Want some inside information? Teachers often get their best tips from fellow teachers. The Teacher Forum allows you to pose questions to other teachers or share ideas that have worked well in your classroom. Scroll down this page to read messages posted by your fellow teachers, or click on the Write button to add your own message.

From:	Joren Erickson
Subject:	Looking for free resources
Date:	Thursday, November 13, 2003
I am a student teacher and I an VERY interested in learning more about book clubs and literature circles. In the near future I would like to try to set up a book club of my own for my class. I need as many resources as I can get my hands on. Thanks in advance!
From:	bonnie
Subject:	lesson plans
Date:	Monday, October 27, 2003
Need a fun lesson plan for esperaza rising
From:	rischaj
Subject:	high school reading club
Date:	Wednesday, October 22, 2003
I am one of three sponsors of our high school reading club. i am looking for some fun and interesting activities to do in our book club. This is an after school club, so while we are focusing on improving our students' reading levels, we do not want the environment to feel overly "academic". Our club members generally read different books, then switch with each other. They actually like not reading the same book at the same time. Nonetheless, I would like to see some discussion and analyzation of the books read. Pleae email me if you have any ideas about how to better our reading club. Thanks, Rischa
From:	joe coghill
Subject:	reading
Date:	Wednesday, October 15, 2003
I need a study guide/novle tie for the book "Because of Winn Dixie" Anyone know where I could get one? From: Lloyd at Small Planet Hi Joe! Thanks for writing! I didn't find any study guides for "Because of Winn Dixie", but I did locate a collection of related links here.
From:	Carol Donaldson
Subject:	dewey classification
Date:	Monday, September 29, 2003
Hi- I am adding your book Book Club for Midlle School to our collection and I'm not sure how to classify it. I can't find it on ALIS. Would it be 367? Thank you
From:	Jewell Hodson
Subject:	J. K. Rowling
Date:	Monday, September 15, 2003
My class is reading the fifth Harry potter Book and would like to write letters to the author. Is there somewhere I can go to find a physical address so that we can incorperate this into letter writing? Thank You, Jewell From: Lloyd at Small Planet Hi! Thanks for writing! Our research suggests that the author does not have a public email address. We did find two official mailing addresses if that is helpful. JK Rowling c/o Bloomsbury Publishing Place 38 Soho Square London W1V 5DF England JK Rowling c/o Scholastic Books 555 Broadway New York, NY 10012 USA
From:	Fran
Subject:	BEAUTY
Date:	Friday, September 12, 2003
I am a first year America Choice teacher in a seventh grade English class. For any of you who are not familiar with America Choice, it is a structured program momth by month. In January-February we will be doing Beauty. Modern Fairy Tales will be studied and students will read both traditional, and non-traditional, modern and classic fairy tales. The two months will conclude with a modern fairy tale created and written by each student. I could use any lesson plans, websites with lesson plans, books that I could find at the public library and suggestions by seasoned America Choice teachers. Help!! and thanks. Fran
From:	Fran
Subject:	WANTED by Caroline B. Cooney
Date:	Friday, September 12, 2003
HELP!! I am a first year America Choice teacher. I teach seventh grade English and must follow a structured schedule. October and November we will read WANTED by Caroline B. Cooney. We begin a Mystery Genre Study with classroom converstation. With this book we will explore structure and techniques of mystery. I have to have the kids work on their own mystery which begins as a small-group and ends with an individual project. Any help with lesson plans, web sites, additional mystery books which the kids must read after WANTED an instructional materials that I can get at the library. I must follow up WANTED with FINGERPRINTS AND TALKING BONES by Charlotte Foltz Jones in December. Help, help, help. Fran
From:	quintara
Subject:	reading
Date:	Wednesday, July 9, 2003
we need a summary of chapter 6 of Esperanza Rising From: Lloyd at Small Planet Hi Quintara! Thanks for writing! The author's own recommended links can be found here.
