Welcome to The Book Club Breakdown, a limited podcast series hosted by two Upper Grand District School Board program leads that explores book clubs in grades 7 to 10 classrooms. Throughout our journey, we are inviting a number of voices into the conversation, including those of teachers and students in our school board, as well as local and global leaders in reading pedagogy. Join us as we learn more about how to center diverse voices, student choice, and honor authentic discussions.
Publisher
Sandra Kritzer & Heather Walker - UGDSB Program Leads
Grade seven teacher Britany Bartlett and her students explore theme-based book clubs, highlighting student choice and hexagonal thinking to foster personal connections to literature in this interview.
10 Jun 2025
Ep. 11 Launching & Managing Book Clubs - Book Clubs in Practice with Shari Roberts
Teacher Shari Roberts discusses launching and managing book clubs in practice, while students Heather and Sandy share their experiences learning in book clubs, in this interview episode.
4 Jun 2025
Ep. 9: Launching & Managing Book Clubs - Anchoring to Our Anchor Texts
Hosts Sandy and Heather introduce season two and explore launching and managing book clubs in classrooms, focusing on diverse texts and essential discussion skills to inspire engaging reading experiences.
4 Jun 2025
Ep. 10: Launching & Managing Book Clubs - Talking with an Author of Breathing New Life into Book Clubs
Literacy expert Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul explores how book clubs cultivate student voice, reflect identities, and enhance engagement in literacy, breathing new life into reading practices in this interview.
20 Jun 2024
Selecting Texts: Inspiring Students with Book Talks
Guest: Rachel Cooke, TDSB Hybrid-Teacher/Coach and Assistant Curriculum Leader of English/Literacy, and Author
Rachel Cook shares insights into the practice of “book talks” and their impact on student reading habits. She discusses the significance of book talks, the process of selecting texts, and the logistics of implementing them in the classroom.
20 Jun 2024
Selecting Texts: A Librarian’s Perspective
Guest: Lauren Bull, Supervisor of Library & Media Services at TJRC
Lauren Bull discusses the resources available at the Terry James Resource Center and how they curate their collection. She shares insights into the changes in the approach to providing taught texts over the years and the shift from formal literature to high-interest texts that focus on diversity of representation and authorship, and empowering student choice and voice. Lauren highlights key parts of the TJRC collection including graphic novels, novels in verse, short story anthologies, and traditional novels, in both English and French.
20 Jun 2024
Selecting Texts: Considering Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy
Guest: Jael Richardson, Author and Director of the FOLD & FOLD Kids
Jael Richardson discusses the importance of book clubs in the classroom, the significance of reading diverse texts by Canadian and Indigenous authors, and the principles of culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy. She emphasizes the value of including diverse voices and perspectives in classroom texts and the impact it has on students.
20 Jun 2024
Setting the Stage: Developing Student Reading Identity
Guest: Pernille Ripp, Author, Educator, and Public Speaker
Pernille Ripp discusses how to create an environment that respects the voices and choices of students in classroom book clubs. She explores the importance of developing student reading identity and the impact of instructional practices on students' reading experiences. The conversation emphasizes the need to dispel myths about reading and to have authentic conversations with students about their reading journeys.
20 Jun 2024
Ep. 3 Setting the Stage - Engaging Strategies that Prepare Students for Book Clubs
Episode 3 Guest: Jodi Sprung-Boyd, UGDSB Educator
Jody Sprung-Boyd shares her strategies for using book clubs in her classroom. She emphasizes the importance of providing diverse book choices and creating a sense of community through book clubs. Jody also discusses the power of storytelling and how it can be explored through activities that involve movement and dialogue. She shares her approach to introducing book promos and involving fellow educators and former students in the process.
20 Jun 2024
Setting the Stage: Why move away from single taught texts?
Guest: Rabia Khokhar, Educator and Anti-Racism Activist
Rabia Khokhar discusses the importance of book clubs and moving away from the single-taught text model. Rabia emphasizes the need to center student voice and choice, which leads to increased engagement and equity in the classroom. Rabia also provides guidance for teachers on how to choose books for book clubs, including reflecting on their own positionality, considering the needs and interests of their students, and researching and reviewing books.
20 Jun 2024
Introducing The Book Club Breakdown
This first episode welcomes listeners to The Book Club Breakdown! Heather and Sandy introduce themselves as podcast hosts and discuss the focus of The Book Club Breakdown. Listeners will find out more about the guests and how to access resources connected to the episodes. Don't miss this first episode as it also lets listeners know how to enter a draw for one of two texts that are anchored to in the podcast!
6 Jun 2024
Ep. 6: Selecting Texts - Indigenous Text Considerations
Epiosde 6 Guest: Jerica Fraser, UGDSB Indigenous Education Lead
Jerica Fraser provides expertise and practical insight into the process of vetting Indigenous texts. The discussion focuses on the importance of using recommended Indigenous texts and resources and the significance of providing a selection of texts rather than just one. Jerica highlights the importance of authenticity in bringing Indigenous voices into the classroom and avoiding tokenistic approaches.
Who has been a guest on The Book Club Breakdown
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Britany Bartlett
students
Shari Roberts
Heather
Sandy
Podcast Authority Score: 5 / 100
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