so modern readers might tend to become bored? Was the description written with
clichés?
3. Did the author use good enough names for people, places, and things? Names help set the tone for a story. Where some
names of people hard to keep track of? Did some names seem inconsistent with the character? Were the names too
stereotypical?
"The reader would have a tough time imagining a two-fisted hero named Elmer Small, but James Retief comes
across just fine as a hero in Keith Laumer's stories. Similarly, Bubbles La Toure is hardly the name of a saintly
nun, whereas Modesty Blaise is a sexy and intriguing name for a female counterpart of James Bond." - Ben Bova.
4. Did the author convince you that people in that time or place would behave that way?
5. Is the timing and order of events in the story consistent? For example, did John drive his new car on his vacation in
chapter six but it wasn't until chapter ten that he bought it?
e. Characterization
1. Did the people seem real? Or were the main characters stereotypes or one-dimensional cardboard characters?
2. Were the facts about the characters accurate and consistent?
"It's very important in building characters to make sure your 'facts' are accurate and consistent. If you mention in
chapter two that your sister's birth sign is Leo, and then in chapter twelve, you have her celebrating her birthday
during a snowfall (unless she lives at the north pole [or in the southern hemisphere]), credibility will be lost. Even
if the reader doesn't key in on exactly 'what' is wrong with the picture, he/she will have a disquieting sense that
'something' is." - Debra Littlejohn Shinder
3. People do not exist in a vacuum. They have family, friends, a job, worries, ambitions, etc. Did you get a sense of
enough of these, but not too much, for the main characters?
4. Did you get a good picture of the culture, historical period, location, and occupation of the main character?
5. Did you get enough of a sense of paradoxes within the character? Enough of their emotions, attitudes, values?
6. Back story: Were you distracted by too much background information of a character at one time? Did the author seem
to dump a lot of information on the background of a character in one or two long speeches, or did we learn about that
character here and there in smaller pieces?
7. Did the protagonist undergo some change in the story?
8. Could the story have been improved by adding more details of the protagonist's or another character's reputation;
stereotyped beliefs; their network of relations to other people; habits and patterns; talents and abilities; tastes and
preferences; or physical description of their body?
9. Does each chapter/page have enough sensory description? Can the reader easily sense what is happening physically
to the main character? Were there enough words of sight, sound, touch, smell, or taste?
10. If the story used a person as the antagonist (villain), did they seem real too? Or did they seem so evil or one-sided that
they were more like ideal villains? Did they have some redeeming qualities too? Did the villain seem to be a hero in their
own mind?
11. Every reader has their own taste in how much characterization they like. Did this story have too little or too much
characterization for you?
f. Dialogue
1. Did the words from the mouths of the people in the story seem consistent with their personalities?
2. Was there too much or not enough dialogue, in your opinion? Usually writers err on the side of not enough dialogue.
3. Did any character tend to talk in long monologues?
4. Were you able to sense the conflict, attitudes, and intentions of each character in their dialogue without the author
telling you of these directly?
5. Were you able to detect any exchange of power that is sexual, physical, political, or social?
6. Did the dialogue seem easy to speak? Can you 'hear' it? If it sounds unusual, you might suggest that the writer try
reading it aloud.
7. Does the dialogue seem TOO MUCH like normal speech, with too many incomplete sentences, pauses, restarts,
profanity, cliches, etc. that it was distracting?
8. Did the author use dialect that was too heavy, making it difficult to read?
9. Does each character have their own speech rhythm, accent (if necessary), vocabulary, and even length of sentences?
10. In an exchange of conversation, can you easily tell who is speaking if you didn't have their names or gender attached
to their sentences?
g. Point of View
1. Was a given chapter or section written from one person's point of view? Are there too many points of view in the story?
2. Did the story skip around between the first person or third person point of view (POV)? Were the changes in POV
signaled clearly? There is nothing inherently wrong in changing POV, as long as it is not done too often.
3. If the story was written in the third person POV, as most stories are, did the story stick with the omniscient (all
knowing) POV, use a limited POV (where we don't know everyone's motives except by clues from their words or
actions), or did the author mix the two? Did the author's choice seem right to you?
