Book Clubs

In this 4-5 week unit, students will explore issues relating to identity through a novel they choose from a list of YA texts. As they read, they will track reoccurring motifs and meet twice a week in small book groups to discuss ideas central to the author’s work. These discussions are student-led and designed to build communication skills and foster a greater sense of independence. On days students do not meet with their small groups, students will explore effective narrative writing techniques. They will review the narrative structure and focus on incorporating sensory details into their own writing. The unit will culminate in a creative writing assignment that asks students to explore a central idea of the text from a different perspective.

Novels may include:

• Miles Morales -- Spiderman (Reynolds)

• The Boy in the Black Suit (Reynolds)

• When I was the Greatest (Reynolds)

• All American Boys (Reynolds)

• Speak (Anderson)

• Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (Crutcher)

Essential Questions

Q1: How do writers bring their characters and settings to life?

Q2: How can we make decisions for ourselves when we live in a society that constantly tries to define us?

Q3: How can our decisions influence how we understand ourselves?