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Books - Where the Magic Begins!

In this ongoing class, we will be discussing books we are reading at home.
Teacher Jill
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:
(90)
Class

What's included

40 live meetings
40 in-class hours
Homework
As this is a book club, learners will be expected to have age-appropriate reading skills and be willing to read the books we talk about in class. As I am aware that purchasing books can be expensive, I would really recommend that you sign your child up to become a library member so that they can borrow the books we will be talking about at no cost to you (UK - I am unaware of any fees that may be incurred in other countries so please check this for yourselves).

Class Experience

US Grade 5 - 8
Intermediate Level
Do you love talking about books with other book lovers? Do you want to discover new stories and characters that will make you laugh, cry, or wonder? If you answered yes, then you should join my book club class for children aged 9 to 12!

In this class, we will talk about some of the most popular and exciting book series for young readers. 

Please note that, for copyright reasons, we will NOT be reading aloud from any of these books - this is a discussion-only class.

Which book would you like to talk about? Would it come from any of these examples?

•	Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: the adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and face the evil Lord Voldemort. We will talk about why this series of books became so popular with children and adults alike, so much so, that they were turned into films that have been watched by millions of people across the world. Do we relate to the young Harry? Or do we relate to one of his friends more? Why is the evil Voldemort such a brilliant antagonist? Do we secretly dream of being a magical 'Muggle' who is able to go to Hogwarts School, like Hermione? Would we like to be able to perform magic, and if so, would we always use it for good? Would you be tempted to perform magic that could harm someone, for your own personal gain, and if yes, where should that stop? 

•	Elementals by Amie Kaufman: where four young heroes control the elements of fire, earth, air, and water and fight against a mysterious enemy that threatens their world. What is the difference between the ice wolves and the scorch dragons? How would you feel if your elemental was the ice wolves and your siblings the scorch dragons? What if they had been snatched away by the scorch dragons - mortal enemies of the ice wolves? Would you try to save them?

•	Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan: Percy, a demigod son of Poseidon, and his friends go on quests and battles with Greek gods and monsters. This series is a thrilling and funny adventure that follows Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old boy who finds out he is a demigod, a child of a Greek god, and a human. How would you feel if you discovered you were a demigod? Would you like to be one? Percy has to face many dangers and challenges from ancient Greek mythology, such as monsters, Titans, and gods, while trying to save the world from the evil Kronos. Would you be able to do all the things he does? Do you agree with what he does? 

•	Mapmaker Chronicles by A.L. Tait: Quinn, a reluctant mapmaker joins a race to map the world and encounters danger and discovery along the way. Quinn lives in a world where the King wants to discover what lies beyond the known lands and has promised a great prize to the captain who can bring him the most accurate map. Quinn joins the crew of the Libertas, a ship led by a mysterious slave captain named Zain, and sets sail on a perilous journey across the seas. Along the way, he faces many dangers and challenges, such as storms, monsters, pirates, and enemies who want to stop him from completing his mission. By Quinn's side is Grover, a loyal dog who helps him in times of trouble. Quinn learns more about himself, his talents, and his destiny as he explores the unknown and tries to survive. Have you ever thought about how the world was originally mapped? Would you have been brave enough to join the crew of the Libertas and face the storms, monsters, pirates, and enemies, like Quinn did?

Every week, we will choose one book, possibly from one of these series, possibly something completely different, to talk about in our class. You will have a chance to share your opinions, questions, and insights about the book with your classmates and me. You will also learn more about the genre and the themes of the book.

Remember: for reasons of copyright, we CANNOT read aloud from ANY books - we can only talk about them.

How will we choose which book to read? Well, that’s up to you! Every student will have a turn to select which book we will talk about the following week. You can pick any book you like, whether it is part of a series or not, or from any series that you like or are curious about. But remember, not everyone may agree with your choice. Some may have already read it, some may not; some may like it, and some may prefer another book. That’s okay! Part of the fun of a book club is to hear different perspectives and opinions. You might even find that books you would not normally consider reading or talking about may bring an unexpected enjoyment to you.

Of course, we also need to respect each other’s views and feelings. Any comments or disagreements about books must be respectfully and kindly made. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or make them feel left out. We want to create a friendly and supportive environment where everyone can enjoy reading and discussing books.

To start our book club class, I need you to do one thing: give me a list of books you have recently read and enjoyed. This will help me choose the first book to be discussed in our class. You can send me your list by private message or by putting it on our class message page.

I hope you are excited to join this book club class for children aged 9 to 12. I promise you it will be fun, interesting, and rewarding. I can’t wait to see you soon!

Other Details

Parental Guidance
We will be talking about books that target readers between the ages of 9 and 12. As the class is child-led, when the students are given the option to put forward a book suggestion for the following week, if I haven't heard of their suggestion, I will look it up and make the decision as to whether I think it is age-appropriate or not. If I am still unable to decide, I will purchase a copy to read for myself, putting that book on the back burner until I am satisfied it is okay for consumption by students. Please note that students of this age are curious about things that you may not necessarily agree with. A lot of books have a magical fantasy element to them, with strong characters and equally strong (and often frightening) adversaries. Please talk to your learner about this if you are worried.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined June, 2020
4.8
90reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have been teaching creative writing and comprehension classes for many, many years. I have an innate love of books and am constantly reading for pleasure. I have led book clubs outside of this platform, in mainstream education, and I am also a published author and professional editor.  

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Live Group Class
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$20

weekly or $800 for 40 classes
1x per week, 40 weeks
60 min

Live video meetings
Ages: 9-12
3-9 learners per class

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