4. "The key point is to get the reader to engage in a contract in which the writer offers: 'I'm not going to show you
everything in the character's head because that would spoil the story for you. Instead, I will reveal things as we go along
but I promise that I won't cheat.'" - Trevor Lawrence
5. When the POV changed, were you able to quickly sense who the new viewpoint was from?
h. Show versus tell
1. When in the POV of a character, did the author describe what his/her senses showed, e.g., sight, sound, smell, touch,
taste? Or did the author just tell you the dinner was very good?
2. Did the author describe exactly how the people acted?
3. Was there too much abstract language where specific details would have made a greater impact on the reader?
4. Were there many instances of words like "very", "much", "really", "great", or "nice" when a more detailed description
would have been more colorful?
5. Did we get the chance to interpret what the characters were feeling or did the author just tell us directly? For example, I
once wrote: "Two weeks later, after more hours than he cared to remember, Jet felt very, very tired" and let it go at that
and missed the opportunity to describe his fatigue instead.
i. Format of the text
1. Was it easy to read or were the paragraphs too long or the lines too long (not enough margin)?
2. Would it help to put blank lines between paragraphs? If the piece is to be read on a computer monitor, adding a blank
line between paragraphs will make it much easier for your critics to read. Note: when you submit the final version to print
publishers, it is best to adhere to their manuscript format (no blank lines between paragraphs).
j. Grammar and spelling
1. Was the English readable? Were there too many grammatical errors, misuse of punctuation, run-on sentences, etc.?
2. Did you point out any typos or misspelling? How many times have you missed that in your writing because you
passed over it without seeing it? Were there so many such errors that they made reading the piece difficult for you?
3 Did the author use too many exclamation points (one of my weaknesses)?
4. Were there any clichés in the narrative? For example, I once wrote "fruits of mother nature" and "thoughts burning in
his mind", both of which are clichés. In dialogue clichés are okay if the character would speak that way.
5. Did the author use melodrama? For instance, I once wrote: "With tears in her eyes and barely able to speak, the head
nurse dialed the Chief of Staff. There would be a lot of crying tonight." Can't you just hear the violins in the background?
k. Style
Comment on the style the story was written in, e.g., humorous, wordy, sparse, literary, homespun, technical, etc.
Book of the Month One-Pager
Name:
Title:
Author:
Date started/date completed:
Pages read:
Rating of book (1-10):
Briefly summarize the book (use the back side if necessary):
Author’s purpose:
Intended audience(s):
Academic honesty: By singing below, I am indicating that the information on this page is accurate.
One-Pager Questions
1. Describe the character/person that changed the most from the beginning of the book to the end of the
book. Explain the change and what caused it.
2. Describe a minor character/person in the book that had a major importance. Explain.
3. Explain in detail why you gave this book the rating score that you did.
4. Evaluate the ending of the book. Considering how the book unfolded, is it an effective ending? Why?
Why not?
5. If this book had gone one more chapter, what would have happened? Explain.
6. Describe an external conflict in this book.
7. Describe an internal conflict in this book.
