HIT: Luch Bunch Book Club

[Wanda Nall <wnall@TENET.EDU>]

Several have asked for info about the book club we tried this year at
Northwest Primary School so I decided to post a hit. If you have any
further questions please feel free to email me.

My building is a k-3 building.  I had wanted to do something for my 3rd
graders who do not qualify for gifted/talented or for bilingual or spec.
ed. or anything special. I have no problem with special programs; however,
I have always felt that there was nothing extra for the "good 0le average
student" who is not below level or above level. So I visited with my
principal and she gave me a lunch time and a planning period and put it all
together from 11:30 to 12:45.  30 min. lunch, 45 min planning.  Just like
teachers really.  So, I had the 3rd grade teachers help me choose the
students and I had two groups one of pretty high achievers and one of a
little less, but not low achievers to the extent that they needed our
special programs.  The Oprah Book Club met on Tues. during their lunch time
and the Rosie Club met on Thurs.  The library was closed for lunch and
planning during that time, which worked pretty well as everyone goes to
lunch sometime during that time frame anyway and I met with the clubs in a
little room in the library.  We all brought a sack lunch each time.  The
students were required to read the assigned chapters before meeting time
and we discussed the book.  I did not teach reading nor do any type of
planned skills but I did try to get into higher cognitive type questions
such as "what do you think the character was thinking when he said so and
so or did so and so,  or what do you think the author wanted us to believe
about such and such character when he had the character do so and so?"  We
also incorporated research into this time in that we did some research on
the spotted owl and the barn owl after we read the book "THe Owl in the
Shower."  The club also read another book about a girl who had been in a
plane crash and raised by dolphins ( the title escapes me at this moment)
anyway we researched dolphins.  We then did  diagrams and posters using as
much technology as possible for our end product.  We mostly used the
scanner, word processor and a simple paint program. (I have Hyperstudio in
my library but cannot use it well enough or I did not feel like I knew the
software well enought to have them do their project on it yet. That is on
my to do list.) Of course time was limited but we encorporated The Big6
method and the kids really seemed to enjoy the special time they had with
their librarian.  I tried to use Oct. and Nov. and be finished before
Christmas.   We started again after Christmas with a different group of
kids and did the same.  I was finished before May as the last month is
pretty hectic.  I also had a class key-pal with the first group who read
the same book we did and we e-mailed questions and discussions of the book
to each other.  The key-pals were from MO. I limited the group to 10.
Before the year was out, I had changed the group (kids went out and new
came in) and I had managed to serve 40 kids. The first group did not want
to quit. I promised them that after the 2nd group had a turn that I would
pull both groups back together toward the end of school and we would do
another book all together, that made 20 in the group. Because everyone knew
the ropes, it worked OK, but I really prefer the smaller groups. My
principal and I as well as the teachers considered it a success and I plan
to do it again.  I had a blast.  The teachers were very supportive.  The
clubmembers were told up front that this was extra and for fun and that
they would have to read at home unless they had all work done at school
that the teacher had assigned and had extra time, then they could read on
the bookclub book. We also told them that we  would not tolerated behavior
problems. During the spring we had a couple get a little lazy with their
school work and we threatened them and reminded them that classroom had to
come first and that if they could not pay attention and cooperate in class
they would be removed from the book club and believe it or not we
discovered that parents did not want their children out of the club and
helped us get the kids going again.  I sent a note home explaining the book
club and parents had to sign and agree to send the sack lunch as well as
help to be sure the chapters were read.  Next year I will alter the
parental consent form and add that students must keep up in class and cause
no behavior problems to be eligible for the club. Just a precaution. It
really turned into more than I dreamed it would be, both fun and I think
helpful.
I haven't decided for sure yet which books I will use next year.  I know
that it would be easier for me as well as economical I guess to just use
the same books since this group will not have read them, but I also enjoy
reading something new myself.  I got my books from Scholastic Book Fairs,
you will need one for each child and yourself.
I hope this gives you a bit of an idea about what we did.  Please feel free
to e-mail me again if I did not answer a specific question you had.
Wanda Nall
Library Media Specialist
Northwest Primary School
400 Moreman
Hereford, TX 79045
wnall@tenet.edu

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