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 * INSERVICE: This is a plan for a presentation at an OELMA conference. It gives school library media specialists ideas for book clubs.**

LIS 60630: Reference Sources and Services for Youth

October 2009, Dr. Harper

Book Club Ideas for Tweens & Teens Rationale

School Library Media Specialists (SLMS) can use book clubs to meet a variety of important goals related to reference (Readers Advisory) and literacy skills. With the decrease in the amount of time people read for pleasure and the increased emphasis on skills imposed by No Child Left Behind, the SLMS can use book clubs to promote a love of reading and to provide options for Read-alikes to encourage continued independent reading. Instead of a one-time deal, the book club acts as a launchpad for either future book clubs or for Readers Advisory.

This topic is relevant as a presentation topic at an OELMA conference as school librarians may need encouragement to begin a book club program, may need new ideas to keep their students coming back for more, or may not have considered how book clubs can be used as a Readers Advisory opportunity. Book clubs align with ODE K-12 Library Standards, so school librarians may be quite interested in this topic.

Goals: I hope my participants walk away with
 * 1) an understanding of the vital need to encourage pleasure reading,
 * 2) an awareness of how book clubs can be a fun and easy means of reaching library literacy benchmarks,
 * 3) tips and tricks for implementing a successful book club,
 * 4) lists of books for Readers Advisory (to be posted on session wiki), and
 * 5) a commitment and enthusiasm to promote reading to their patrons.

Conference Proposal = Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA) Conference Proposal =

__ Primary Speaker Information __ Name: Beth Brendle Institution: Bexley Highs School Business Address: 326 S. Cassingham Road, Bexley OH 43209 Work Phone: 614/245-4591 Fax #: 614/ 775-0867 Email Address: beth.brendle@bexleyschools.org Home Address: 5462 Bullfinch Drive, Westerville OH 43081 Home Phone: 614/245-4004


 * __ Identify the Strand and Guidelines: Guideline # 3 __**


 * __ Guideline 3 __**** : Literacy & Reading Support Authors, Best Books, Reading Initiatives, Storytelling, Readers Advisory **

__ Ohio Research Study Strands __ : Reading Resources, Reading Engagement, and Reading Literacy

__ Intended Audience: __ Middle and High School Library Media Specialists attending the OELMA conference

__ Audio Visual/ Room Setup: __ PowerPoint capabilities, computer, screen

__ Program Information __ Program Title (less than 10 words): Book Club Ideas for Tweens & Teens

__ Program Description: __ (50-75 words):

With the current skills-based curriculum that often de-emphasizes reading for pleasure, the School Library Media Specialist can help grow life-long readers by providing tweens and teens with an array of tantalizing book clubs. This program examines the need for book clubs; provides the nuts and bolts of planning, implementing, and evaluating a book club; shares ideas for book club themes; and invites participants to add to a wiki of book titles for Readers Advisory.

__ Program Details: __ I am pretending this presentation was accepted for an OELMA conference. It would be held in a typical room of the conference center. It would be attended by middle and high school library media specialists. It will be publicized in the OELMA conference materials.

__ Supplemental Materials: __ 1) Lists of titles by book club topic as a resource to the SLMS (I could not create all these lists for this assignment. If this were a real presentation, I would include some sample books for each topic. Then, the goal is to ask the participants to add suggestions on sticky notes to post on posters around the room after the presentation or add them to the session wiki I have established. (https://brendlelist.wikispaces.com) Thus, it would be a collaborative effort to compile lists of books suitable for book clubs and Readers Advisory for tweens and teens.)

2) Sample bookmark that would be given to students at the book club. I envision bookmarks with a list of Read-alikes for the students to continue reading on their own. For example, if the book club book was fantasy, the bookmark would suggest 5 – 10 more fantasy titles. This is a way to turn a book club into an opportunity for Readers Advisory. (See attached, pages 8 and 9) The front of the bookmark includes a graphic of the book club selection with information about the date, time, and place of the meeting. This is advertising for the event.

3) Copy of PowerPoint presentation with room for notes.

__ Evaluation: __ At the end, page 4

__ Bibliography: __ At the end, pages 6 and 7 My bibliography includes both sources for creating book clubs and for choosing books to be read as a club or to be suggested as follow-up Read-alikes.

__ Presentation: __ See attached PowerPoint.

__ Content: __ See attached PowerPoint.

__ Outline of Presentation: __ At the end, page 5

__ Choice of Topic: __ While this topic is perhaps more of a program than a reference-related issue, I have tried to wed the two. If a book club is done well, it is perfect opportunity for Readers Advisory. Bookmarks with Read-alikes would be easy to make and would be an easy reference tool to distribute at the book club meeting. The wiki with tried and true book titles is a reference tool for SLMS to find good books to recommend to kids or use for a club. I feel this is a relevant topic as librarians who have never hosted a book club need ideas to get them started and veteran book clubbers are always looking for new ideas and opportunities to share their successes.

