Discussion à la Mode: How I Turn Book Clubs into a Three-Course Experience

When reading feels more like dining, every student wants a seat at the table.

Setting the Scene

Picture this: the desks in Room 20 have morphed into café tables. Each one draped with (plastic) tablecloths, kaft-paper placemats, and a fun centerpiece. Most importantly, as no dining experience is complete without it, a laminated book club menu divided into Appetizers, Main Courses, and Desserts is placed prominently at each seat. As my middle schoolers settle in, I make the rounds like a good ole' fashioned waitress, notebook in hand:

"Can I take your order for our discussion today? Don't be shy; make sure you grab something to start, something hearty, and something sweet to end the meal."

Yes; you need to commit to the bit. Trust me; the students may cringe a bit but they get into it pretty quick. Their "orders" become the graded component of the discussion, but the choice is theirs. Anything else on the menu is up for discussion when I am not at their table. Those questions become independent practice and conversation for students while they wait for their order (i.e. me - the grader - to come and sit with them).

🦊 Clever Fox Tip #1

Keep an apron or server's order pad on hand for these days. The playful prop signals a shift from teacher to conversation host, lowering affective filters and inviting students to engage in the activity and speak up more.

Menu Prep: What do I need for a successful literary meal?

Turning your classroom into a bistro doesn't have to break the bank, but it does require a little bit of prep work. Here's how I begin my planning:

1. Designing the Menu

   When I first began making menus, I started with three categories: appetizers, main courses, and desserts. Now, when the novel allows for it, I will often add: drinks and "specials."

   • Appetizers: These questions are low-stakes. They should include basic comprehension of the text and spark quick thinking.

   • Main Courses: These questions are standard-aligned questions focused. on character arcs, theme, and structure.

2. Dessert: These questions are creative reflections, personal connections, or options to explore real-world connections.

   
   

   🦊 Clever Fox Tip #2

   Use menu templates in Canva to help you construct authentic-looking menus. I title my questions after characters in the books and thematic concepts paired with an actual food item (e.g. "The Family Ties Burger" or "Cherry's Insight Cola" from S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders).

   

3. Set the Tables

   I have found that adding small, inexpensive items (like tablecloths) can transform my room and make my students feel like this is a novel moment.

   • Push desks into groups of 4-6 for a café-style feel.

   • Add placements that compliment the colors of the book. These placemats can also double as note-taking materials for your students.

   • Include a simple centerpiece; this could be as simple as the book you are discussing on a stand or a small fake plant.

4. The Reading Routine (or the Student Prep)

   Behind every great literary discussion is solid reading prep work. Whether we're diving into a whole-class novel or running independent book clubs, my students know that thoughtful reading and annotations is what sets the table for rich conversation. Students are given a set of sticky notes and an annotation guide. They are asked to track their thinking as they read. Some common annotations we make are: characterization, major plot events, structural elements, character interactions, turning points, and any quote or dialogue related to a specific theme.

   • Independent Reading Book Club Model: Every Friday is a designated reading day in our classroom. This gives students dedicated time to read without pressure and ensures that all students, regardless of outside obligations, have the time to read the text.

   • Whole-Class Reading Book Club Model: If reading as a class, students will listen to me read aloud or we will popcorn read.

   
   

   Three Courses, Three Conversations

   Regardless of which model I'm running, I schedule three book club discussion dinners throughout the novel. My students know these dates ahead of time and know which chapter we need to have read up to in order to participate well. Our menus change for each discussion. These dinners are spread out throughout the reading process so students can track how ideas evolve.

   Each

   Each "dinner" is anchored to key literature standards we've been targeting during reading:

   • RL.1: Inference-building

   • RL.2: Central Ideas and Themes

   • RL.3: Character and Plot Development

   • RL.5: Text Structure and Turning Points

   • RL.6: Point of View and Author's Choices

The Day of the Dinner Discussion

1. Before the Discussion (15 min)

   • Students review the menu with their tablemates and select one question from each course.

   • Once "orders" are placed, they flag key passages with sticky notes (or look through their already-made annotations) or record thoughts on notebook paper (or their placemats).

   
   

   🦊 Clever Fox Tip #3

   Let student's negotiate their menu choices as a group. It helps them learn how to collaborate and work together for the good of the group. They all need to be invested in what they discuss in order for the conversation to be rich.

   
   

2. During the Discussion (25-30 min)

   • Students begin tackling non-ordered questions together to warm up.

   • When I arrive at the table, we begin the graded questions - the ones they "ordered."

   • I listen and take anecdotal notes using a discussion rubric. I do not speak. This is important. I am an observer. This is their discussion.

3. After I Leave

   • Students return to remaining menu questions or reflect using a Book Club Reflection form.

   • Prompts include:

     • What insight from a peer challenged or expanded your thinking?

     • What did you not get a chance to share or what are you still thinking about?

     • What from the rubric would you like to improve on? What are your steps needed to achieve that?

   Note: To give all my students adequate discussion time, I typically take two class periods to complete my dinners.

   
   

   What books have we done?

   I have had the pleasure of running several book club dinners as an educator. I started in 10th-grade but now work with middle school students. This has been my absolute favorite way to understand if my students comprehend the texts we are reading. My menus include the following titles:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Did you know you can purchase these menus or request a custom book menu for your classroom?

Tangerine Book Club Bundle

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The Outsiders Book Club Bundle

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