Facilitating Youth-Led Book Clubs as Transformative and Inclusive Spaces

The cover of Jody's book, Facilitating Youth-Led Book Clubs. The cover is purple and green with a drawing of youth sitting around a table, looking at their faces reflected in the books they are reading.
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Capturing over 20 years of research and practice, Jody offers intentional, culturally-sustaining, and humanizing ways in which to integrate book clubs into secondary school communities as a way to provide spaces that are both transformative and inclusive for diverse student populations. She centers youth voices, highlighting their rich conversations, so as to demonstrate how book clubs can enhance and nurture the literacy and social-emotional development of youth. 

Using frameworks of reader response theory, culturally sustaining instruction, and culturally-affirming, healing-centered social emotional learning, Jody provides an in-depth and engaging narrative that prioritizes collaborations and interdisciplinary approaches, where multiple youth development specialists, including teachers, social workers, counselors, staff, and administrators, can work together to meet the needs of their students.

Jody offers practical strategies for book club facilitators, from developing student-centered pedagogical approaches to embodying critical and nurturing dispositions, sharing ways in which we can and should infuse culturally sustaining literacy instruction with deep attention to emotional and identity-based engagements, social awareness, interpersonal relationships, and agency, with the ultimate goal of building spaces for both joy and criticality.

Research

Jody’s research focus is with urban adolescents and culturally responsive-sustaining and differentiated literacy instruction across the content areas. She has studied youth experiences in student-led book and writing clubs, exploring how these alternative, supplemental forums are effective in not only promoting literacy skills but also social and emotional development. She is also looking at the complexities and intersections of race, class, gender, ability, language, and sexuality within these communities and how they can be used as places for empowerment, agency, and advocacy. As an action research-practitioner, she also continues to study her own pedagogy with youth and professional learning experiences with urban educators.

Publications

  • Polleck, J. (2024).  Using science fiction book clubs to enhance agency and academic and emotional literacies with Dutch neurodiverse youth.  Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 68(2), 105—117.

    Struthers, K., Polleck, J., & Peters, L. (2023). Building community and creating change: Collaboratively engaging diverse educational constituents in equity-based work. Action in Teacher Education, 45(3), 222—241.

    Smith, A ., & Polleck, J. (2022). Using digital book clubs during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize the distance of social distancing. Dialogues in Social Justice: An Adult Education Journal, 7(2), 1—15.

    Polleck, J. (2021). Writing club as culturally sustaining practice. Journal of Teaching Writing, 36(2), 71—105.

    Schieble, M., & Polleck, J. (2021). The opportunities and constraints of a virtual field experience during a global pandemic for ELA teacher candidates’ learning about culturally sustaining pedagogy. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 21(2), 231—265.

    Polleck, J. et al . (2021). Using a lab model to prepare and empower alternative school district educators for culturally responsive-sustaining literacy instruction. Literacy Research and Instruction, 61(1), 177—208.

    Polleck, J., & Spence-Davis, T. (2020). Centering #BlackLivesMatter to confront injustice, inspire advocacy, and develop literacies. English Journal, 109(4), 87—94.

    Polleck, J., & Yarwood, J. (2020). Putting students at the center: Empowering urban alternative education teachers through culturally relevant and sustaining unit planning. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 64(3), 191-200.

    Tijms, J., Stoop, M. A., & Polleck, J. (2018). Bibliotherapeutic book club intervention to promote reading skills and social–emotional competencies in low SES community‐based high schools: A randomised controlled trial. Journal of Research in Reading, 41(3), 525—545.

    Polleck, J. & Espana, C. (2017). Revolutions and resistance: Creating space for adolescent agency and advocacy through a critical reading of Sonia Manzano’s The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano. ALAN Review, 45(1), 44—56.

    Polleck, J., & Jeffery, J. V. (2017). Common Core standards and their impact on standardized test design: A New York case study. High School Journal, 101(1), 1—26.

    Polleck, J. (2016). Using nonfiction to advocate for change. English Journal, 55—62.

    Polleck, J., & Epstein, T. (2015). Affirmation, analysis, and agency: Book clubs as spaces for critical conversations with young adolescent women of color. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 54(1), 78—107.

