SLAV Online Book Club – August 10th 2022 – Reluctant Readers

Our thanks to those of you able to join us for our book club meeting to discuss titles and strategies for engaging Reluctant Readers. As always, so many of you had so many wonderful contributions to share with us, and it is very appreciated. This topic has been one of our most popular book club meetings and our third discussion on this subject. It was wonderful to engage with new recommendations, revisit old favourites and consider strategies that help school libraries support their reluctant readers.

This was our fifth book club meeting for 2022, and we look forward to chatting with you again at our next meeting on September 8th to discuss the topic LGBTQI+ titles. We will discuss across all age groups which texts are working well for those wishing to engage with LGBTQI+ experiences? How are these texts positioned in your school library to support and bolster inclusion?

Disclaimer: The lists generated as a result of Book Club discussions are not, by any means, an exhaustive list of all titles or authors for each genre/category discussed. Nor will all titles be suitable for all libraries. We advise staff discretion when referencing these lists, to properly confirm individual title suitability for individual libraries, school and students needs. These are suggested titles only, shared by our members and inclusion on, or exclusion from, a list does not suggest SLAV endorsement or rejection of a title.

Books that have been adapted for TV and Movies

Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman (YA)

The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin (MG)

Sandman by Neil Gaiman (Mature Readers)

Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer (MG)

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (YA)

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch (YA)

High Engagement Reads

School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani (MG)

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Fart Boy Series by Adam Wallace

Ninja Kid/Wolf Girl/ Weirdo Series by Anh Do

Anything by Colleen Hoover (Mature Readers)

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (the original verse book and the graphic novel version)

John Scalzi books suit those who want something a bit outside the box. We have Redshirts (sci fi) and Lock In (mystery/suspense)

Warcross by Marie Lu (YA great gamer tie in)

Football Superstar series (soccer) – easy on the eye layout, not much text. Super popular with boys not confident with reading

Making Friends by Kirsten Gudsnuk

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney

A number of our Year 7-8s love ‘Electric State‘ by Simon Stålenhag – it’s a bit more expensive, but it’s beautiful and the illustrations are amazing!

Verse Novels

Verse novels by Sarah Crossan have worked will with students who wanted Colleen Hoover books

The Poet X is a fantastic YA verse novel, Other Words for Home for a slightly younger reader

Bindi by Kirli Saunders is a beautiful verse novel too

I sell the verse novels to reluctant readers by pointing out that they are a super quick read, but you’ve read a whole book!

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Steven Herrick verse novels are well used at our boys school, including as class texts Yr 9-12

When the Stars Wrote Back by Trista Mateer (mature readers) – poetry

NCACL verse novel database

Other titles that work well

The Other Side of the Sky Series by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner

(Horror) Dark Hunter books by Benjamin Hulme-Cross

Flowers in The Attic by Virginia Andrews (YA)

Gordon Korman books have been popular with boys who reject other things e.g. Restart and The Unteachables Planning to buy War Stories, Linked, Notorious, and The Fort (His books cover many genres)

Stormbreaker Series by Anthony Horowitz (novels and graphic novels)

A Spoonful of Sadie by Lana Spasevski, Joanie Stone (Illustrator) (soccer)

The Fox Swift Series by Cyril Rioli (AFL)

I Can Be Series … Belinda Clarke (etc) Phil Kettle author (sport)

Ash Barty Junior Fiction Series – Little Ash (tennis)

The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain by Cath Crowley (girls soccer story fiction)

More Than a Kick by Tayla Harris

Chessboxer by Stephen Davies is amazing – suitable for secondaries

Bulletcatcher is a well-written series (Barrington Stoke) by Chris Bradford

Virtual Kombat trilogy by Chris Bradford  www.barringtonstoke.co.uk

We recently bought the Investigators series, and the primary students love them

I’m pretty sure LMERC have audio books if you join them https://lmerc.softlinkhosting.com.au/oliver/libraryHome.do

I Survived graphic novels are great

Strategies Shared

Try matching books to video games https://screenrant.com/ten-best-video-games-based-books/

Making book lists on our catalogue e.g. Bring the Tissues, At Least One Explosion, Enemies to Lovers, etc

Getting them to talk with their peers about books they recommend

Flip Guides to assist them with choosing

Display or list of banned books – everyone wants read something that they are not allowed to!

Create a short / quick or easy book collection

Have students choose the book they will study for English and buy it or have them choose books from a bookshop for the library.

Invite students to choose from our Lamont book boxes to be added to our collection

Definitely do displays based on Booktok and Bookstagram trends. Latest is the “He’s a 10 but…” meme.

