1

SciFi Book Club

Book Club Agreement Our book: _____________________________________________________ Our author: _____________________________________________________ Our group: ____________________________________________________________________

Directions: Use the space below to plan out your reading. Keep it simple, but include what chapters or pages you will discuss during your meetings. Dates Meeting 1: _________ Meeting 2: _________ Meeting 3: _________ Meeting 4: _________ Meeting 5: _________ Meeting 6: _________ Reading Plan (how much well read and when well have it read) Complete book club agreement and begin reading. Finish page ____ by next meeting.

Adapted from Bruce Taylor (http://coedpages.uncc.edu/dbtaylor/Resources/Book%20Circles.pdf)

Book Club Rules to Read By

Here are some suggested rules: 1. Listen to each other. Listen to the speaker. 2. Focus your conversations on real book conversations. Avoid side conversations. 3. Come to Book Club prepared. Everyone has read and written in their journal. 4. All Book Club members need to participate and share. 5. Book Clubs have the right to ask a member to sit out.

Here are the rules our group agreed to follow: 1. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 5. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Adapted from Bruce Taylor (http://coedpages.uncc.edu/dbtaylor/Resources/Book%20Circles.pdf)

Some Good Questions to Ask in Book Clubs Sometimes it is difficult to know what to talk about in your Book Clubs. Here are some questions you can ask when you arent sure what to talk about. 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. What clues did the author use to help you predict what was going to happen later? 4. What makes you wonder in this book? 5. Is there something in the book that bothers you or makes you wonder? What is it? 6. If your book took place in a different setting, how would that change the story? Why? 7. What are your favorite lines or quotes? Copy them into your journal and tell why you like them. 8. How have you changed during or after reading this book? 9. What do you know now that you didn't know before? 10. What questions about this book would you like answered? 11. Would you like to read more books by this author? Why? 12. What do you predict will happen next in your book? Why? 13. What character do you like least? Why? 14. What character do you like best? Why? 15. What incident or conflict does the author use to begin the story? Why do you think the author chose this beginning? 16. How does the author create suspense? 17. If you could change the ending of the book, what would you do? Why? 18. 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? 19. Did any characters change during the course of the book? How did they change? What forces caused this change?

20. Does this book seem similar to any other book you have read? In what ways are the two books similar? 21. What were your feelings after reading the first few pages of the book? 22. What other important characters are there in the book besides the main character(s)? How are they important to the plot? 23. What character would you like to be in this book? Why? 24. What were some of the events that created conflict in your book? What made these things happen? Why? 25. What is the most important part of the book? Why? 26. What advice would you give a particular character? Why? 27. If you could introduce a character from your book to your family, who would it be? Why? 28. Which character would you be ashamed to introduce to your family? Why? 29. Do you think the author is asking you to cheer on one of the characters? Why?

Adapted from Bruce Taylor (http://coedpages.uncc.edu/dbtaylor/Resources/Book%20Circles.pdf)

Book Club Project

Directions: When your group has finished reading your book, choose any one of these projects to complete together. Write a Letter to the Author. After reading a book, your group shares some of its thoughts and feelings about the book in a letter written to its author. Use your journals to get ideas, and have each group member write a draft. You can then pull out parts from each and work them into a final, polished letter. If the author is still alive, you can mail it to him or her. Interview a Character. Each student composes five or six questions to ask a main character in a book just completed. The student also writes the character's response to each question. The questions and answers should provide information that shows the student read the book without giving away the most significant details. Script It! Your group writes a movie script for a favorite scene in a book just read. At the top of the script, the student can assign real-life TV or movie stars to play each role. The student might also work with classmates to perform the favorite scene. In the News! Your group creates the front page of a newspaper that tells about events and characters in a book just read. The newspaper page might include weather reports, an editorial or editorial cartoon, ads, etc. The title of the newspaper should fit with the book. Movie Poster. Imagine your book being turned into a movie. Who would play the parts of the main characters? In your group decide who would play the lead parts and then create a movie poster with artwork, cast, rating, and a brief description or catchy phrases about the movie. Comic Book. Your group can take a scene from the book and turn it into a comic book. Be creative and be sure to include colorful scenes, comic style art, and dialogue bubbles. Sell the Book! Each member of the group films a 2-minute talk in which he or she sells the book to others who have not read the book. Talk about characters and events in the book but DONT give away the ending or other information that would keep others from being surprised or enjoying the book. Picture Books. After reading a book, each student creates a picture book version of the story that would appeal to younger students. Bulletin Board. Create a bulletin board that shows a favorite scene, important information, favorite lines or quotes, or pictures of scenes or characters from the book.

