Ring the Bell!

In the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life, ZuZu tells us that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.  That's just how I feel when a kid reads a book, that a heavenly bell rings and the world is a slightly better place.  Nope, it doesn't matter what kind of book--a classic, a comic, or a badly written piece of kid lit, as long as it's reading.  Yes, I know that's old school, has nothing to do with critical thinking, and doesn't address the need for assessment.  It ignores quality and substance, moral and social transformative influence, and cognitive development attained through leveled reading and differentiation.  My heavenly bell ringer just doesn't seem to care.   

Which may explain my attitude about book clubs.  I approve of them all, whether it's a group of serious readers plunging the depths of literary analysis or old friends using a Danielle Steele novel as an excuse to get together and talk about their grandchildren.  Anytime books bring people together, the bell rings, without judgement.  In this class we're introducing each other to short works of literature and I'm already pleased to have met stories I haven't read.  The Lady and the Tiger is an excellent story for speculative endings, the Goose Girl is a classic fairy tale of justice and The Gift of the Magi asks us to consider the cost, or value, of love.  I'm at a complete loss what to make of Cinnamon, however, so hearing other comments can only help.  The story Carmen, Andrew and I have chosen is much longer than most selections, for which I take the blame.  I've been waiting years to reread The Last Question with a group of critical readers and the opportunity to talk about it with SI students is too good to pass up.  What will they bring to the reading that I haven't thought about?  Can they help clarify questions I have?

As you might have guessed, we're planning a book club format instead of the seminar to help explore these questions.  While the Socratic Seminar as demonstrated in class might serve instructional goals, it seemed more of a quiz than a discussion of ideas and probably isn't something participants would volunteer for, at least not without careful preparation.  If asked in a Socratic Seminar next week what deep significance Cinnamon has to the human condition, I'm in trouble.  I could browse outside criticism for ideas, but that would defeat the purpose of a group reading; likewise, in presenting The Last Question as a book club topic, it would be pointless for us to ask readers what they thought about it if they came prepared with canned answers from outside sources.  We hope readers will feel free to offer their own responses to the story, without privately worrying about giving the correct answer.  My hope is that some bells will ring.