Fayetteville High School YA Book Club Reading Lists
2001-2002
Anderson, Laurie Halse Speak
Fleischman, Paul Whirligig
Porter, Connie Imani All Mine
Sachar, Louis Holes
Watson, Lawrence Montana 1948
2002-2003
Chevalier, Tracy Girl With a Pearl Earring
Lynch, Chris Freewill
Na, An A Step From Heaven
Spinelli, Jerry Stargirl
Wolff, Virginia Euwer True Believer
2003-2004
Achebe, Chinua Girls at War and Other Stories
Chbosky, Stephen Perks of Being a Wallflower
Conway, Jill Road from Coorian
Pelzer, David Child Called It
Oates, Joyce Carol Oates Big Mouth and Ugly Girl
Spiegelman, Art MausII (Reader’s Choice)
2004-2005
Dunn, Mark Ella Minnow Pea
Johnson, Angela First Part Last
Rennison, Louise Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging
Runyon, Brent Burn Journals
Smith, Jeff Rose
2005-2006
Halpin, Brent Donorboy
Mah, Adeline Yen Chinese Cinderella
Picoult, Joni My Sister’s Keeper
Rosoff, Meg How I Live Now
Sanchez, Alex Rainbow Boys
2006-2007
McBride, James Miracle at Saint Anna
Nelson, Peter Left for Dead
Trueman, Terry Stuck in Neutral
Westerfeld, Scott Uglies
Darnton, John Darwin Conspiracy
Green, John Looking for Alaska
2007-2008
Crutcher, Chris Whale Talk
D’Orso, Michael Eagle Blue
Giles, Gail Shattering Glass
Marks, Graham Zoo
Portman, Frank King Dork
Smelcer, John E. Trap
2009-2010
Carr, Pat If We Must Die: a Novel of Tulsa’s 1928 Greenwood
Riot
Draper, Sharon Fire From the Rock
Fletcher, Christine Ten Cents a Dance
Holub, Josef An Innocent Soldier
Kidd, Ronald Monkey Town
Sheth, Kashmira Keeping Corner
2010-2011
Aston, Elizabeth Mr. Darcy’s Daughters
Chabon, Michael The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and
Clay
Gallagher, Kelly Readicide
Grossman, Lev The Magicians
Kline, Lisa Lady Macbeth’s Daughter
Lewis, C.S. Till We Have Faces
Yolen, Jane Briar Rose
2011-2012
Anderson, M.T. Feed
Benioff, David City of Thieves
Tovani, Chris Do I Really Have to Teach Reading
Whitney, Daisy Mockingbirds
Reader’s Choice book sharing
TBD
Fairy Tale Bundles
Flavored fairy tales are in-depth novels or short stories derived from the age-old tales.
They build on the traditional story by developing the characters, providing more
information through plot, and using literary devices such as irony, humor, parody,
sarcasm and melodrama.
Why should we study fairy tales?

Often alluded to in life and in literature

An opportunity to examine ways in which stories have evolved from oral tradition
to the present

Contain themes that confront humans today: temptations, overcoming
insurmountable odds, facing evil, etc.

Explore various cultures
Be prepared to discuss your 3 stories using the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What traditional fairy tale do your stories represent?
Traditional fairy tale characters are stereotypes. How did your stories address this
issue?
Fairy tales focus on a particular theme such as greed, deceit, envy, and gluttony.
What human behaviors are central to your stories?
What cultural and historical aspects are revealed in your stories?
How would you use these stories in your classroom?
Fairy Tale Book Bundles
Flavored*
Fractured**
Bell, Hilari – Trickster’s Girl
(Raven)
Goble, Paul – Iktomi and the
Berries: a Plains Indian Story
Bunce, Elizabeth C. – A Curse
Dark as Gold
(Rumpelstiltskin)
Lansky, Bruce –
“Rumpelstiltskin, Private
Eye”, Newfangled Fairy Tales,
Book 2
Spiegalman & Mouly “Sleeping Beauty”, Little Lit:
Folklore & Fairy Tale Funnies
French, Fiona – Snow White in
New York
Card, Orson Scott – Enchantment
(Sleeping Beauty)
Harrison, Mette Ivie – Mira,
Mirror
(Snow White)
Kantor, Melissa – If I Have a
Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My
Prince?
