Book Groups
Book sharing becomes a venue for families, educators, and community members to explore issues of race and equity.
What It Is
Literature groups — sometimes called book studies, book groups, book circles, or reading circles — create a space for families, educators, and community members to engage in authentic conversations about racial and economic inequality. By choosing books that focus on family experiences, participants take charge of their conversations, hold themselves and one another accountable, and develop insights and empathy about the lived experiences of others.
How It Works
Book groups have a long history that dates back to ancient times. In K‒12 education and adult literacy classes, book groups are typically used to promote reading skills. More recently, book groups have been adopted in professional learning and community settings to create conversations about confronting biases and racial equity.[1] Although the format of these book groups can vary, they generally include:
- Gathering a diverse group of people interested in learning more about one another
- Choosing a book to read that centers on families’ experiences and issues that are of interest to the group
- Reading the book, either together or separately
- Discussing in an informal, peer-directed way, questions and reflections based on the book that are meaningful and relevant
- Creating action steps based on opportunities to learn from one another
What Changes
Research shows that teachers who participate in book studies as a method of professional learning shift beliefs regarding marginalized students and apply critical reflection about issues related to equity and serving all students.[2]
Approach in Action
With support from the Patterson Foundation, the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (Florida) created a series of book circles open to the community to explore the book The Power of Presence, written by Joy Thomas Moore.[3] The book reflects on Moore’s journey as a single mother and the obstacles that come from raising children alone. The goal of the book circles was to raise awareness among all community members about the daily decisions parents and caregivers face in raising thoughtful and compassionate children and to create relationships through discussion of shared experiences about what can make parenting easier in order to support children’s success in school and life. To date, more than 115 book circles have been held, reaching nearly a thousand individuals. Anecdotes from book circles show that they have been a powerful way to build connections, understanding, and trust among the participants.
Learn More
The Power of Presence Book Circle
Toolkit: https://www.gradelevelreadingsuncoast.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Power-of-Presence-Toolkit_FINAL.pdf
Great Stories Club on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation
Report: http://www.ala.org/tools/sites/ala.org.tools/files/content/ALA_FullReport_March4_6_04pm.pdf
Endnotes
[1] Kaczmarczyk, A., Allee-Herndon, K. A., & Roberts, S. K. (2019). Using literacy approaches to begin the conversation on racial illiteracy. The Reading Teacher, 72(4), 523‒528.
[2] Lac, V., & Diamond, J. (2019). Working for racial equity at the margins: Teacher-leaders facilitate a book study on race in a predominantly white suburban high school. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 22(2), 54‒67.