    Polleck, J., & Shabdin, S. (2013). Building culturally responsive communities. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 86, 1—8.

    Polleck, J. (2011). Adolescent literature book clubs: A forum for cultivation of peer relationships with urban adolescent females.ALAN Review, 38(1), 76—95.

    Polleck, J. (2011). Constructing dressing rooms in urban schools: Understanding family through book clubs with Latino and African American female adolescents. Journal of Poetry Therapy, 24(3), 139-155.

    Polleck, J. (2011). Using book clubs to enhance social–emotional and academic learning with urban adolescent females of color. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 27(1-2), 101—128.

    Polleck, J. (2010). Creating and maintaining a transformative community: Book clubs with Urban Adolescent Females. SIGNAL Journal, 33(1), 8—15.

    Polleck, J. (2010). Creating transformational spaces: High school book clubs with inner-city adolescent females. The High School Journal, 93(2), 50—68.

    Jeffery, J. V., & Polleck, J. (2010). Reciprocity through co-instructed site-based courses: Perceived benefit and challenge overlap in an urban school-university partnership. Teacher Education Quarterly, 37(3), 81—99.

  • Polleck, J. (2024). Engaging minds through literature: Using culturally affirming book clubs to support neurodiverse youth and their mental health. Literacy Today, 42(1), 44—48.

    Polleck, J. & Spence, T. (2021).  Centering #BlackLivesMatter to confront injustice, inspire advocacy, and develop literacies.  In D. Price-Dennis (Ed.) Racial Literacy Special Issues: Implications for Curriculum, Pedagogies, and Policy (pp. 40—46). National Council of the Teachers of English.

    Polleck, J. & Smith, A. (2021). Bridging islands to build a continent: Harnessing the power of digital book clubs during the COVID-19 pandemic. In K.J. Fasching-Varner et al. (Eds.) The Corona Chronicles: On Leadership, Processes, Commitments, and Hope in Uncertain Times (pp. 77—84). DIO Press.

    Polleck, J. (2019). A glimpse into practice: Embracing culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies. In J. Valle & D. Connor (Eds.) Rethinking disability: A disability studies approach to inclusive practices, 2nd edition (pp. 162—164). Routledge.

    Schieble, M. & Polleck, J. (2017). Addressing LGBTQ-themed texts and heteronormativity in English education. In H.L. Hallman (ed.) Innovations in English Language Arts Education (pp. 165—183). Emerald Group Publishing.

    Polleck, J. (2016). Breaking barriers in the classroom: Exploring LGBTQ issues through Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. In A. Butler-Wall, K. Cosier, R. Harper, J. Sapp, J. Sokolower, & M.B. Tempel (Eds), Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality (pp. 243—253). Rethinking Schools.

    Polleck, J. (2016). Bring texts to life: Using afterschool book clubs as a way to address and reinforce the common core standards for literacy with urban adolescents. In J. Hayn, J. Kaplan, & A. Nolen (Eds), Implementing Common Core Literacy Standards through Young Adult Literature (pp. 97—113). Roman & Littlefield.

    Polleck, J. & Wirtz, J. (2013). Building urban pre-service teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and skills through digital poetry collaborations. In J. Keengwe & D. Hucks (Eds.), Literacy Enrichment and Technology Integration in Pre-Service Teacher Education (pp. 37—56). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

    Jeffery, J. & Polleck, J. (2013). Transformations in site-based teacher preparation courses: The benefits and challenges. In J. Novel (Ed.) Moving Teacher Education into Urban Schools and Communities: Prioritizing Community Strengths (pp. 105—199). Routledge.

    Polleck, J. (2011). Transformative scholarship: Problematizing the role of the insider within educational research in urban settings. In W. Blanchett & K. Scott (Eds), Research in Urban Educational Settings: Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Practice (pp. 59—81). Information Age Publishing.

    Polleck, J. (2004). Extending the language arts classroom to the community. English Leadership Quarterly, 26(4), 6—10.

Let’s connect.

Interested in working together? Contact Jody here or email her at jody.polleck@gmail.com