(Cinderella)
Levine, Gail Carson – Ella
Enchanted
(Cinderella)
Levine, Gail Carson – Fairest
(Snow White)
Lickiss, Rebecca – Never After
(Rumpelstiltskin)
Maguire, Gregory – Confessions
of an Ugly Stepsister
(Cinderella)
Maguire, Gregory – Mirror,
Mirror
(Snow White)
Mahfouz, Naguib – Arabian
Nights and Days
(Arabian Nights)
McKinley, Robin – Beauty
(Beauty & the Beast)
Short Story or
Picture Book
McDermott, Gerald – Raven: a
Trickster Tale form the Pacific
Northwest
Zelinsky, Paul O. Rumpelstiltskin
Mayer, Mercer – Baba Yaga &
Vasilisa the Brave
Heins, Paul – Snow White by the
Brothers Grimm
Ketteman, Helen – Bubba the
Cowboy Prince: a Fractured
Texas Tale
Filani-Williams, Fawzia –
Cinderella: an Islamic Tale
James, Keen – “Prinderella and
the Since”, Stoopnagle’s Tale
is Twisted: Spoonerisms Run
Amok
Scieszka, Jon –
“Cinderumpelstiltskin”, The
Stinky Cheese Man and Other
Fairly Stupid Tales
Moser, Barry – Tucker
Pfeffercorn
Cole, Babette – Prince Cinders
Martin, Rafe – Rough Faced Girl
Garner, James Finn – “Snow
White”, Politically Correct
Bedtime Stories
Tzannes, Robin – Sanji and the
Baker
Galloway, Priscilla – “A Taste for
Beauty”, Truly Grim Tales
Jacobs, A.J. – “Cutie and the
Beast: a Fractured Fairly Tale”
as seen on The Adventures of
Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
Brett, Jan – Beauty and the Beast
Block, Francesca Lia – “Snow”,
The Rose and the Beast
Galloway, Priscilla – “The
Name”, Truly Grim Tales
Galloway, Priscilla – “The
Prince”, Truly Grim Tales
Kimmel, Eric – Tale of Ali Baba
and the 40 Thieves
McKinley, Robin – Deerskin
(Donkeyskin)
McKinley, Robin – Rose
Daughter
(Beauty & the Beast)
McKinley, Robin – Spindles’s
End
(Sleeping Beauty)
Moore, John – the Unhandsome
Prince
(Frog Prince)
Napoli, Donna Jo – Bound
(Cinderella)
Napoli, Donna Jo – Breath
(Pied Piper)
Patton, Edith – East
(East of the Sun, West of the
Moon)
Pratchett, Terry – Amazing
Maurice and His Educated Rats
(Pied Piper)
Shusterman, Neal – Duckling
Ugly
(Dark Fusion series)
(Ugly Duckling)
Shusterman, Neal – Red Rider’s
Hood
(Dark Fusion series)
(Red Riding Hood)
Slade, Arthur – Dust
(Pied Piper)
Yen Mah, Adeline – Chinese
Cinderella
(Cinderella)
Yolen, Jane – Briar Rose
(Sleeping Beauty)
Huck, Charlotte – Princess
Furball
Jacobs, A.J. – “Cutie and the
Beast: a Fractured Fairly Tale”
as seen on The Adventures of
Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
Minters, Frances – Sleepless
Beauty
Perrault, Charles - Donkeyskin
Schieszka, Jon – The Frog
Prince Continued
Lewis, J. Patrick – The Frog
Princess: a Russian Folktale
Garner, James Finn –
“Cinderella”, Politically
Correct Bedtime Stories
Garner, James Finn – “Pied
Piper of Hamelin”, Politically
Correct Bedtime Stories
Monk, Devon – Toll Keeper
Climo, Shirley - Persian
Cinderella
James, Keen – “The Pied
Hyper of Pamelin”,
Stoopnagle’s Tale is Twisted:
Spoonerisms Run Amok
Scieszka, Jon – “The Really
Ugly Duckling”, The Stinky
Cheese Man and Other Fairly
Stupid Tales
Lansky, Bruce – “Red Riding
Hood and the Scrawny Little
Wolf”, Newfangled Fairy
Tales, Book 2
Garner – “The Pied Piper of
Hamelin”, Politically Correct
Bedtime Stories
Schroeder, Alan – Smokey
Mountain Rose
Storr, Catherine – Pied Piper
Yolen, Jane – Sleeping Ugly
Hyman, Trina Shart – Sleeping
Beauty
Block, Francesca Lia – “Beast”,
The Rose and the Beast
Block, Francesca Lia – “Charm”,
The Rose and the Beast
Mayer, Mercer – Pied Piper of
Hamelin
Mayer, Mercer – East of the Sun,
West of the Moon
Andersen, Hans Christian, adapted
by Jerry Pinkney – The Ugly
Duckling
Marcantonio, Patricia Santos –
“Red Riding in the Hood”, Red
Riding in the Hood and Other
Cuentos
Bartos-Hoppner, Barbara – Pied
Piper
Ai-Ling, Louie – Yeh Shen
Metafiction
2010-2011
This year’s book club selections are examples of metafiction. If you’re not familiar with the
term, it’s basically fiction that examines fiction in some way. You might call it self-conscious
fiction. The term has been applied to many different approaches to fiction, including by not
limited to















A novel in which a writer is writing a story (The World According to Garp)
A novel in which a reader is reading a novel (The Princess Bride, in which the majority
of the story is a book being read to a young boy)
A novel in which the author, not merely the narrator, is a character (Life of Pi)
A work in which the narrator intentionally reveals self as author (The Brief Life on Oscar
Wao)
A novel in which the author of another work is a character (The Mystery Box, in which
Carolyn Keene and Frank Dixon solve a mystery in 1920s Paris)
A work which is a prop within another work (JK Rowling’s Beedle the Bard, which is a
book of childhood tales in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
A work which is a prop within itself (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
A work with another literary work within it (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and
Clay)
A work in which characters step into another fictional world (The Magicians)
A novel inhabited by literary figures from another work (The Scarlett Letterman, in
which a teen boarding school babe falls for Heathcliff)
A work in which narrative footnotes continue the story (An Abundance of Katherines
A nonlinear work, which can be read in an order other than from beginning to end (Only
