"The authors of this explicit how-to manual for planning, implementing and evaluating a book club for individuals with intellectual disabilities go far beyond the step by step process involved. The book’s organization and sensitivity reflect a philosophy of community inclusion, socialization, self-determination and self-advocacy for its membership. The contributors represent diverse professional backgrounds in social work, rehabilitation counseling, literacy and education, along with extensive publishing know-how. Add to that mix a healthy dose of experience and one can see why this volume is comprehensive in its attention to detail and responsive to the myriad questions and issues any reader might ponder.

As you read the pages of this book, from the foreword, penned by the parent of a woman with Down syndrome, through to the resources and appendices, you will no doubt discover that a Next Chapter Club (NCBC) offers an exciting, evolving journey of fun and discovery for its participants. I especially enjoyed reading the many profiles of members, facilitators and host sites involved in the organization and its encouragement of sharing personal stories within the contest of club meetings. Based at Ohio State University’s Nisonger Centre, the list of NCBC affiliates includes 2 sites in Canada, one of which (the Down Syndrome Research Foundation in Burnaby, BC) is approved for affiliate training.

The NCBC has strong theoretical underpinnings and a clear organizational structure to which its affiliate sites must adhere. While its design ensures that individual clubs have resources, support and access to ongoing research, this strength may create a deterrent for potential membership, due to the estimated $1000 training fee to initiate an affiliate status, and fairly stringent expectations around implementation. Whether a group pursues formal affiliate status, or chooses to develop a book club model to meet their unique needs, this book and accompanying CD-ROM offer a beneficial template and valuable resources."
-Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, December 2010, 77(5)

An article from Exceptional Family in the Summer 2010 issue...

Next Chapter Book Club
Novel organization for readers with disabilities is gaining international momentum

By Stewart Lazarus

From the United States and Canada, to Germany and Spain, exceptional people worldwide are meeting up for a cup of coffee and the chance to discuss popular books like Harry Potter, Charlotte’s Web and Little House on the Prairie, in a friendly setting. These people are all members of the Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC), an international book club catering to individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Made popular by celebrities like Oprah, book clubs have become trendy forums for social gatherings filled with lively dialogue, attracting people from different backgrounds who share common interests and a love of reading. The NCBC was created to provide the same community opportunities for people with special needs. "Book clubs have become a valued part of community culture," says Joy Hayden, a training supervisor for a NCBC affiliate in British Columbia. "There is no reason why people with special needs should miss out on such events."

The NCBC was founded in 2002 at the Ohio State University Nisonger Center, a research and training center focusing on developmental disabilities. Aspiring to correct the misconceptions that people with disabilities are non-readers and uninterested in lifelong learning and community engagement, a group of parents, professionals, students and exceptional individuals established the NCBC to encourage literacy, social connection and community inclusion among people with special needs.

What began as two book clubs in Columbus, Ohio, has grown to over 160 clubs across North America and Europe. "We quickly realized that there is an international market for the Next Chapter Book Club, and we expect the number of affiliates to continue to grow," says Jillian Ober, program manager at the Nisonger Center.

While each affiliate’s group makeup may be different, NCBC staff suggest members be 15 years and older, and that each group comprise between five and eight people. The small size ensures that each participant feels valued, and facilitates the development of strong friendships between members. Anyone may join the club, regardless of reading level and abilities. "We have some members who are non-verbal, some who read often and some who have never read a book before joining the club," Hayden explains. "The bottom line is everyone is welcome. There are no barriers."

Volunteers make it happen

NCBC’s ongoing success can largely be attributed to the dedication of the movement's volunteer facilitators. All volunteers learn about NCBC's mission and goals and receive hands-on training on how to interact with members and facilitate group meetings. In addition to working with participants to select the books and themes to discuss, volunteers also organize meeting logistics. Like the members, the volunteers' participation in the book club serves as a learning opportunity; as the meetings progress, many gain increasing confidence and determination in their leadership abilities.

Jillian Ober understands the value of volunteering: now a NCBC program manager, her first encounter with the organization was as a volunteer. "For only a few hours a week, volunteers make personal connections and are able to engage and interact with people from all different backgrounds," she explains. "Volunteers gain so much from the hours they put in."

Encouraging members' self-determination

Club members take on active roles: together, they decide which books to read and how they would like to structure their hour-long get-togethers. All meetings are held in local settings, such as book stores or coffee houses. "It is important that our members feel that they are a part of their communities," says Ober. "Rather than holding meetings inside homes, we get them out in the community. Doing so also allows them to gain independence."

The simple act of gathering in a public space spreads NCBC's very message: that people with special needs crave and deserve opportunities for socialization and community integration as well. It's something people stopping by for coffee or browsing through books see firsthand, explains Ober, that the NCBC is really different than any other book club.