From:	theethel@hotmail.com
Subject:	Ideas and curriculum to be used in literacy based insruction in kindergarten
Date:	Monday, July 7, 2003
We entered a collaberative that is based on research done at Ohio lstate Universtiy. It is based on the teachings of Fountis and Penell. WE are using some of their stuff and some from Building Blocks. We need help withactivities for centers, guided reading and especially the Writers Workshop. We are also looking for a link to a book club that we have used previously--it is called the Early Learning Book Club which was owned by the Newbridge book group--Hope to here from you soon
From:	tammi fort
Subject:	help with social studies project
Date:	Friday, July 4, 2003
hi, my name is tammi fort and I am a second grade teacher in san bernardino ca. this year my studnets will be sending a class mascot along with state information on a journey to other states and would like to learn about them. If you would like to be on our list to receive the mascot we would love to hear from you. just send me your name, school, school address, and when your class starts. thanks tammi tjklfort@aol.com
From:	Reed
Subject:	Third
Date:	Sunday, June 22, 2003
Hi. Our local Reading Council is looking to implement a committee called "Teachers as Readers." We greatly appreciate any information shared with us. Thank you very much! Georgianna From: Liz at Small Planet Subject: Teachers as Readers Dear Georgianna, The archive at the CIERA "Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement" web site has some articles that may be of interest to you. Titles include "Reading Lives:Creating and Sustaining Learning about Culture and Literacy Education in Teacher Study Groups," "Teacher Book Club," and "Understanding Culture in Our Lives and Work: Teachers' Literature Study in the Book Club Program." You can find these articles and others at this web address.. Best of luck! --Liz G.
From:	Laura Pardo
Subject:	Response to Liz K.
Date:	Saturday, June 21, 2003
Hi Liz, I think the most important thing to keep in mind is your choice of literature. You'll want to find books that your students are interested in - and that they can read. There are a lot of good titles that would appeal to them - books that deal with issues that middle school urban kids likely face daily. You might check out titles by Jacqueline Woodson or Walter Dean Myers for starters. I'd also let the kids begin with writing and talking in ways that are comfortable for them - that might mean non-Standard English. I think that's okay, particularly at the beginning, because you'll want kids to feel comfortable in the book club setting so that they'll be willing to share with each other and with you. If you have specific curricular goals that relate to language - both written and spoken, you can begin to work on these once the students are comfortable with the format. Good luck with your work - it sounds really exciting. I'd love to know how things turn out once you get rolling. Laura
From:	liz k
Subject:	book club
Date:	Friday, June 20, 2003
I'm currently teaching 7th grade social studies. I just finished my first year and have talked with the principal about implementing a book club as an after school extracurricular activity. The club would meet for one hour after school. I am looking for any helpful suggestions to get this off the ground and to be successful. By the way, I am in teaching in an inner city school where most of my students are in Read 180 classes. I am also interested in any research that would help. From: Liz at Small Planet Subject: after-school book club Dear Liz K., Your after-school book club sounds like a great idea. I know that it's worked well for one elementary school teacher whose program I observed last year. Her students were very enthusiastic about participating and were more than happy to stay after school for it. As far as research, I don't know of anything in particular about after-school book clubs, but you might check out the archive at the CIERA "Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement" web site. The focus is on younger readers, but you may find some relevant information there. If I think of anything else, I will write again. Good luck! --Liz G.
From:	Jehsyhabel
Subject:	Lupita Manana
Date:	Monday, June 9, 2003
I am looking for the summary of Lupita Manana can someone help me? i need it today any ideas and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
From:	Pat Huster
Subject:	Esperanza Rising
Date:	Wednesday, May 28, 2003
I am looking for lesson ideas to use with this novel. I am working on curriculum for a new class for our gifted students in 6th grade that ties Language Arts and social studies which is a study of cultures. I thought this novel might tie in nicely to Mexican immigration to the US and the Depression. Any ideas and thoughts would bed greatly appreciated. From: Lloyd at Small Planet Hi Pat! Thanks for writing! The author's own recommended links can be found here.
From:	Geeta Padmanabhan
Subject:	Don Quixote
Date:	Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Dear Liz, I really have no clue if the James Baldwin version is out of print. All I know is that it is a strange version since it doesn't include the familiar episodes of DQ's attack on the windmills and the corn mill. Which is one reason why I came to your Forum for help. Another is there are incidents that we need to work around with caution eg. book burning. However, I visited the web site you had suggested and found it very useful in tailoring my approach to the classic. Thank you very much. Regards, Geeta Padmanabhan
From:	Laura Pardo
Subject:	Book Club Benefits
Date:	Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Hi Evy, I saw your posting about the workshop you are doing about Book Club - how exciting! I think that most teachers find the benefits to be centered around the authentic conversations that students have around good quality literature. Children also have choice about the kinds of writing they do, the way they choose to respond to the text, and the topics they raise for discussion in each group. It's also a good way to introduce good literature and to engage in issues that the text brings up that relate to the lives of young people. Some concerns I've heard from teachers include the management of groups if you choose different books for each group (so that all students can actually read their book), or finding ways to support the reading of a single text (if all students read the same book). Assessment is also an area where teachers have to work hard to find a system that works best for them. All in all though -- overwhelmingly -- most teachers I work with find the benefits of Book Club to outweigh the concerns. Good teaching is hard work and Book Club seems to be an effective model that is well worth the hard work. Good luck with your workshop! Laura
From:	Evy Block
Subject:	Book Clubs
Date:	Monday, May 19, 2003
I am presenting an Issues/Discussion Workshop on Book Clubs. Please share some positive as well as negative aspects of implementing book clubs in the classroom. Thank you.
