James by Percival Everett
Most of us know the tale of Huck and Jim from Mark Twain's classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Here, Percival Everett (author of Erasure, the source material for the Academy Award-winning American Fiction) re-imagines the tale through Jim's eyes (though he prefers James).
Unpacking the decisions James makes to try to save himself and his family in the brutal world of slavery gives Twain's classic tale a deeper meaning.
(Note: While this book can be read alone, it's highly recommended that readers read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn first. That is offered as a separate Book Club option.)
Content Note: This book contains racial slurs and descriptions of enslaved people within the 19th century. Families are encouraged to pre-screen if they have concerns.
How Live Book Club Classes Work
Participation in the live book club includes access to a set of resources and activities as well as interactive components.
Participants receive
- A suggested reading schedule
- PDF reading guides with comprehension questions
- Vocabulary/reading activities
- Discussion board posts in our online classroom
- Writing/multimodal project prompts related to the reading
- An invitation to a live discussion
- A recording of the summary of the live discussion
- An optional feedback add-on for the final paper/project
- Rubrics for at-home feedback
Families are welcome to use as much or as little of the suggested resources and activities as they'd like to fit their interest and schedules.
(There will be an option to add a Feedback Add-On at checkout.)
Ages:
13-18
Dates:
May 1-31, 2025
Live Meeting:
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 from 1-2pm Eastern
(Note: This is on Tuesday instead of Monday like most of the Book Clubs because of Memorial Day.)
Those who cannot attend the live session will receive a recorded summary.
Supplies:
- A copy of the book James by Percival Everett (ISBN: 978-0593862735)
- Borrowed, audio, and used formats are fine.
- Zoom account for live session
- Microphone and camera for live session
- PDF reader
- Access to printer recommended