The cost of 33 books including titles such as Skeleton Key and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants purchased from Barnes and Noble is $398, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
The most wonderful thing about reading is being able to discuss and debate ideas, characters, and conflicts with people who have read the same text. For adults, opportunities to participate in discussions with a group of readers are few and far between. But for students, book clubs can be achieved right in the English classroom! This was my goal as I began developing my Multi-Genre Book Clubs for all three of my language arts classes. (I teach Honors, Advanced and Basic students in a rural area!)
The idea started during independent reading time, when I noticed that a group of four students were reading books in the same genre. Two weeks later, I noticed that these same students had found each other, and had collaborated to read the same book at the same time! I was delighted with my students' initiative, but it made me realize that as their teacher, I have the opportunity to expand their reading conversations (and reading material!) to new heights.
And so I implemented the Multi-Genre Book clubs. I divided students into groups of three, four, and five based on their interest in books. I then provided a list with many different types of genres and book suggestions. Students were excited when they realized that every four weeks they would, as a group, select a genre, pick a book in that genre, and read it together! The book clubs met once to plan, once after two weeks to ask each other questions about the book, and once at the end of the four weeks to discuss themes, characters, and conflicts, and to attempt to identify the defining characteristics of the genre they chose.
These book clubs expose students to types of genres they don't ordinarily read and engages them in meaningful literary discourse with their peers on books they selected! In addition, the project fosters the students' love for reading!
My book clubs are severely limited, however, by the fact that the school library doesn't have four copies of every book, and my classroom library doesn't even have a good representation of books from different genres! My students are frustrated when they get excited about a book they've chosen to read, but cannot find a copy of the book! By purchasing a wider variety of books all my students can become accomplished readers, and conversationalists, in a plethora of genres!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. G. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.