From:	Liz at Small Planet
Subject:	Hatchet
Date:	Friday, May 16, 2003
Dear Diane, Thanks for suggesting a discussion of Hatchet. We've discussed this book online before, and the students always have a lot to say about it. We'll definitely consider it for next fall, perhaps as the first book for the new school year. Liz
From:	Liz at Small Planet
Subject:	Don Quixote
Date:	Friday, May 16, 2003
Dear Geeta, Thanks for your book suggestion. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate any information about a version of Don Quixote by James Baldwin. Is this an out-of-print title? You might check out the following link to a lesson plan for the Cervantes version of the book. I hope you find some helpful ideas there. Don Quixote is not really appropriate for the upper elementary and middle school level discussions we have at Planet Book Club, but it's certainly a great story with lots of material for discussion. Liz
From:	Geeta Padmanabhan
Subject:	Suggestion
Date:	Thursday, May 15, 2003
Dear Liz at Small Planet, Would you please consider including Don Quixote by James Baldwin in your Book Club discussion? I would love to have some help on aspects of the book that need to be emphasised. Geeta from India.
From:	Diane
Subject:	Fall conversations
Date:	Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Hi Liz, I haven't gotten far enough in my thinking to plan for next fall but my first instinct is that I will start the year with Hatchet. As a fifth grade teacher that is a great survival/adventure book.
From:	Geeta Padmanabhan
Subject:	Help Please!
Date:	Wednesday, May 7, 2003
Hi, I need to lead a discussion on the book Don Quixote by James Baldwin. Is there anyone out there who can help me with fresh, fun ideas on effective teaching strategies? Geeta from India.
From:	Janet
Subject:	Reading
Date:	Monday, May 5, 2003
Hello, My name is Janet Mansing. My sixth grade class have created a reading game that helps for grading on how the students read a particullar book.First, you put the names of every student in your class in a bag in which you pick a name . That student will then pick a name and come up with a queastion about the book. This frequent pattern coninues until everyone is asked.You can grade who read the book. At the end the student or students with the most queastions answered correctly wins the prize.There should be first,second and third place given out. Try it.
From:	Liz at Small Planet
Subject:	To: Jeff
Date:	Wednesday, April 30, 2003
Hi, Jeff. You should check out our teacher's guide Book Club for Middle School. Click on the Materials link at the top of this page for more information. And best of luck with your Book Club elective--it sounds like a great idea!
From:	Liz at Small Planet
Subject:	To: Diane
Date:	Wednesday, April 30, 2003
Hi, Diane. We haven't created a schedule for next year's online discussions yet; we normally announce the schedule in late August. However, if there are any books you would particularly like to use in the fall, please let us know. Thanks for your interest, and we look forward to your class's participation next year.
From:	willie
Subject:	awesome books
Date:	Tuesday, April 29, 2003
I really appreciate the site so we can learn more things from books; fiction or non-fiction. These books are awesome.
From:	Jeff
Subject:	Book Club
Date:	Tuesday, April 29, 2003
We are planning to incorporate electives into our schedule next year. One of the suggestions was book clubs. I am the IB coordinator for my school and will be developing several curriculums this summer--one of them book club. Does anyone have information on book clubs for Middle School. Any info would be helpful. Thanks Jeff
From:	Raven
Subject:	I gotta Q/A
Date:	Friday, April 25, 2003
is there anyway that someone could actually get rid of this site? i am a student and i do not apprecaite this site helping my teachers assign tidious homework thank you. ill be expecting this site to end very soon! thank highschool junior
From:	Diane
Subject:	online conversatons
Date:	Friday, April 25, 2003
Is there some way that you can publish a schedule of next years on-line conversations this spring? I would like to ready to start next fall.
From:	Shannon
Subject:	No Promises in the Wind, Irene Hunt
Date:	Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Hi, I would love to chat with anyone who has taught the novel, No Promises in the Wind. I need some fun, fresh ideas.
