Each month, we'll read and discuss a different tween/middle grade novel! This book club blends pleasure reading and novel study-- we'll discuss what we love (or dislike!) about the book, as well as theme, symbolism, characters, and structure.

2024 selections:

January: Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera

February: The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

March: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemienhart

April: Sisters of the Lost Marsh by Lucy Strange

May: Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

June: The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish

July: The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson

August: The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nicholas Day

September: Ground Zero: A Novel of 9/11 by Alan Gratz

October: Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani

November: Restart by Gordan Korman

December: Wildoak by C.C. Harrington

As an author, I love talking about books with students-- and I especially love urging them to dig deep and think about books beyond a simple "I liked it" or "I didn't like it". This class seeks to engage students in meaningful discussion about books while also touching on literary devices like symbolism, foreshadowing, tone, and voice. We will read modern books that should appeal to a multitude of readers-- even reluctant ones! While I love the classics as much as the next person, I think it's important for students to see that reading "smart" isn't just for dusty old books-- and that spotting literary devices can feel like cracking a secret code that helps you love and understand books on a deeper level.

The books selected for this course are modern reads that are less likely to strike students as "required reading"; I also select books from a variety of genres, and strongly encourage parents and students interested in the course to enroll even if the book selected isn't one they'd usually be drawn to-- there is so much to be learned from reading outside our "comfort zone" and learning to express our like or dislike for a book in a productive, meaningful way.

Please note that students must independently purchase or borrow the month's selected book-- copies are not provided by myself or Outschool, and are not available for free download anywhere online. These books can be purchased anywhere books are sold. Additionally, students who are under ten years old-- even if they are advanced readers-- should consider the Read Smart: Elementary Book Club (Under 10) class instead. While younger students may be able to read the selected books, the conversation in class might be too mature for them academically or emotionally. Parents of younger students, please consider the titles and your individual student carefully!

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While reading ahead isn't "against the rules", please encourage your student not to get too far ahead, lest they risk accidentally revealing spoilers to the other readers. Please note that we read one book per month/per session, and that it is the student's responsibility to acquire and read the first one-fourth of the chosen book before class begins. These books are widely available wherever books are sold or borrowed, as well as in e-book format.