Each summer, our county-wide team of gifted teachers selects a group of books for our students to read throughout the course of the year. At the end of the school year, three of us host a day of competition featuring the books. Past activities have included escape rooms, creative construction or writing, Kahoot quizzes, and Hedbanz-style games.
We have three grade level bands: kindergarten to grade 3, grades 4 and 5, and grades 6 through 8. Book topic, interest, and reading levels are considered before selection. Every three years, we return to a set of books. Occasionally, we swap a title or two.
I encourage student participation because I think it is important to expose students to different genres and authors, in other words, to give students a little nudge outside of their reading comfort zones. That being said, I do not require students to participate in this competition. As a former reading teacher, I believe very strongly in a person’s ability to choose his/her reading material. Not every reader wants to compete. Not every competitor wants to read. [Side note: If you are looking for more information regarding how to promote reading through the use of self-selected reading, check out The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. It is a game changer if you believe in a reader’s right to choose their own books. See also this image regarding a Reader’s Bill of Rights by Daniel Pennac.]
You may be wondering how I encourage participation without requiring participation. The answer? I make the experience social. Most people who love to read also love to talk about what they’ve read. I am no exception, so I have worked extra class sessions that I call Book Club into our calendar.
Here’s how the Literature Festival process works:
- At the beginning of each month, I share a blurb/summary about the book. Most often, I find reviews on Common Sense Media. I find them to be honest and trustworthy. Specifically, I share two sections: “What’s the Story?” and “Is It Any Good?” I read these two sections aloud. I think it is important for the students to hear my intonation as I read the blurb as it was meant to be read.
- Students can make a decision about whether or not they are interested. If they are, they grab a copy. If not, no pressure.
- I assign a due date, usually about 4-6 weeks from the day of distribution. If they read it by the due date, they are permitted to attend Book Club. If not, they cannot. There’s nothing personal here. We just don’t want to have to worry about spoilers. Also, since we share books with gifted students on the southern end of the school district, my due dates need to be somewhat firm.
- I collect books after our Book Club meeting. Occasionally, I will extend the reading time for those who made a good effort to finish the book but had difficulties due to extenuating circumstances. They can’t attend Book Club, but they can have an extra week to read the book. However, I try not to do this often as it can actually make the reading experience more stressful for the child.
- Those who have kept up with the reading throughout the year can attend the Literature Festival. Those who have not usually have one more chance to read a title that they may have skipped. Generally speaking though, I do not permit “cram reading” weeks before the event. Students are learning to budget their time. Time mismanagement has consequences. Luckily, not attending the Literature Festival is a low-level one.
- My biggest goal in Book Club is to make it FUN. I try to balance written work with discussion. I prioritize hands-on experiences and opportunities to move within the classroom. For example, we played Trash Can Trivia basketball when reading The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, and we made invisible ink messages when reading Bomb: The Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by David Sheinkin. You can read more about specific Book Club experiences here and here.