__ Resource: __ “Bringing in the Boys” by Brown and Meyers sparked my interest in book clubs and how they don’t have to include sitting around and talking about a book. I have a slide in my PowerPoint with this article and would mention some of the ways the authors make their book clubs a fun, hands-on experience.

OELMA Session Evaluation Form

Session: Book Club Ideas for Tweens and Teens Presenter: Beth Brendle

Please help me to make this presentation better by completing this evaluation.

1. Which book club tips do you see yourself using? Explain.

2. Which book club tips seem outdated, impossible, or not worth the time of you or your students? Explain.

3. What information do you wish had been added to the presentation or could be added to make this session more useful to SLMS?

4. Was the rationale for hosting a book club convincing? Explain. What other statistics or research should or could be used to validate book clubs?

Book Club Ideas for Tweens and Teens Outline of Presentation 1. Welcome 2. About me and my interest in book clubs 3. Explain how to use post-it notes during and after the presentation (participants jot down relevant titles to be added to master list) 4. Rationale: Why do we need book clubs? 5. Traditional book club information: tips and suggestions 6. Thinking out of the box: ideas for themes and collaboration 7. Book Clubs as Readers Advisory: Create on-going Wiki of book titles 8. Floor open for comments and discussion 9. Thanks and reminder to complete the evaluation

Bibliography: Book Club Ideas for Tweens and Teens Brown, Amy, and Molly Meyers. “Bringing in the Boys: Using the Theory of Multiple Intelligences to Plan Programs that Appeal to Boys.” //Children and Libraries// (Spring 2008): 4 – 9. Clemens, David "Great Books 2.0." //Chronicle of Higher Education// 55.38 (2009): B12. Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2009 Crawford, Amy, and Rick Ayers. //Great Books for High School Kids: A Teacher's Guide// //to Books That Can Change Teens' Lives.// Beacon Press, 2004. Chronicle Books. //The Ultimate Book Club Organizer: A Planner for Your Reading// //Group.// Chronicle Books, 2008. Exner, Nina. “Basic Reader’s Advisory for Manga: Select Popular Titles and Similar Works.” //Young Adult Library Services// 5.3 (Spring 2007): 13-21. Formanack, Gail. “The Importance of Language: The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and AASL Standards.” //School Library Media and Activities Monthly// XXV.1 (September 2008): 28-30. Gelman, Judy, and Vicki Levy Krupp. //The Book Club Cookbook.// New York: Penguin, 2004. Gelman, Judy, and Vicki Levy Krupp. //The Kids’ Book Club Book: Reading Ideas,// //Recipes, Activities, and Smart Tips for Organizing Terrific Kids’ Book Clubs.// Tarcher, 2007. Gorman, Michele. Getting Graphic: Comic Adventures for Tweens. //Library Media// //Connect// 27.3. 2008. Hahn, Daniel, Leonie Flynn, and Susan Reuben, editors. //The Ultimate Teen Book Guide.// Walker Books for Young Readers, 2007. Hubert, Jennifer. //Reading// //Rants: A Guide to Books that Rock!// New York: Neal- Schuman, 2007. Kunzel, Bonnie, and Constance Hardesty. //The Teen Centered Book Club: Readers into// //Leaders.// Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited 2006. Loevy, Diana. //The Book Club Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to the Reading// //Group Experience.// Berkley Books, 2006. McKee, Beverly "Adventures with a High School Book Club." //Library Media// //Connection// 23.4 (2005): 44-46. Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2009 McMahon, Susan, and Taffy E. Raphael, eds. //The Book Club Connection: Literacy// //Learning and Classroom Talk//. New York : Teachers College Press, 1997. Mcmain, Victoria Golden. //The Readers’ Choice: 200 Book Club Favorites//. Harper 2000. 288. Pearl, Nancy. //Book Crush: For Kids and Teens - Recommended Reading for Every// //Mood, Moment and Interest.// Sasquatch Books. 2007. Raffael, Taffy, Marcella Kahus, and Karen Damphousse. //Book Club for Middle School.// Lawrence, MA: Small Plant Communications, 2001. Saricks, Joyce "At Leisure: Leading Book Discussions." //Booklist// 106.1 (2009): 37. Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2009 Silvey, Anita. //500 Great Books for Teens.// Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006. Soltan, Rita. Reading //Raps: A Book Club Guide for Librarians, Kids, and Families.// Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2006. Welch, Rollie James. //The Guy-Friendly YA Library: Serving Male Teens.// Libraries Unlimited, 2007.