The 5th grade book group has completed its evolution, and it’s fantastic.  Yesterday we had eight kids (the ninth got the week wrong, and was sad to have missed the group), all of whom were bursting with enthusiasm and totally anxious to discuss The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley.  I had come to the group armed with a variety of things to discuss about the book, but in the end my role was simply moderator.  And that is how it should be, what I’ve been aiming for all along with these book groups.  There was a moment half-way through the group yesterday, as I was looking at five kids with their hands eagerly raised, and I realized that this particular group of kids has become a true Book Group.  They read the book, think about it, come to the group meeting with things they want to discuss about it, and even bring questions about the book to pose to the rest of the group members.  They stay on topic for the whole meeting, are courteous listeners when someone else is speaking, and, most of all, they make really intelligent comments.  Our only challenge yesterday was making sure that I did a good job calling on people – that everyone got equal opportunity to speak.  Sometime, in the not so distant future, I’m expecting that the kids will be able to take control of the group moderation themselves, and that I’ll just get to sit back and appreciate the discussion. 

And, for the record, they LOVED the book, boys and girls alike.  Absolutely, unequivocably, totally LOVED it.  Most of the kids in the group have moved on to read at least one of the sequels, and all were thrilled to learn that there are going to be eight books in the series. 

Next month’s book is the classic Five Children and It by E. Nesbit.  I can’t wait to hear their comments on it!