While the NCBC is designed to be a fun and social movement, members learn a lot about themselves through their facilitation. Facilitators often lead discussions about themes found in books, such as isolation or fear, and encourage members to discuss how they deal with such issues personally. Some of the topics may be difficult to talk about, but Ober maintains that in such a supportive environment, members' anxieties are quickly eased. She adds, "Members are always encouraged to participate, be challenged in thought, and take risks by speaking up." NCBC members devote a lot of time and energy to their reading: some groups devote months to a single novel, depending on its length. In acknowledgement of their hard work, a celebration is often held following each book's completion. "Sometimes members may watch the movie version of a book they've read, sometimes they may devote one meeting to playing games before they begin the next book," says Ober. No matter how their achievement is honored, Hayden says, "It is important to recognize all that the member accomplished. It gives them the motivation to pick up a next book and begin a new reading adventure."

Of course there are those, like 22-year-old Mary McLaughlin of North Vancouver, for whom the simple joy of "belonging" serves as sufficient motivation to be part of the club. McLaughlin has Down syndrome, and has been a member of the NCBC for the past two years. "I love the book club," she says. "I like the words in the story and I like going to Starbucks. I like hanging out with friends and talking about the books we read. It makes me feel happy."
-Exceptional Family, Summer 2010

"The power of the NCBC to influence not only the lives of the people who participate but the lives of those around them is incredible and goes far beyond just that night, that book, and that circle of friends. Put together a few simple yet elegant ideas like NCBC and, who knows, perhaps people will really have the chance to lead lives of quality of their choosing. Pull up a chair, grab a latte, and let’s read this book and talk about it."
-Michael L. Wehmeyer, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Special Education Director, Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities Senior Scientist, Beach Center on Disability

"Several years ago my daughter joined her first Next Chapter Book Club. Her self-confidence as well as her sight reading skills immediately improved. She considers the members to be her friends and looks forward to each meeting where they read, they talk, and they laugh together. Members are enriched by the experience, as is the community around them. May this book make it easier for new Next Chapter Book Clubs to form across the country!"
-Kathy Bachmann, Parent of an adult with Down syndrome

"The Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC) is a nationwide network of over 130 book clubs to help adolescents and adults with disabilities (and all levels of reading abilities) read, discuss books, and socialize. Next Chapter Book Club: A Model Community Literacy Program for People with Intellectual Disabilities is a step-by-step guide to creating just such a club in one's own community. Chapters spell out how to form and sponsor a club, find and train volunteer facilitators, attract members, choose an ideal meeting location, build literacy skills, select books, and much more. Tips, tricks, and suggestions fill this user-friendly manual, and the eighteen appendices provide all the blank forms, reports, and surveys one will need to get one's club off the ground. The forms are also present on a companion CD-ROM for ease of printing and duplication. Next Chapter Book Club: A Model Community Literacy Program for People is a 'must-have' for anyone interested in starting a book club to enrich the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, especially librarians. Highly recommended."
-Midwest Book Review

"Next Chapter Book Club: A Model Community Literacy Program for People with Intellectual Disabilities by Tom Fish, PhD, and Paula Rabidoux PhD, CCC-SLP, focuses on a unique literacy and community inclusion program. The Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC) was developed by Dr. Fish and his colleagues at the Nisonger Center of Ohio State University.

The premise of the book is to provide opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to read together, learn to read, talk about books, and make friends in a fun community setting. The authors believe that learning can and should be a life-long process for people with intellectual disabilities and not something that stops once they graduate from high school. They share their experience and provide the practical nuts and bolts as well as the proper steps to take in order to get a book club running in a community.

Next Chapter Book Clubs include five to eight people with intellectual disabilities of all ages and reading disabilities. Two trained volunteers are on hand to facilitate the discussion. NCBC members choose how they structure their club, which books to read, and when and where to meet.

This book is a complete how-to manual with instructions for forming and sponsoring a club, finding and training volunteers, attracting members, selecting a host site, and choosing books. The books usually are adapted or abridged literary classics from the NCBC library.

In addition, the book includes 21 appendices on intake forms, monthly facilitator reports, member and parent/family survey forms, the NCBC Library, a five-level scale of literary skills, and other tools and forms for managing a book club. The appendices are included on an accompanying CD.

This is an exceptionally well written and methodical publication that is applicable for parents and educators who understand the importance of literacy and social community exposure for people with intellectual disabilities."
-ADVANCE for Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists, October 1, 2009

"Librarians supporting programs in special education, social work, or rehabilitation counseling will find value in this book."
-CAPHIS Consumer Connections

"Finding ways to learn and participate in the community after leaving school can be hard for adults with intellectual disabilities. Next Chapter Book Clubs offer a great opportunity to do both and have fun, and this book is a complete guide to understanding, starting, and facilitating these weekly get-togethers. It's a great idea, though one parents may have to find someone else to manage."
-Terri Mauro, Guide to Parenting Special Needs, specialchildren.about.com
Read the entire review here