Beyond book clubs: Establishing a network of teacher-readers through community, purpose, and joy

Abstract

When a hard-working, justice-oriented group of pre-service English teachers (PSTs) identified themselves as non-readers, two professors and a program alumna at a flagship university in the Midwest were inspired to create a young adult (YA) literature book club. Through monthly meetings, PSTs (and later first-year teachers) gathered in a welcoming third space (Gutiérrez, 2008) to discuss YA books as readers and as teachers, considering both the experience of reading and the purpose for using these texts in their classrooms (Rosenblatt, 1994). Outcomes from Overbooked: An Educators' Book Club suggest that pre-service teachers can find reading joy when offered a supportive space and community to grow as readers and teachers.