Running a Book Club Discussion

Posted by on

I posted these guiding questions a few years back on a different blog. With the 6th Grade Book Club coming up on May 21st I thought to share it again. Sometimes when facilitating a book discussion the challenge may be to get past your own reaction to the book as well as trying to include as many voices in the discussion as possible. Thank you for volunteering and let me know if you need a copy of the book for next Monday's Book Club at 8:15!

When facilitating a book club discussion among 6th graders, how do you move them beyond "I really liked this book" or "I really didn't like it?" Reading is a personal interaction with the story and the characters. It is an individual experience, so parts of the story some loved (or didn't) or characters with whom others connected (or didn't) will be varied. This is also the reason book discussion groups can be lively and so much fun! As the discussion leader you can help the students generate an exchange of ideas and guide the discussion in an exciting and inclusive way with a few good questions.

I hope some of the following questions will prove helpful:

Fiction:
Ice Breaker: Ask each person who their favorite character was in the book and what they appreciated about them.
  1. What do you think the author was trying to say by writing this book? Were they successful in getting the message across? Why or why not?
  2. What scene in the book do you remember best? Why do you think that is? Can you share a quote or passage from that scene?
  3. What do you think about the ending of the book? Were you satisifed with the way it turned out? Why or why not? What would you want as an alternate ending to the story?
  4. What are some of the major themes of the book? 
  5. Think about one of the minor characters in the story. Why did the author include him/her?
  6. At the end of the book how did you feel, sad, happy, confused, wishing there was more (or less) to the story? What do you think made you feel that way? 
  7. Would this book make a good movie? Now, cast the movie!
Non-Fiction:
Ice Breaker: Each  person shares a passage or quote from the book and tells how it affected them or why it was memorable.
  1. Did the author want the reader to learn something from the book? What do you think that might be? Were they successful in teaching the reader something new about the topic? Why or why not?
  2. Why do you think the author choose this format to tell the story? Interview, graphic novel, etc. Was it an effective way to tell the story? Why or why not?
  3. What issues or controversies did the book raise? (military dogs left behind, school aged students lying to their parents to cover up subersive activities.) What did you (the reader) think/feel about these issues and ideas? Are these actions ever justified?
  4. What role do illustrations, maps, etc. play in this book? How do they impact the story?
  5. What message do you think the author wanted to send by writing this book? Was he/she successful? Why or why not?
  6. Would this book make a good movie? Now, cast the movie!
Happy Reading!