Wonder Book Club

Going online wasn't going to stop spring book club, where students gathered on Teams to discuss their chosen book, Wonder by R.J. Palacio. We started with a scavenger hunt for three items: a dog of some kind (real, stuffed, photo), a musical instrument of some kind, and something meaningful given to them by a friend, since friendship is so key to the book. Each student talked about their item, and why it was important to them. Then we got on to the discussion. I had sent the questions beforehand (though students could always choose to ask their own question!), and set up a spinning wheel widget to choose which question to ask. Students could spin the wheel, or I could spin for them. We had an insightful discussion about friendship and bullies and family relationships, and overall it was a win!

Next fall, we are going to experiment with a different format for the fall book club: a #currentlyreading club so students can come and talk about whatever they are reading. We will also have two meetings, one for 5th-6th and one for 7th-8th, if sign ups are high!

Thanks to the kids who made the effort to read the book and attend and talk thoughtfully about the book, and thanks to Ms. Vikstrom-Hoyt for general support and for making sure the wheel widget worked!