Revolutions, which has two stories that share the page and can be read beginning at either
end of the book)
A work that extends the storyline and/or character development of another work (Just
Ella, which extends the storyline of the Cinderella story)
A parallel work that uses the same characters and setting, but tells the story from a
different perspective (The Wind Done Gone tells Gone with the Wind from the
perspective of Scarlett’s slave half-sister)
A supernatural overlay of a well-known work (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)
Know Your Sci-Fi SubGenres
Bio-punk:
Cyberpunk:
Steampunk:
Dystopian:
Postapocalyptic:
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress – What if you never needed to sleep?
XVI by Julia Karr – Girls get a government-issued tattoo on their 16th birthday,
ostensibly to keep them safe.
Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson -- Are you still yourself if your
brain is placed in an artificial body?
Makers by Cory Doctorow – What happens to America when two geeks working
from a garage invent easy 3D printing, a cure for obesity, and crowd-sourced
theme parks? Lawsuits against Disney are only the beginning in this novel of the
booms, busts, and further booms in store for America in the age of open source
and its hero/hacker culture.
Brain Jack – In a near-future NYC, 14-year-old computer genius Sam manages
to hack into the AT&T network and sets off a chain of events that have a
profound effect on human activity throughout the world.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld -- In an alternate 1914 Europe, 15-year-old
Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to
take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with
Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly
genetically-engineered beasts.
Soulless by Gail Carrigen – A comedy of errors set in Victorian London, full of
vampires, werewolves, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.
Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge -- In an alternate 1950s, mechanically gifted 15year-old Aoife Grayson, whose family has a history of going mad at sixteen, must
leave the totalitarian city of Lovecraft and venture into the world of magic to
solve the mystery of her brother's disappearance and the mysteries surrounding
her father and the Land of Thorn.
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -- In a future North America, where the rulers
maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young
people against one another to the death, 16-year-old Katniss’s skills are put to the
test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place.
Matched by Ally Condie -- All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The
Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live,
what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17,
who to marry. When she is Matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn't
be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky's face show up on her match disk
as well?
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. To free herself from an upcoming arranged
marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison
with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer
scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds
a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should
strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl
Exodus by Julie Bertagna. Less than a hundred years from now, the world as we
know it no longer exists. On an isolated northern island, the people of Wing are
trying to hold onto their way of life—even as the sea continues to claim precious
acres and threatens to claim their very lives. Cities have disappeared beneath the
sea, technology no longer functions, and human civilization has reverted to a
much more primitive state. Fifteen-year-old Mara discovers the existence of New
World sky cities that are safe from the storms and rising waters, and convinces
her people to travel to one of these cities in order to save themselves.
Planetary Romance: Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Pursued by power-hungry Prentiss
and mad minister Aaron, young Todd and Viola set out across New World
searching for answers about his colony's true past and seeking a way to warn the
ship bringing hopeful settlers from Old World.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis. Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as
frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new
planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her
frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be
thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of
murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship
and the love she could never have seen coming.
The Supernatural
Vampires:
Werewolves:
Zombies:
Fallen Angels:
Demons:
iDracula by Bekka Black. An updated version of Dracula told through a series
of text messages, instant messages, e-mails, and Web browser images. 18-yearold Jonathan contracts a rare blood disorder after meeting mysterious Count in
Romania. His girlfriend Mina and pre-med student Abraham Van Helsing
investigate the source of the disease, learning that the Count is a vampire.
