Book It! Challenge Centre: How to organize a book club for high powered readers

I am working with a great group of readers whereby we will meet for four sessions and each time discuss a book that we are reading.   I was very impressed on day number one, when each student came with a copy of the novel, and a vast majority had already read the book.  It was so fantastic to see students discussing novels and having a huge interest in books.  I was in heaven!
So how do you organize twelve strong readers to make sure they learn or are inspired, or "get something" out of the process?  How do you choose the books to read?

Since the students know their subject domain really well (reading), we brainstormed 4-5 possible ways to organize our time together, keeping in mind that we are together for 4 days (Nov, Jan, Feb, March).  This took some time, but we came up with:

1.  Read the assigned book and spend 4 sessions on it (Mysterious Benedict Society)
2.  Read the assigned book and the other two in this series, and devote the 4 sessions to this series (Mysterious Benedict Society Book 1,2,3)
3.  Spend each session on our own book (like an individual book study)
4.  Spend each session on a different novel, but the entire group does the novel (end up studying 4 different novels as a group)

After much debate and discussion, the students chose number 4:  spend each session on a different novel.

So, for our next book, we decided to cover the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, and will read book 1: Magyk.

For our third session together, we are going to focus on a classic....we are thinking The Hobbit, or To Kill a Mockingbird, or maybe Lord of Rings.  We are not sure yet, but I am looking for ideas... 


So, what do the students do for the entire day, besides read and discuss the book?


In each session, the students are given a challenge for the book they are reading.  I create big projects or challenges that they can spend time working on and developing.  Basically,  I know these students have been given excellent reading assignments in their classrooms, and we discussed the ways in which they have covered novels in their schools:  book reports, chapter summaries,  vocabulary sheets, and so forth.  Many of their previous book experiences have been to break the novel down and look at facts and details, however,  my goal is to let them be the book expert and try something different whereby they are making their own sense of what is going on.


The Challenge for the first book, the Mysterious Benedict Society, is to make a time line, or "frame" of the story, by taking 10 of the main events, and creating a project around this.  The challenge is to use 10 events ONLY, so the students need to really know the main parts of the book.  As well, the challenge is to present their information in a creative format:  some students are making mobiles, others are presenting theirs as a diorama, or a flip chart.  The possibilities are endless.

With gifted or talented students, big ideas work best.....give them big ideas to work with and the freedom to experiment and make meaning of what they have read.  It will be interesting to see the 10 events that each student reveals...will they be the same 10 events?....we will have a great discussion by using their work as a spring board.  The key is using their expertise to drive the process....to stretch them and make them be accountable for their decisions.


I will keep you posted on the outcomes of the first challenge..we will meet again in January.  Students, I can't wait to see and hear your ideas about the Mysterious Benedict Society!