From:	McDuffie
Subject:	Num. the Stars
Date:	Friday, March 24, 2003
I would like to chat with anyone participating in the March 24th Number the Stars book club. Please get back to me at my home email to share ideas. Gilgo4@msn.com Thanks, Mac (6th grade Eng. NY)
From:	Susan Fishburne
Subject:	QAR Poster
Date:	Monday, March 10, 2003
Is there some way that your company could sell posters of the QAR strategies that Dr. Raphael has developed? If your company sold posters, it could reach students across the country and really help them. I bet it would be very popular and would encourage teachers and school districts to become familiar with Dr. Raphael's work and your company. Thank you, Susan Fishburne sfishbur@jeffco.k12.co.us
From:	Nina Hasty
Subject:	Book Clubs
Date:	Saturday, February 15, 2003
Hello, I am going to try to help you begin. I do and have done book clubs in my 1st and 2nd grade classes. If you have more questions after you read this, feel free to write back. MATERIALS: *books according to your themes units tape recorder, books on tapes to help those access the reading who may not be decoding at the level of the book assessments of skills that you want your students to master rubric of what makes a good/great discussion for book club writing folders for using during group time before you do the book clubs: writing down any questions, insights, you may want to focus on a certain skill: sequencing, summarizing, connections of themes throughout book A and book B, etc. scedule of times/days set up for the actual book clubs, reading of the book club books, group work rules on how to conduct themselves within their book club groups and during the listening of the other! book club discussions. make a chart of all groups--heterogenously and these groups should change as the theme/unit changes I would suggest that you choose books that have issues in which the students can critically analyze "to their best ability" to help them understand that literacy is important and that they can relate to some of these issues to make a connection--this helps them to give them a "voice" in literature. stress cooperative helping, that they are a community within a community I hope I have helped some
From:	Soledad Ramirez
Subject:	book clubs
Date:	Wednesday, February 12, 2003
To Whom it May Concern, I would like to get a book club started in my class. I have 2 groups. One is at a high second grade level and the other is at a 3rd grade reading level. I have never done book clubs before so I really need some help. My mentor talks about setting up grids and attributes and etc.... I'm lost. She has left me feeling really dumb that I can't catch on to what is supposed to be happening
From:	Jean Schuette
Subject:	Clay Marble
Date:	Monday, January 13, 2003
Does anyone know where I can get teaching materials to use with the novel The Clay Marble? I would appreciate any help that I can get.
From:	Melissa
Subject:	English
Date:	Saturday, November 2, 2002
I teach 9th grade English and have students whose writing and reading ability spans from barely literate to extremely successful with language skills. I don't want to bore the students who excel with repeating grammar and usage rules that they already know; however, there are several about 1/3 to 1/2 students who desperately need the grammar work. Any suggestions?
From:	Laura Pardo
Subject:	Managing Time
Date:	Friday, October 18, 2002
Hi Jessie, You asked about managing time during Book Club. In the new edition of Book Club: A Literature-Based Curriculum, we offer several options for how to manage time during Book Club. You might want to purchase that book as it's jam-packed with lots of good ideas for teachers to use. To give you a quick answer though, it really depends on how much time you have for Book Club each day. Some schedules prohibit teachers from doing all five components in one day, and so teachers have to split a lesson into more than one day or class period. From my experience it's better to move at a pace that allows your students to really engage in reading, writing, and discussing the book - even if it means taking two days to do one lesson. Hope this helps, Laura
From:	Jessie
Subject:	classroom schedules
Date:	Thursday, October 17, 2002
What is the best way to manage my time in the classroom? I really want to give the students enough time to really understand.
From:	Patty Rimbau
Subject:	Critical Thinking Quest.
Date:	Monday, September 30, 2002
I attended my first training on Book Club Plus with Dr. Raphael on Friday. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot! I wanted to know if there are a set of critical thinking questions or "stems" to introduce a book club session. For example, Dr. Raphael modeled a book club session using two texts; a poem and an essay by Julia Alvarez. Before we began to read the texts, Dr. Raphael asked us to think about how these texts either "mirrored or provided a window" to our own lives. This was a great introducing question and I wondered if there were any additional questions we can use to start our book clubs with our students. Thank you, Patty Rimbau Hollibrook Elementary Houston, Texas
From:	Kim at Small Planet
Subject:	6 LA
Date:	Friday, September 27, 2002
Dear Kate and Sharmon, A novel guide for House on Mango Street is currently in development at Small Planet. Check back with us over the next few months if you are interested in purchasing it for your classroom. We should be able to give you a completion date in the near future. We will keep you posted. Thanks for mentioning Esperanza Rising. It's always helpful to know what books people are interested in teaching. We will keep this title in mind as we plan for future novel guides. Kim
From:	Kate Brueckman
Subject:	6 LA
Date:	Friday, September 27, 2002
Hi Sharmon, I am going to be using Esperanza Rising in my 6th grade classroom. I planned on writing the book club as I go. Probably will use it with the overall theme of courage, struggle to survive, etc. Another book with a similar story line and theme is Lupita Manana by Patricia Beatty. I, too, looked on the website to see if Esperanza Rising had been developed yet. I did look on the internet to find some information and was able to find some websites with ideas for lessons by just searching Esperanza Rising. Scholastic.com has a rough teacher guide. I also found Pam Munoz Ryan's website. I would also like to use some pictures books and poetry so I will be looking those in the next couple of weeks. We study Latin America in 6th grade so it's a good fit, as well as, House on Mango Street by Sandy Cisneros. Let me know if you find anything else! Kate Brueckman
From:	Kim at Small Planet
Subject:	Re:Current Discussion of Tuck Everlasting
Date:	Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Hi, Sandi. The Tuck Everlasting discussion runs from September 18 to October 15 (about 20 school days), so, in keeping with the lesson plans that go with Tuck, it would probably be best if the discussion could be kept (roughly) at a pace of about 3-5 chapters per week. It seems that the kids who started reading on Sept. 18 are on Chapters 4 and 5. Of course, as with any of the online discussions, there are students of different ability levels and students with varied amounts of time during a school day to dedicate to Book Club. So, as always, there are definitely going to be people reading at different paces. This doesn't have to be be a problem, as long as students try to pace their discussion of the book over the twenty-day period and try not to give too much away to the students who are not reading as quickly. Even if students are on Chapter 15, it doesn't hurt to take another look at something that happened in Chapter 5 for the purpose of discussion. You probably already know this, but students can click on the Discussion Ideas link for ideas to spark conversation about aspects of each chapter.
