Creative, Clever Readers' Book Club (High School): Close Reading & Writing
Read diverse literature, discuss it with friends (and a literature teacher), and complete interactive activities to develop your close reading, critical thinking, literary analysis, essay writing, and creative writing skills. All welcome!
Alaina Bell Gao
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(435)
Star Educator
What's included
1 live meeting
50 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
2-4 hours per week. All participants should read the assigned chapters before our book club meeting (or listen to the audiobook.) Those who have not completed the reading may still attend but should notify their teacher of how much they read and expect spoilers. In addition to the weekly reading homework, writing homework is assigned each week. These responses are shared at the beginning of the following class. Depending on your learner's schedule and needs, these assignments may be considered essential or optional. They may also be adjusted based on your learner's needs. For example, a dysgraphic learner may make an audio recording instead of writing out the answer or use text-to-speech assistive technology. Handwritten and typed answers are welcome.Assignments
In addition to the weekly reading homework, writing homework is assigned each week but learners can select from a choice board. These assignments will vary from week to week and from book to book, but may include book reports, creative projects (for critical thinking and analysis), creative writing (poetry, character journal entries, and short stories), analytical paragraphs, research summaries, or essay writing. These responses are shared at the beginning of the following class. Depending on your learner's schedule and needs, these assignments may be considered essential or optional. They may also be adjusted based on your learner's needs. For example, a dysgraphic learner may make an audio recording instead of writing out the answer or use text-to-speech assistive technology. Handwritten and typed answers are welcome.Projects
All at-home projects and Kahoot games are optional but are beneficial for reading comprehension, vocabulary development, grammar exploration, literary analysis, and critical thinking. Due to my heavy schedule, only limited feedback is available. However, these activities may be posted in our classroom for discussion with other club members through the week.Assessment
More detailed assessments of skills may be available upon request, but I have a heavy schedule and a disability that limits my energy. Reach out as soon as possible if your learner needs an evaluation.Certificate of Completion
Each learner who has attended each week of a novel study and/or has completed the relevant activities to cover all chapters may request a certificate of completion for that novel study.Class Experience
US Grade 10 - 12
⭐All learners are welcome! Our book club is loved by diverse learners, including students around the world, ESL learners, voracious bibliophiles, reluctant readers, neurodivergent, and so on! ⭐Read the chapters prior to our book club meeting or listen to the audiobook. ⭐This class is learner-led, so each participant will choose their writing/composing project and optional extension activities. I provide a list of inspiring projects. ⭐Ask about sibling, friend, and loyalty discounts! ⭐Coupon codes below! ⭐Subscriptions renew every Sunday (like all ongoing clubs.) ⭐Continue for as long as you want (and drop out when you need to.) ⭐Your encouraging messages and reviews help motivate me to continue creating new content! Our book club is conversational and interactive. I lead the learners using slideshows with thought-provoking questions, context photographs and information, and in-class activities. Our meetings are meant to be relaxed and enjoyable, so the participants may bring drinks, food, fidget toys, and comfort items to class. Bring your book (digital or paper) and a notebook and pens to take visual notes (which can include doodles and art!) The content cycles, so it builds weekly within a novel study. (Each book is divided into four-ten lessons.) There will be references to the previous chapters, including details about the characters, so learners who have not read the earlier chapters will not fully understand the current ones. However, all new learners are welcome any week. (They are encouraged to begin reading the story from the beginning.) There may also be references to previous vocabulary, allusions, or quotations, but the context will be provided for new learners. I will check in with new learners to keep them included. We constantly practice close reading, literary analysis, and writing, so this series is listed as a club rather than a course. All learners are welcome to join at any time. Participants should read or listen to the chapters (or as many as possible) before our book club meetings. If there's still time in your schedule, complete the writing/composing assignment. Each week, there is a choice board, so you can choose a creative writing, book report, or essay topic that inspires you. I added the "composing" option for learners who prefer to record their answers instead of writing them to accommodate those with dyslexia/dysgraphia and those who wish to improve their rhetoric and speaking skills. There will be time to share your writing at the beginning of the following class, but writing can also be shared privately and/or in the classroom. (Due to my heavy schedule, my feedback will be limited but personalized.) Meanwhile, expansion projects are posted in the classroom, which include weekly vocabulary and grammar activities, context exploration, and crafts. These are optional and are done outside of class, but may be enjoyed and shared with your classmates. I encourage the learners to interact with their classmates during the week to build up a community. TRIAL CLASS Try out the class for $1 with coupon code BELLGHIGHSCHOOLTRIAL19. MONTHLY SPECIALS! I have had to increase my prices due to rising costs and lower enrollment. However, I am dedicated to finding a solution for all families! Contact me if your learner wants to take my class and you need a discount. (If you can pay the current fee, I thank you for your support since I work hard to provide creative, inspiring content while balancing the challenges of living with disability and chronic illness. Thank you!) Get an $10 class using BELLGFEBHIGHSCHOOL10 in February 2025. Get an $10 class using BELLGMARHIGHSCHOOL10 in March 2025. Get an $10 class using BELLGAPRHIGHSCHOOL10 in April 2025. Get an $10 class using BELLGMAYHIGHSCHOOL10 in May 