The Radleys by Matt Haig. English village doctor Peter Radley endeavors to hide
his family's vampire nature – even from his two teenagers -- until his daughter's
violent reaction to a vegan diet reveals the truth, an event complicated by the
arrival of a practicing vampire family member.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. In all the years she has watched the wolves in the
woods behind her house, Grace has been particularly drawn to an unusual yelloweyed wolf who, in his turn, has been watching her with increasing intensity.
World War Z by Max Brooks. An account of the decade-long conflict between
humankind and hordes of the undead is told from the perspective of dozens of
survivors who describe in their own words the epic human battle for survival.
I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer. Living in the post-human era
when the undead are part of everyday life, high schooler Alley breaks her nodating rule when Doug catches her eye, but classmate Will demands to turn her
into a vampire and her zombie boyfriend may be unable to stop him.
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and
border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken
civilization, 15-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in
his older brother's footsteps and become a bounty hunter.
Fallen by Lauren Kate. Suspected in the death of her boyfriend, 17-year-old
Luce is sent to a Georgia reform school where she meets two intriguing boys and
learns the truth about the strange shadows that have always haunted her.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. High school sophomore Nora has always been
very cautious in her relationships, but when Patch, who has a dark side she can
sense, enrolls at her school, she is mysteriously and strongly drawn to him,
despite warnings from her best friend, the school counselor, and her own instincts.
Demon Chick by Marilyn Kaye. Sixteen-year-old Jessica discovers that her
mother, a charismatic presidential candidate, sold Jessica's soul to the devil in
exchange for political power.
Faeries:
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia. In this southern gothic set a small South
Carolina town, 16-year-old Ethan is powerfully drawn to Lena, a new classmate
with whom he shares a psychic connection and whose family hides a dark secret
that may be revealed on her sixteenth birthday.
Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins. A fallen angel, tired of being unappreciated while
doing his pointless, demeaning job, leaves Hell, enters the body of a 17-year-old
boy, and tries to experience the full range of human feelings before being caught
and punished, while the boy's family and friends puzzle over his changed
behavior.
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. When a dark prophecy begins to come true,
16-year-old Evie of the International Paranormal Containment Agency must not
only try to stop it, she must also uncover its connection to herself and the alluring
shapeshifter, Lend.
Tithe by Holly Black. After returning home from a tour with her mother's rock
band, 16-year-old Kaye, who has been visited by faeries since childhood,
discovers that she herself is a magical faerie creature with a special destiny.
Recommended Titles
Bilz, Rachelle L. Life is Tough: Guys, Growing Up, and Young Adult Literature. Lanham, MD:
Scarecrow Press, Inc, 2004. Print.
Carlsen, G. Robert, and Anne Sherrill. Voices of Readers: How We Come to Love Books. Urbana, IL:
National Council of Teachers of English, 1988. Print.
Cavanaugh, Terence. Literature Circles through Technology. Worthington, OH: Linworth Books, 2006.
Print.
Edwards, Margaret A. The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts. revised ed. New York: Hawthorn
Books, Inc, 1974. Print.
Gallagher, Kelly. Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It. Portland,
ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2009. Print.
Gallagher, Kelly. Reading Reasons: Motivational Mini-Lessons for Middle and High School. Portland,
ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2003. Print.
Gallo, Donald. “How Classics Create an Aliterate Society.” English Journal. January 2001: 33-39. Print.
Herz, Sarah K., and Donald R. Gallo. From Hinton to Hamlet: Building Bridges Between Young Adult
Literature and the Classics. 2nd ed. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, Inc, 2005. Print.
Hogan, Walter. Humor in Young Adult Literature: a Time to Laugh. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc,
2005. Print.
Krashen, Stephen D. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. 2nd ed. New York: Paw Prints,
2008. Print.
Miller, Donalyn. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child. San Francisco: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2009. Print.
Moeller, Victor J., and Marc V. Moeller. Socratic Seminars and Literature circles for Middle and High
School English. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education, Inc, 2002. Print.
Trelease, Jim. The Read-Aloud Handbook. 6th ed. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
Welch, Rollie J. The Guy-Friendly YA Library: Serving Male Teens. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited,
Inc, 2007. Print.