From:	Sandi Lehky
Subject:	Current Discussion of Tuck Everlasting
Date:	Wednesday, September 25, 2002
I'm writing because I have not received a schedule for the current online discussion of Tuck Everlasting. My students are approximately halfway through the book at this point, but based on the comments posted thus far, I believe we are WAY ahead of schedule. We certainly don't want to ruin the story for other participants. Could you please let me know where we should be for the purpose of current discussion? Thanks!
From:	Lynn
Subject:	Senior Book Club
Date:	Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Hi, I would like to start a book club in my grade 12 class. I'm not really sure how to go about this. Can you recommend a book list that I could use? Because they are older students, I want to take them to the public library to pick out their own book but I would like to offer some suggestions. I have a small class so I am thinking of doing the coffee house approach to hold our discussions. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I am new at this. Lynn lseed@sd22.bc.ca
From:	Sharmon Hansen
Subject:	6th LA
Date:	Tuesday, September 17, 2002
My class just completed The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez, a story that exposes the problems faced by underpaid migrant workers. To further emphasize the difficulties facing a migrant worker, we will be reading Esperanza Rising, and I was wondering if anyone knew of a teacher's guide that went along with this wonderful story.
From:	Lisa Heyborne
Subject:	The Giver
Date:	Monday, September 16, 2002
I am about to start the unit provided in Book Club for Middle School for The Giver, exploring the theme of individulaity vs conformity. The first activity has the students research a person seen as a non-conformist. I have some ideas of people-any suggestions??
From:	Tom S
Subject:	keeping book logs
Date:	Sunday, September 15, 2002
I thought teachers interested in book logs might benefit from a recent email I sent... Deb I noticed your inquiry about book logs and thought I would tell you about mine. Three years ago I put together a web based booklog system that I use with the students in my school. We had been keeping book logs on paper, but even with electronic versions of "paper" it still became difficult to view a students reading progress over time. With my online book log the database keeps track of all entries over time, and I can pull up any kind of report I need. If you are looking for a way to keep a running book log that incorporates the best of technology then take a look at what this can do for you and your students. I have been a literacy specialist since 1997 and have been particularly passionate about the benefits of promoting literacy with technology. Take a look through the "subscription info" at www.booklog.org add a few "demo" books to the log, and let me know if there is any further information you need. Thanks again for writing. Tom Santangelo Literacy Specialist and Developer www.booklog.org
From:	Liz at Small Planet
Subject:	Holes novel guide
Date:	Friday, August 16, 2002
Dear Kathie, Small Planet offers a Book Club novel guide filled with teaching suggestions for Holes. Use the Materials link at the top of this page to learn more about all of our products, including novel guides. Or, visit the online Book Club Store for purchasing information. Liz Grube
From:	Kathie
Subject:	Holes Novel
Date:	Friday, August 16, 2002
Hi! I am very interested in getting some ideas on a novel study for the novel Holes. It is for a grade 5 class. Thanks for any suggestions or ideas. Kathie
From:	Taffy E. Raphael, Ph.D.