2025. Get an $10 class using BELLGJUNHIGHSCHOOL10 in June 2025. SCHEDULE: 📚Extracts from The Pillow Book by Makura no Sōshi (枕草子) The Week of May 25th = Character analysis from "Hateful Things", "Birds", "Elegant Things", "Insects", and "In the Seventh Month" 📚 The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The Week of June 1st = Chapters 1-4 The Week of June 8th = Chapters 5-9 The Week of June 15th = Chapters 10-15 The Week of June 22nd = Chapters 16-23 The Week of June 29th = Chapters 24-27 The Week of July 6th = Film Analysis & Comparison 📚 Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston The Week of July 13th = No Name Woman The Week of July 20th = White Tigers The Week of July 27th = Shaman The Week of August 3rd = The Western Palace The Week of August 10th = A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe 📚 The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan The Week of August 17th = "Feathers From a Thousand Li Away" The Week of August 24th = "The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates" The Week of August 31st = "American Translation" The Week of September 7th = "Queen Mother of the Western Skies" 📚 Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie The Week of September 14th = Chapters 1 -2 The Week of September 21st = Chapters 3-4 The Week of September 28th = Chapters 5-7 The Week of October 5th = Chapters 8-10 The Week of October 12th = Chapters 11-12 📚 Animal Farm by George Orwell The Week of October 19th = Chapters 1-3 The Week of October 26th = Chapters 4-5 The Week of November 2nd = Chapters 6-7 The Week of November 9th = Chapters 8-9 The Week of November 16th = Chapter 10 📚 The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros The Week of = "The House on Mango Steet" through "Marin" The Week of = "Those Who Don't" through "The First Job" The Week of = "Papa Who Wakes Up Tired In the Dark" through "Sally" The Week of = "Minerva Writes Poems" through "Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes" 📚 O Pioneers! by Willa Cather FUTURE SELECTIONS: World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros Short Stories by William Faulkner The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Our Stories, Our Voices The Hero Next Door Everyday People: The Color of Life - a Short Story Anthology My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women The Art of the Tale: An International Anthology New Daughters of Africa To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill The Bluest Eye by Tori Morrison In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Native Son by Richard Wright Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by Shugri Said Salh Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family's Farm by David M. Masumoto Ghosts Of Gold Mountain by Gordon H. Chang The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See Revolution Is Not A Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Great Expectations by Charles Dicken Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Hamlet by William Shakespeare Macbeth by William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare King Lear by William Shakespeare Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Lord of the Flies by William Golding 1984 by George Orwell Brave New World by Aldous Huxley A Mango-Shaped Space Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
Other Details
Learning Needs
I am a creative, fun-loving, gentle, neurodivergent teacher, so my classes have activities, choice boards, passion, laughter, and slideshows with illustrations. I adapt to the learners and encourage their participation in any form.
Parental Guidance
I encourage you to look up reviews on a site like Common Sense Media to ensure each novel suits your learner well. Feel free to reach out to me to find out more about our current selection, especially if you have specific concerns or a sensitive reader.
While I have listed Google Docs, Google Slides, and Canva as resources used in this class, they are not required. Rather, they are options that learners may use for their projects outside of class. Additionally, I may post YouTube videos in the classroom, but these links will be embedded so learners will not be directed to other videos on YouTube. Your learner may also choose a research topic from the choice board. In this case, please supervise their research.
Supply List
Each learner will need a copy of the novel, although they are welcome to listen to an audiobook. Some activities will require a written copy. All participants should read the assigned chapters before our book club meeting (or listen to the audiobook.) Those who have not completed the reading may still attend but should notify their teacher of how much they read and expect spoilers. In addition to the weekly reading homework, writing homework is assigned each week. These responses are shared at the beginning of the following class. Depending on your learner's schedule and needs, these assignments may be considered essential or optional. They may also be adjusted based on your learner's needs. For example, a dysgraphic learner may make an audio recording instead of writing out the answer or use text-to-speech assistive technology. Handwritten and typed answers are welcome. Participants are encouraged to come with a notebook and pen.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined January, 2020
4.9
435reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Bachelor's Degree in English from University of Windsor
Associate's Degree in English from Canadian College of Educators
I am an experienced Canadian English teacher with 15+ years of professional teaching experience. My bachelor's degree is in English Language and Literature, and I have developed curriculum for popular educational platforms and taught honours English, AP English Language and Literature, gifted classes, and specialty programs. I have also taught at a top-ranking national exemplary Sino-American high school. Furthermore, I am also approved to provide part-time tutoring services under Florida's Step Up for Students scholarship program!
As a dedicated, creative, gentle, and patient neurodivergent teacher, many neurodiverse learners thrive in my classes, including those with ADHD, OCD, Autism, anxiety, and dyslexia. Additionally, I have experience working with gifted and 2E learners, many of whom have thrived in my classes. Finally, I am trained and experienced in teaching English as a second and foreign language and welcome international learners!Reviews
Live Group Class
$20
weekly1x per week
50 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
2-6 learners per class