Adapted from Bruce Taylor (http://coedpages.uncc.edu/dbtaylor/Resources/Book%20Circles.pdf)

Book Report
Directions: When your group has finished reading your book, complete a book report on your own. Write an essay or prepare a presentation (PowerPoint, Glogster, or Prezi) that addresses the following criteria: Title - What is the significance of the title of your book? What other titles do you think might be appropriate, and why did you choose theme? Author - What is the authors background? Plot - Briefly summarize the sequence of events in the story in your own words. Refer to your reader response journal and include your own insights. Characters - Analyze the main characters. Who is the protagonist and the antagonist? What factors motivate each? Refer to your reader response journal and include your own insights. Conflict - Describe the main conflict of the story and how it is resolved. Theme - What is the main idea or statement about life the author is trying to convey to the reader? Recommendation - Give your evaluation of the book.

Book Report Rubric

Points 1
No information about title.

2
Incomplete or inadequate description of title.

3
Adequate description of the significance of the title.

4
Complete description of the significance of the title, as well as alternate titles. Complete description of the authors background, including any information pertinent to the writing of the novel. Complete plot summary, as well as students insights as a reader. Complete analysis of main characters and their motivation. Complete description of the conflict and resolution. Complete description of the theme, including textual evidence to back up claims. Complete recommendation with convincing and reasonable justification.

Total

Title

No information about author.

Author

Incomplete or inadequate information about author.

Adequate description of the authors background.

Plot

No information about plot.

Incomplete or inadequate information about plot. Incomplete or inadequate description of characters. Incomplete or inadequate information about conflict. Incomplete or inadequate description of theme.

Adequate summary of the plot.

Characters

No information about characters.

Adequate description of characters. Adequate description of conflict. Adequate description of theme.

Conflict

No information about conflict.

Theme

No information about theme.

Recommendation

No recommendation.

No justification for recommendation.

Adequate justification for recommendation.

Reader Response Bookmark

1. What did I like in this part of the book? 2. What did I dislike in this part? 3. Something that you learned that you didnt know about before you read 4. Something that surprised you

Reader Response Bookmark

1. What did I like in this part of the book? 2. What did I dislike in this part? 3. Something that you learned that you didnt know about before you read 4. Something that surprised you

Reader Response Bookmark

1. What did I like in this part of the book? 2. What did I dislike in this part? 3. Something that you learned that you didnt know about before you read 4. Something that surprised you

5. This character in the book is 5. This character in the book is 5. This character in the book is like/not like me because like/not like me because like/not like me because 6. What do you think will happen next? Why do you think that? 7. Rewrite a scene. 8. Write a letter to a character. 9. Pretend you are a character and write an entry in your diary. 10.Here are some journal entry starters or prompts: I wonder, I wish that, or I think that 11. Draw a picture of a character. 12. Draw a picture of a scene in the book. 6. What do you think will happen next? Why do you think that? 7. Rewrite a scene. 8. Write a letter to a character. 9. Pretend you are a character and write an entry in your diary. 10.Here are some journal entry starters or prompts: I wonder, I wish that, or I think that 11. Draw a picture of a character. 12. Draw a picture of a scene in the book. 6. What do you think will happen next? Why do you think that? 7. Rewrite a scene. 8. Write a letter to a character. 9. Pretend you are a character and write an entry in your diary. 10.Here are some journal entry starters or prompts: I wonder, I wish that, or I think that 11. Draw a picture of a character. 12. Draw a picture of a scene in the book.

Adapted from Bruce Taylor (http://coedpages.uncc.edu/dbtaylor/Resources/Book%20Circles.pdf)