Subject:	RE: Book Club
Date:	Monday, July 29, 2002
Dear Annette, Here are three articles that you might check out: Goatley, Virginia. "Talk About Text Among Special Education Students." In The Book Club Connection: Literacy Learning and Classroom Talk by Susan I. McMahon and Taffy E. Raphael, with Virginia J. Goatley and Laura S. Pardo. New York: Teachers College Press, 1997. Goatley, V. J., Brock, C., and Raphael, T. E. (1995). "Diverse Learners in Regular Education Book Clubs." Reading Research Quarterly, 30(3), 352-380. Englert, C. S., Raphael, T. E., and Mariage, T. V. (1994). "Developing a School-Based Discourse for Literacy Learning: A Principled Search for Understanding." Learning Disability Quarterly, 17(1), 2-32. (This one is not on Book Club specifically, but on the nature of classroom discourse for LD kids, for which Book Club is one option.) You might also contact Ginny Goatley directly, as she has done research in this area: vgoatley@csc.albany.edu. Best of luck! Taffy E. Raphael, Ph.D.
From:	Annette Alleyne
Subject:	Book Club
Date:	Sunday, July 28, 2002
I am an elementary school teacher. Presently I am doing a certificate course in Teaching Reading to children with reading disabilities. i have to write a research paper on Book Club. Could you tell me where I can obtain good research on the topic?
From:	Laura S. Pardo
Subject:	RE: gr. 6 Reading
Date:	Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Dear Terry, Picture books and short stories are often included in basal anthologies in their entirety. I know many teachers who select appropriately from the basal, by using the same criteria that you use to select any piece of literature: appropriateness for students, interesting, has potential for discussion, and you like it. I don't know of any specific list, but any good story can be used to teach and model book club. Laura S. Pardo Co-author, Book Club: A Literature-Based Curriculum
From:	Terry Booth
Subject:	gr. 6 Reading
Date:	Tuesday, July 9, 2002
Does anyone have a good list of short stories to use to model book club skills?
From:	Marcella J. Kehus
Subject:	Summarizing skills
Date:	Tuesday, February 19, 2002
Dear Patricia, Though summarizing is an important skill - research says good readers are more able to pick out the important information from the less important, which is what a good summary does - I've found overdoing it in Book Club to be counterproductive as it keeps students at the literal comprehension level and we'd like to get them beyond that. If you need to teach students to summarize, I've found the analogy of orange juice concentrate (make some for the class) to be helpful. The summary is like the concentrate in that it contains the essential ingredients, does not have the unnecessary ingredients, and is a good deal smaller in proportion to the text/juice. Also, consider more creative options of summarizing rather than just a paragraph - comics, timeline, conversation between characters, etc. In Book Club, I live by the motto "Interpretation assumes comprehension." In other words, if students are able to evaluate a character's motives, make predictions based on the plot, etc., then they obviously have comprehended the text. And they are taking it to another level. Summaries don't demand these higher levels. Plus, as the reading log is a place to think through in preparation for book club discussions, summaries don't offer much fodder for engaging talk. Sincerely, Marcella J. Kehus, Ph.D. Author, Book Club for Middle School
From:	Patricia C. Boyd
Subject:	seventh grade LA
Date:	Friday, February 8, 2002
I have enjoyed using the book club approach in my classroom and my students really enjoyed the Holes unit. Currently, I am using the book club model with Irene Hunt's No Promises in the Wind. I would like my students to write a five to eight sentence summary in their reading response logs after each chapter. This has been very difficult for them and I would appreciate some advice on teaching seventh graders to write summaries. This is my third year of teaching and I am committed to the book club model, but do want my students to be able to write summaries as part of their reading response logs on a regular basis. Any help? Thanks, Patty.
From:	Taffy Raphael
Subject:	RE: Book Clubs for Gr.1/2 classroom
Date:	Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Hi Kathy, There are several teachers who have used Book Club in early primary grades, so here are some leads for information. Michigan Reading Association and Illinois Reading Council just co-published a guest issue on Book Club, and there are articles by a kindergarten teacher and a second grade teacher on their work with Book Club. You can go to the state organization's websites and order the journals, I'm sure. Then, I suggest reading the article we just published in Language Arts in November, 2001 (at www.ciera.org, go to Library, then Archives, and search for the one by Raphael, Florio-Ruane and George called Book Club Plus -- there are others on that site as well). Finally, stay in touch with Small Planet as we are beginning to develop a guide for the early primary grades. Oh -- there are two chapters on Book Club for young children in the Book Club Connection book that Teachers College Press published (distributed by the International Reading Association). Good luck! TER
From:	Kathy Eslinger
Subject:	Book Clubs for Gr.1/2 classroom
Date:	Monday, January 21, 2002
I woild like information on how to implement a Book Club approach in a First and Second Grade classroom.
From:	Small Planet
Subject:	Holes novel guide
Date:	Monday, January 14, 2002
Dear KelleyAnn, There are no archived lesson plans for Holes, but you can download the novel guide for this book at the Book Club Store. (Use the link at the top of this page to get to the store.) The 56-page novel guide contains an overview of the Book Club program, teaching suggestions for a theme-based unit, detailed daily lesson plans, and blackline masters.