Our students recommend books – a tick is added on the cover and it’s displayed faced out

For the students who don’t know what they want to read we have top 30 lists for different year levels and top 6 lists for all of our different genres. They use them far more than I thought they would

Invite the author to speak

Promote the audio of the book

We have a ‘Bookflix’ window for trending books

I always ask them what they enjoy watching and go from there

Adding book promos to our library promotional trailer (runs over lunchtime) is very successful

What We Are Reading Adult Titles

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Salt and Skin by Eliza Henry Jones

Tanith Lee novels

In by Will McPhail is a great adult graphic novel.

Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Partway through ‘Wake’ by Shelley Burr

The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

Dinner with the Schnabel’s by Toni Jordan

 

 

 

 

 

SLAV Online Book Club March 24th 2021 – Emotional and Mental Wellbeing

Our thanks to those of you able to join us for our second book club meeting for 2021 to discuss books that are useful for exploring issues of emotional and mental wellbeing with our students. Some of the titles discussed are useful resources, others are novels that explore characters dealing with issues around their own emotional and mental wellbeing, or that of a friend or family member. As always, so many of you had so many wonderful contributions to share with us, and it is very appreciated.

Below is the list of titles and series shared and discussed. Some titles may have an indicated suitable age range next to each title, however this is merely a guide and we encourage you to use your own judgement, as you know your students best.

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on Wednesday May 19th to discuss Graphic Novels.

Disclaimer: The lists generated as a result of Book Club discussions are not, by any means, an exhaustive list of all titles or authors for each genre/category discussed. Nor will all titles be suitable for all libraries. We advise staff discretion when referencing these lists, to properly confirm individual title suitability for individual libraries, school and students needs. These are suggested titles only, shared by our members and inclusion on, or exclusion from, a list does not suggest SLAV endorsement or rejection of a title.

Picture Books/ Younger Readers/ Middle Grade

Sometimes Cake by Edwina Wyatt
Angry Arthur by Hiawyn Oram
Tabitha and the Raincloud by Devon Sillett
I Am Yoga by Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds
No One But You by Douglas Wood
The Whirlpool by Emily Larkin
Jump by Andrew Plant
Good Night Ivy Bright by Ben Long and Andrew Plant
Willy and the Cloud by Anthony Browne
Mr Huff by Anna Walker
The Don’t Worry Book by Todd Parr
The Feelings Book by Todd Parr
Talking About Feelings by Janine Sanders
Me Time by Jessica Sanders
When I’m Feeling Angry by Trace Moroney
Hey Warrior by Karen Young
The Red Tree by Shaun Tan
Blue Flower by Sonya Hartnett
The Elephant by Peter Carnavas
Smiling Mind Series Books
What To Do With a Problem by Kobi Yamada
Trying by Kobi Yamada
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
The Sad Book by Michael Rosen
Jetty Jumping by Andrea Rowe
Sick Bay by Nova Weetman
Edge of Thirteen by Nova Weetman
Secrets We Share by Nova Weetman
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
All of Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels are very popular with Year 5-7s.
The Little Wave by Pip Harry

Older Readers and Young Adults

Mosquitoland by David Arnold
The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do
The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku
Hero At Dunkirk (My True Story Series) by Vince Cross
Fighting Invisible Tigers: Stress Management for Teens By Earl Hipp
Leave Taking Lorraine Marwood
The Odd Ones Out by James Rallison
The Worry Less Book by Rachel Bryan
History is all You Left Me by Adam Silvera
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Darius The Great is Not Ok by Addib Khorram
Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13 B by Teresa Toten
The Dead I Know by Scott Gardner
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling Wai Chim
Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim
Good Selfie by Turia Pitt
The Sad Ghost Club – graphic novel by Lize Meddings
The Teenage Guide to Friends by Nicola Morgan (other titles The Teenage Guide to Stress
The Teenage Guide to Life Online)
The Awesome Power of Sleep
Blame My Brain
More Than a Kick by Tayla Harris
Paper Cranes Don’t Fly by Peter Vu
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
The REsilience Project: Finding Happiness through gratitude empathy & mindfulness by Hugh Van Cuylenburg
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Tobias Iaconis, Mikki Daughtry
Zac and Mia by A.J Betts
Helicopter Man by Elizabeth Fensham
Challenger Deep by Neal Schusterman
Cracked by Claire Strawn
How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox
Unexpected Find by Tony Ibbotson
Beautiful Mess by Claire Christian
The Thing About Oliver by Debra Kelly
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dana McAnulty
Please Don’t Hug Me by Kay Kerr
To This Day by Shane Koyczan
The Gaps by Leanne Hall
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy
The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews

What We Are Reading
The Loudness of Unsaid Things by Hilde Hinton
Angel of Waterloo by Jackie French
The Dilemma by B.A. Paris
The Truth About Her by Jacqueline Maley
Infinite Splendours by Sophie Laguna
The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
The Breaking by Irma Gold
The Dutch House by Ann Pratchett
The Dry by Jane Harper
Home Stretch by Graham Norton