Mini-lessons for Literature Circles Book

Yes, some of the other reviewers' comments about the book's "snarky and sarcastic" tone are fair. For instance, in some parts, teaching items that are unrelated to literature circles are referred to as "covering the curriculum." As someone who helped to write my students' curriculum, I don't care for the connotations of that phrase.

However, the pros far outweigh the cons. Unlike professional literature that devotes more time to theory than to practical application, the authors do a great job of not just telling us WHY we should use lit circles, but HOW to use lit circles. They also recognize that all classes face different challenges, so they show teachers how to troubleshoot particular problems.

Additionally, the methods taught in this book can be adjusted for different levels of classes. I can picture myself using these lit circles with my freshmen, seniors and AP language students.

If this book is ever made into a new addition, I hope the authors supplement it with more nonfiction reading ideas, since my seniors' lit circle choices are nonfiction. That, or maybe include that on their website, once it's finally updated ;) I tried again today (July 2014) and the site was still closed for updates.