From:	KelleyAnn Morris
Subject:	Holes
Date:	Friday, January 11, 2002
I was searching your site for the archived lessons for Holes and I could not find them anywhere. Can you email me the link? My address is kmb26@snip.net Thank you.
From:	Lisa
Subject:	Perhaps too late
Date:	Friday, November 9, 2001
In response to Dorothy seeking books with issues for her ESL 9th graders, Caroline Cooney's "Terrorist" would be an excellent book! You could discuss the stereotypes the author has towards Muslims while you're reading.
From:	Dorothy Doggett
Subject:	New York Attack
Date:	Tuesday, October 23, 2001
I'd like to use newspaper and magazine articles related to 911 in a book club setting with 9th grade intermediate ESL students. Does any one know of a short story or book with adolescent characters that would include any of the issues- rights, freedom, clash of religions, Muslims young people in America etc.?
From:	Shari L.
Subject:	How to pick books for a book club
Date:	Friday, October 19, 2001
I'm interested in organizing a book club for my 5th grade class but am not sure what books to pick and in what order to present them. Are there any lists of recommended books and sequences of books to read? For example, I assume a particular book might be best when the book club is just starting out whereas another book might be more appropriate for advance concepts. Can any other teachers recommend favorite sequences?
From:	Small Planet
Subject:	Sing Down the Moon
Date:	Thursday, October 4, 2001
A new Book Club novel guide for Scott O'Dell's book Sing Down the Moon has just been added to the Book Club Store. In case you aren't familiar with this title, here's a brief synopsis: O'Dell tells the story of the Long Walk, a forced relocation of American Indians in the 1860s, through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old Navajo girl. Before this event, Bright Morning endures kidnapping by Spaniards who sell her into slavery. She boldly escapes and returns to her home in Arizona, only to experience the Long Walk and its devastating effects on her people. Despite these hardships, Bright Morning maintains her optimism about the future. For information about this and other Book Club products, please use the link at the top of this page to visit the Book Club Store.
From:	Small Planet
Subject:	New novel guide; passwords
Date:	Thursday, September 20, 2001
We're pleased to announce a new offering at the Book Club Store: a novel guide for The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg. The guide is 48 pages long and contains (like all of our novel guides) an overview of the Book Club program, teaching suggestions for a theme-based unit, daily lesson plans, and blackline masters. To download the guide, please visit the Book Club Store at the following address using the link at the top of this page. (Please note that your browser must be set to accept cookies in order for the online shopping basket to work properly.) We also have password information for those of you who plan to participate in our online discussions of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (starts Oct. 22), Number the Stars (starts March 18), and The View from Saturday (starts April 29). To take part in a discussion, you must first download the appropriate novel guide. The passwords for these three discussions are: The Watsons: On page 21 of the novel guide, the first word in the boldface head at the top of the right column Number the Stars: The second-to-last word on page 23 The View from Saturday: The last word on page 31
From:	Small Planet
Subject:	Planet Book Club final schedule for 2001-2002
Date:	Thursday, September 13, 2001
We have finalized the schedule for online discussions this year. Here are the dates: Holes (Sept. 17 - Oct. 12, 2001) The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (Oct. 22 - Nov. 16, 2001) Shiloh (Nov. 26 - Dec. 21, 2001) Bud, Not Buddy (Jan. 21 - Feb. 15, 2002) Number the Stars (March 18 - April 12, 2002) The View from Saturday (April 29 - May 24, 2002) You may register for all of these discussions by clicking on Register at the following page-- http://www.planetbookclub.com/teachers/classroom.html --and completing the form. The new novel guide for The View from Saturday will be available at the Book Club Store within the next week. Sing Down the Moon, Shiloh and Bud, Not Buddy are in development; we'll keep you posted on their availability.
From:	Sandi Lehky
Subject:	Thank you, thank you!
