Book Club - 'The Outsiders'

September 2008

The students in Mrs. Janice Clark’s 7th Grade Reading class know what it means to be in a ‘Book Club.’  The class read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and kept a Literature Log with a variety of responses, including figurative language, comprehension, character webbing, plot chart and reaction chart.

The students really enjoyed the discussions.  Mrs. Clark then decided to set up a ‘Book Club’ atmosphere complete with snacks and table settings.  The class was divided into small groups. Each setting had the names of the group members and a topic of discussion. Students discussed their topic with their small groups and then the groups discussed and shared our thoughts and reactions with the large group. Their insight into the conflicts of the novel was outstanding. They even tied these themes and conflicts in with the ‘real world.’  It was great fun and Mrs. Clark and the students enjoyed the meaningful discussions.