Teaching and Learning

Sign Up for Book Club!

Do you love a good mystery? Ever dream of travelling abroad? Ten of our Year 3-6 students certainly do. That’s why they signed up to read Amanda in England: The Missing Novel in our first Book Club of the year. Our ‘Book Clubbers’ are following the adventures of Amanda, a young girl who takes in the sights of England – Hampton Court, Harrods, the Tower of London, Windsor Castle and the London Eye – all while hot on the trail of a sneaky book thief!

Together, we go in depth to explore how the author, Darlene Foster, transports us to the cobblestone streets and medieval castles of England. How does Foster help us visualise the setting?

Then we turn our attention to the characters – including Amanda, the pair of tough teenagers she befriends and the friendly, clever Maine Coon cat named Rupert. How do the characters feel, act and interact with one another?

These are just some of the discussions we have during Book Club meetings.

The picture story books The Great Escape from the Zoo, Tiger’s Roar and Lone Pine were read and discussed by another of our Book Clubs. Here too, students examined a range of literary elements such as story plots, main characters and settings.

Book Clubs are a wonderful way for students to push themselves – and their reading skills – beyond their comfort zone. Reading together and chatting about the book helps to keep students accountable for their personal growth as a reader while working to support others as well. In Book Club, students can get lost in a book and take their fellow ‘Book Clubbers’ with them for the ride!

At Book Club: Reading Together is Learning Together!