Date:	Monday, May 14, 2001
Just wanted to let you know what our book club participation has done for my fifth graders this year......After Number the Stars, my group was so fired up that they wanted more, more, more. Specifically, they wanted to know more about that period of time, World War II, and specifically, the Holocaust. Beyond that, they wondered if they might take a stab at creating their own study guide for a subsequent novel. Pretty ambitious stuff for fifth graders, we thought, but why not!?! To see this group so excited about anything academic at this point in the schoolyear is remarkable! So rather than joining you for one more discussion this spring, we are reading The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. It's a little bit of a stretch, but this group is voracious. They are tough on themselves and on each other, and this has been fun to mediate the project. They're working on vocabulary lists, a glossary of Jewish/Hewbrew/Yiddish terms from the story, as well as discussion questions, and plan to put together a packet much like we've used in the book club. They will also produce an answer key and decide upon the pacing of the story....how many lessons, etc. They have also dug deeper into the history of the Jewish faith and culture. One student even prepared a Jewish dish and brought it in to share with the class. In addition, they have done more research on the Holocaust, Nazism, and concentration camps. To preserve the mystery a bit, (and because the books didn't arrive on time) I handed out the first several chapters one by one (photocopied)...and it made them work harder on predictions and comparisons. There was no way for the students to look ahead, so predictions had to be intuitive or deductive....there was no way for them to read ahead. Likewise compare/contrast had to be done based on the information currently available.....and this has really made my kids dig in. It's been huge fun! Now the crunch is on with the end of the school year coming quickly and lots of year-end activities to squeeze in, especially as this group will move up to middle school next year. We hope to get it all finished before the end of the school year. One of the kids suggested that we could sell this study guide and they'd all make $ for college....quite the little entrepreneur! Mostly they can't wait to see their finished product. If time allows, they will also put together a Power Point presentation for their classmates. They really want to share some of what they've learned with the rest of the class. So thank you, thank you from the fifth graders at Sheridan Elementary! We thoroughly enjoyed the three novels we read with you this year. The students who participated in the book club grew in leaps and bounds, in more ways than Martha and I imagined. Just today she and I discussed how two of the participants in particular have become so much stronger in their social and interpersonal skills because of this experience. The book club has been a forum in which they feel safe presenting their own ideas, even if they differ from the rest of the class. Repeatedly we have looked at different perspectives and simply encouraged the children to be prepared to "back up" their opinions with evidence from the story. Two of my former wallflowers are now able to say, "I agree with Suzy....because...." or "I disagree totally with Michael ...because..." or "what if we all have it wrong? What if ..........is what's really happening?" and even "You've totally lost me here. I don't understand what you're saying!" Some of these students were able to make these kind of statements and take these sorts of risks at the beginning of the year, but for these two particular students, this kind of growth is pure magic! Given our positive experiences this year, we plan to be back next fall, and hope to participate in at least three novels, more if time and school schedules allow. Thank you, thank you for a tremendous program! We look forward to continued participation in the book club, and anxiously await new products from Small Planet! Sandi Lehky Sheridan Elementary School Petoskey, MI
From:	Kristina Krist
Subject:	Web based greadebooks
Date:	Thursday, May 3, 2001
I have been using http://www.mygradebook.com as my gradebook for two years now. I am quite happy with how it has motivated my students and made it easy for my parents to be involved. Does anyone us another web-based gradebook that they feel may be worth checking out?
From:	Small Planet
Subject:	Say yes to cookies
Date:	Tuesday, May 1, 2001
Dear teachers, To order materials at Planet Book Club, you must set your browser to accept cookies. When you go to the Order Materials page, our site sends you a cookie that is required for the shopping basket to work. If your browser does not accept the cookie, you will not receive an error message, but the online shopping will not work. In Netscape, the cookies setting is under Edit/Preferences/Advanced. In Explorer, it is under Edit/Preferences/Receiving Files/Cookies. If you experience any problems in our online store, please contact us right away at planet@smplanet.com. Thank you!
From:	Small Planet
Subject:	Purchasing class sets
Date:	Wednesday, April 25, 2001
Dear teachers, Planet Book Club now offers a convenient way to purchase your favorite Book Club novels (or any other books you might need) through Amazon.com. Our Novels page lists the titles featured in all our Book Club teaching materials, and you can click on any title to link directly to Amazon. Discounts vary, but the price for paperback copies of Holes by Louis Sachar, for example, is 40 percent off list price. Go to the following address for the Novels page: http://www.planetbookclub.com/teachers/novels.html Or, click on Materials at the top of this page. Then, from the Materials page, click on Novels. We hope this is a helpful new feature!
From:	Small Planet
Subject:	forming book clubs in your classroom
Date:	Tuesday, April 24, 2001
Dear Amy, Planet Book Club is just the place to find information about forming book clubs in your classroom. The links at the top of this page will introduce you to the Book Club program, which integrates reading, writing, discussion, and instruction. Try the Methodology link for more information about the program's structure and implementation. Or, go straight to Materials to learn about Book Club products, including teacher's manuals, videotapes, and novel guides. Enjoy your visit!
From:	amy
Subject:	book clubs
Date:	Sunday, April 22, 2001
I am interested in any info anyone might have about forming book clubs in my fifth grade classroom. Please send any suggestions that might make the experience more enjoyable for my students as well as more educational. Thanks.