Sunday, February 20, 2022

CCBC Book DIscussions Begin for 2022

The CCBC’s 2022 book discussions will launch on Wednesday, March 16th, from 4-5:30 pm in the Elizabeth Burr Room at the CCBC. The list of books and discussion details are below. We hope to see you there! [YSS Blog note: These book discussions are invaluable for those serving on state and national book award and book discussion committees to learn the art of book discussion!]

Merri Lindgren, CCBC librarian

March Book Discussion at the CCBC

Since 1981 the Cooperative Children's Book Center has offered hands-on discussions of newly published trade books for children and young adults. CCBC discussions are for adults, including preservice and practicing teachers and librarians and any others with an interest in literature for youth.

Join us for our next discussion on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 4-5:30 p.m., in the Elizabeth Burr Room of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), Room 401 Teacher Education, 225 N. Mills Street, Madison.  Registration is not required but participants should read at least one or two books on the list. 

Books on our monthly discussion lists are new titles selected for discussion; they aren’t CCBC book recommendations. Our book recommendations can be found on the annual CCBC Choices  and included in our CCBC-Recommended Books database. We also feature a new book weekly in our book of the week reviews. 

Check the UW-Madison COVID response page for current mask requirements closer to the meeting date.

Future CCBC Book Discussion Dates:  April 20, May 18   

CCBC Book Discussion guidelines

Shorter Books for March 16

Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond. Illustrated by Daniel Minter. Knopf, 2022. 32 pages

Courage Hats by Kate Hoefler. Illustrated by Jessixa Bagley. Chronicle, 2022. 40 pages

Mina by Matthew Forsythe. A Paula Wiseman Book / Simon & Schuster, 2022. 60 pages

Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairytale Movie by Fiona Robinson. Abrams, 2022. 48 pages

Playing with Lanterns by Wang Yage. Illustrated by Zhu Chengliang. Translated from the Chinese by Helen Wang. U.S. edition: Amazon Crossing Kids, 2021 (publication delayed to 2022). 32 pages

Powwow Day by Traci Sorell. Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight. Charlesbridge, 2022. 32 pages

The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by Rafael López. Nancy Paulsen Books / Penguin Random House, 2022. 32 pages

Longer Books for March 16

Dream, Annie, Dream by Waka T. Brown. Quill Tree, 2022. 344 pages

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. Philomel, 2022. 319 pages

You may read the books in the CCBC while the library is open. Books can also be checked out after 3pm for overnight use; they must be returned within a half hour of CCBC opening (see below for hours). 

CCBC Public Service Hours Spring 2022 Semester (January 25 – May 6)

Monday – Thursday, 9 am – 7 pm; Friday, 9am – 4pm; Sunday 12:30-4 pm

Spring Break, March 12-20: Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm; Closed Sunday 

UW Exams, May 7-13: Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm; Closed Sunday

UW Break, May 14-22: Closed to walk-in users; email for appointment ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu 



Guidelines for Book Discussion

Cooperative Children’s Book Center

School of Education

University of Wisconsin-Madison

©1989 Kathleen T. Horning and Ginny Moore Kruse

Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Look at each book for what it is, rather than what it is not.

  • Make positive comments first.  Try to express what you liked about the book and why. (e.g. "The illustrations are a perfect match for the story because....")
  • After everyone has had the opportunity to say what they appreciated about the book, you may talk about difficulties you had with a particular aspect of the book.  Try to express difficulties as questions, rather than declarative judgments on the book as a whole. (e.g. "Would Max's dinner really have still been warm?" rather than "That would never happen.")
  • Avoid recapping the story or book-talking the book.  There is not time for a summary.
  • Refrain from relating personal anecdotes.  The discussion must focus on the book at hand.
  • Try to compare the book with others on the discussion list, rather than other books by the same author or other books in your experience. 

All perspectives and vocabularies are correct. There is no "right" answer or single correct response.

  • Listen openly to what is said, rather than who says it.
  • Respond to the comments of others, rather than merely waiting for an opportunity to share your comments.
  • Talk with each other, rather than to the discussion facilitator.
  • Comment to the group as a whole, rather than to someone seated near you.

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