Searching our site for childrens books will yield even more options, all read and discussed indepth by book riot writers. This 4th grade summer reading list is filled with middle grade books appropriate for kids ages 8 to 12, so if your child will be starting 3rd, 5th or 6th grade, it may be useful for you, too. This is a literary analysis technique called close reading. Our panel of childrens book experts recommends these great books for 4th graders.
You want students to understand that a book club is when people who have all read the same book come together to discuss that book. Scholastic book clubs is the best possible partner to help you get excellent childrens books into the hands of every child, to help them become successful lifelong readers and discover the joy and power of good books. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. Book clubs for the upper elementary classroom the rigorous owl. Starting a book club can be a breeze, but only if you take the right approach from the beginning. Now that you know you will be teaching fourth grade, you are probably starting to wonder what resources you might want to have in your classroom. When prospective members contact you for more information, explain the purpose of the book club and the number of members youre looking for. Appropriate book club books for kids from 2nd5th grade. I dont want to limit my book selections to just the books that ive read. See more ideas about 4th grade books, teaching reading and 4th grade reading. Aug 5, 20 explore camiheyligers board fourth grade book clubs. Promoting a lifelong love of reading is a priority for teachers and parents. Book clubs have come back as a popular way to allow readers to discuss. Watch for the minilesson, small group strategy lesson, conference, midworkshop teaching, book club talk.
We always start out by discussing the reading from the previous day. Book clubs are an opportunity for students to form partnerships in reading. Wishtree by katherine applegate, how to steal a dog by barbara oconnor, crenshaw by katherine applegate, the. Browse grade 4 books here the scholastic parent store. Soentpiet yin, the lotus seed by sherry garland, and more, weve be able to study themes within texts. By reading books such as number the stars by lois lowry, coolies by chris k. This document has all of the lessons from the lucy calkins 4th grade reading curriculum, from the ifthen book, social issues book clubs.
Just looking under the 4th grade book list alone, there are hundreds of books that have story questions and highlevel, questions, not just basic recall information. Book clubs ive been using my literature circles since the fall. Poppers penguins is a good fit for most first and secondgrade readers. Plus, be sure to check out the list i made last summer for. The reason i read this book is that it is a selection of my book club. Parents can take turns jump starting the discussion. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. Litcourse 3 has a good discussion of close reading. Each book club has books by one author and will be completing different tasks and activities related to the books theyre reading. Book clubs for kids staring a book club for kids running a book club for kids book clubs for kids.
Book clubs can be a great tool to target different groups of kids, from the abovegradelevel reader who needs some enrichment to stay engaged, to the struggling reader who needs a chance to see that reading books can be fun. They love reading about all kinds of families and kids in all kinds of situations and countries, living in their own time or other eras. We meet once a week tuesdays for 4th grade and thursdays for 5th grade during lunch and have a blast reading and discussing the books. Each group has 810 students from all reading levels. Mini literature circles freebie start students off in literature circles by using. Start a book club for kids scholastic books for kids. Tell students that, in this session, they will be choosing the books they will discuss in their book club. Grade 4 daily reading workbook for classroom and home, reading comprehension and phonics practice, school level activities created by teachers to master challenging concepts. The topic changes every year, but this year, we are studying book clubs. The key to running a successful book club is organization.
Take notes or mark passages that strike youpassages you find significant, funny, or insightful. We will have indepth discussions, activities to go along with. As a parent i would have no problem having my middle school children reading this book. Robin is a former third grade teacher, has a masters in education, and has three children of her own.
Bookspring recommends that kids and families interested in reading diverse and multicultural stories try the awardwinning, international site storyweaver while bookspring recommends starting with print books for all infants and toddlers, digital and downloadable books can also help emerging and independent readers if they are shared with. Kindergarten grades 1 2 grades 3 4 grades 5 6 grades 7 8 grades. How to start a book club for elementary students wehavekids. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. See more ideas about book club books, literature circles and teaching reading. We all read a book chosen by the next hostess and read that book. This kit contains helpful directions for starting a book club and includes question cards, bookmarks and activity cards.
In fact, many teachers today use it as part of their language arts curriculum. The content of these books isnt strictly educational. Thirdgrade book club reading list caroline starr rose. Book clubs in the upper grades scholastic books for kids. Their meetings can come to life with discussions, arts and crafts, and activities. This kit contains helpful directions for starting a book club and includes. I am not sure exactly why it is a selection as my book club is mostly senior citizens and no very young members. My favorite resources for fourth grade teachers not so. The chapter book s witty dialogue albeit with dated language, clever characters and an ethical predicament make this book as enjoyable today as in the 1930s. Some ideas for book club books upper elementary pernille ripp. These fifth graders are just beginning their historical fiction book club unit of study. Because all of my experience with book clubs comes from my years in a 3rd grade classroom, i have been spending time with younger students to learn about how these clubs might strengthen their reading.
Suggestions for being a good listener and participant are also included to encourage children to talk about what they are reading. At the beginning of the year, i told my students about how i am a part of a book club. The selections for the youngest group include a mix of picture books and chapter books to offer options for. Book club is an ela activity that combines reading and discussion of at level books in an organized manner. This week, i wanted to get a glimpse of the book clubs that are happening in upper grade classrooms at my school. I call them book clubs because i wanted my students to love books like i do with my own book club. Jot down questions as you read the book, or do an online search for guided questions. Goldens classroom this club is for students that love to read and talk about great books. Book clubs build community in the classroom, get students excited about reading, and break up the daytoday routine. Choosing awardwinning books helped to show the kids what good books are. Therefore, i can use these questions and answers to help guide my students in their book talk discussions. Discover the benefits of starting a book club in this twopart article.
How would you describe the main characters in your book. We began the historical fiction reading unit a few weeks ago. I sat in on several club meetings in tami heeses 5th grade class, and i saw some excellent thinking and learning happening. Weve selected some surefire titles in a variety of genres from mystery to mythology to middle school tales and more that we know click. Dont try to make the book club something its not, advise judy gelman and vicki levy krupp, coauthors of the comprehensive the kids book club book tarcher, 2007. Dont forget to support your answers with evidence from the text. For california mom jan robertson, forming a parentchild book club was a way of encouraging her 9yearold daughters academic interests, and, she says, it is a great bonding experience. Ive written a series of posts about childrens book clubs. Starting in 2000, knowledge adventure and scholastic launched a series of jumpstart books for prek, kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade age levels. I began my work with a 2nd grade book club quite by accident. By fourth grade, 9 and 10yearolds are not only devouring books, theyre expanding their worldviews, too. If you are part of a book club, share your experiences with the class.
Although the unit is not complete, connections are being made from all the read aloud books that have been read already. I was in the classroom for another reason, and i just couldnt resist the urge to pull up a chair and spy on their conversation. Im here to confess that i ruined book clubs for several of my fourth grade classes. All recommended books were selected for high literary value and thematic content that would provide compelling discussion material for book clubs. Reading groups are determined by the students current reading levels and no more than six students are placed in each reading group to allow full participation by each member of the group. Creating a fun environment to read and discuss books is a great tool for fostering this goal. Find book club lesson plans and teaching resources.
Some ideas for book club books upper elementary august 17, 2014 july 31, 2015 pernille ripp i thought i had been doing book clubs well my first few years of teaching, but it wasnt until i went to teachers college and really learned how to do book clubs that i. With your kids input and posts from book riot, you can select anything from childrens books for the resistance to books for the inbetween years when middle grades and ya are both not quite right. One word of advice is to be sure you have read the books they are reading. Meet at one anothers homes, book a free room at your local library, or gather outside at a park for a bookthemed picnic. This particular club was talking about a book in the bailey school kids series. Book clubs have come back as a popular way to allow readers to discuss books in an informal setting. Some ideas for book club books upper elementary august 17, 2014 july 31, 2015 pernille ripp i thought i had been doing book clubs well my first few years of teaching, but it wasnt until i went to teachers college and really learned how to do book clubs that i started loving them. Starting poetry and book clubs for the next several weeks, we will be learning about and writing poetry. Best 4th grade books for the classroom weareteachers. If you and several friends are already interested in forming a book club, congratulations. Heese gave her students a very short amount of time to get into their clubs. Each lesson is easy to follow, and all of the extra materials needed are included. See more ideas about book club, book club books, teaching reading.