ATP Book Club
Continue developing your English skills through reading!
Every month we will read a new book to help enhance our vocabulary, gain more literary schema, and continue to educate ourselves. This is not a 'club' in the traditional sense as we will not be meeting to discuss the book. Rather, you can read on your own and complete the handouts in your own time as well. Think of this as a way to keep you accountable for reading and could become a great conversation starter, OR may show up in something you interpret down the road.
*You purchase/rent/borrow the book & everything else is free!
January 2025
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist is often taught at the 12th grade level, so this is a great starting novel as the TEP is written at the 12th grade level as well.
Read the book at your own pace and complete the accompanying handouts if you wish.
Click here for Vocabulary building
Click here for Vocabulary quiz
Click here for a final 'exam' for the novel (it's not graded or submitted...just to see how well you comprehended the novel)
February 2025
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine
by Gail Honeyman
This is a novel Stephanie happen to be reading when she was taking the TEP and noticed it had some very helpful and useful vocabulary words!
This novel covers some adult-ish themes and may have some potential triggers (fire, dating, mental health); in general however, it is a great read and was even featured in Reese Witherspoon's book club!
Click here for Vocabulary Building
Click here for the Vocabulary Crossword
March 2025
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Did you know that Frankenstein is not the creature with plugs in his neck that every movie depicts him as?? Frankenstein is actually Dr. Frankenstein, and that "thing" is called The Creature!
Click here for Vocabulary Development
Click here for the Active Reading Graph
AND...WANT A CHALLENGE??
Click here for a "Final Exam"
April 2025
To Kill A Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
This book is embedded within popular culture. Quotations from this book are used all the time in everyday language, or Literature classes you may interpret once certified.
Please keep in mind when this book was written. The topics and racial "issues" were prevalent at the time and represent that time period. Put yourself back in that time period when reading this book and try to understand it from multiple perspectives. You don't have to agree with everything, but it's good to be aware of this classic that was on the Banned Book list...can you figure out why?
Click here for Vocabulary Development
Click here for Introductory PPT
Click here for a BONUS...test your knowledge
May 2025
The Glass Castle
by Jeannette Walls
This book is based on the author's real life experiences, so yes, the outlandish things you read really did happen!
This book does have some explicit language as a heads-up.
Fun Fact: It was also turned into a movie with some very famous actors taking lead roles. It might be fun to read the book, then watch the movie, and make some comparisons!
Click here for Vocabulary Development
Click here for Themes & Motifs Activity
Click here for the Vocabulary Quiz
June 2025
The Boys of Riverside
by Thomas Fuller
What a story of resilience and beating the odds! A great looking Deaf culture and the power of brotherhood.
While this book's vocabulary isn't too advanced, it's still a great read for interpreters, and a nice Summer break read :)
Extras
Check out this 17 minute segment the NFL did on the school!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ihaQ27c-k
Did you know you could also earn CEUs by reading this book? Yeah! Check out:
Click here for Vocabulary Development
Click here for Open-Ended Questions
July 2025
The Sign For Home
by Blair Fell
Let's read a book this summer written by a sign language interpreter! This book focuses not just on the d/Deaf community, but on the DeafBlind community as well.
*Some mature topics
Click here for Vocabulary Development
Click here for to learn more about low vision
EXTRA
And check out these opportunities:
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Earn CEUs through Sign Language Studios just by reading this book!
Click here to check out CEU opportunity.
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Link for free webinars about working with the DeafBlind community from the National Center on Deafblindness
https://www.nationaldb.org/updates/ncdb-professional-development-series-deaf-blind-strategies/
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Link for free online trainings, including working with DeafBlind individuals
https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/learning-center/trainings/online.jsp
August 2025
The Things We Cannot Say
by Kelly Rimmer
Book Summary: A powerful WWII novel.
2019 Life changed beyond recognition for Alice when her son, Eddie, was born with autism spectrum disorder. She must do everything to support him, but at what cost to her family? When her cherished grandmother is hospitalised, a hidden box of mementoes reveals a tattered photo of a young man, a tiny leather shoe and a letter. Her grandmother begs Alice to return to Poland to see what became of those she held dearest.
WWII Alina and Tomasz are childhood sweethearts. The night before he leaves for college, Tomasz proposes marriage. But when their village falls to the Nazis, Alina doesn't know if Tomasz is alive or dead.
2019 In Poland, separated from her family, Alice begins to uncover the story her grandmother is so desperate to tell, and discovers a love that bloomed in the winter of 1942. As a painful family history comes to light, will the struggles of the past and present finally reach a heartbreaking resolution?
Inspired by the author's own family history, THE THINGS WE CANNOT SAY unearths a tragic love story and a family secret whose far-reaching effects will alter lives forever.
-From Google Books
There are so many great academic vocabulary words in this novel...such a powerful learning opportunity!
Click here for Vocabulary Development
Click here for Academic Vocabulary-level Word Search
September 2025
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
PLOT SUMMARY:
As the narrative unfolds, the contrasting paths of the twins reflect the Cain and Abel archetype. Aaron is the favored son, embodying goodness and innocence, while Cal struggles with feelings of inadequacy and a desire for his father's approval. This rivalry is exacerbated by their mother's abandonment and Adam's emotional distance.
Cathy, who changes her name to Kate, becomes a successful but morally bankrupt businesswoman, running a brothel in Salinas. Her actions and the impact of her character resonate throughout the lives of the Trask family, highlighting the themes of evil and moral choice.
-Summary from SparkNotes.com
Click here for Vocabulary Development
Click here to work on your East of Eden Family Tree activity
EXTRAS:
Check out this East of Eden Video Summary
October 2025
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
PLOT SUMMARY:
The narrative begins in 1931 in an unnamed Michigan town, at the birth of Macon Dead III, the protagonist who earns the nickname "Milkman" for breastfeeding well into childhood. His family life is emotionally sterile, dominated by his materialistic and abusive father, Macon Dead II. In contrast, Milkman's free-spirited Aunt Pilate offers warmth and a connection to the past.
Milkman remains unmotivated and aimless until his late twenties. Encouraged by his friend Guitar Bains, he becomes interested in finding a rumored stash of gold that his aunt supposedly possesses. This quest leads him away from his home to his ancestors' rural Pennsylvania and Virginia roots. His journey to the South is a spiritual one, transforming from a selfish search for material wealth into a profound discovery of his heritage.
In Virginia, Milkman uncovers the story of his ancestors, including his grandfather, also named Macon Dead, and his great-grandfather, an enslaved African named Solomon. According to folklore, Solomon had the ability to fly back to Africa, but he tragically dropped his son, Milkman’s grandfather, on the journey. With this ancestral knowledge, Milkman returns home with a newfound sense of purpose, only to find himself in a final, fateful confrontation with Guitar.
Click here for Vocabulary Development
Click here for Key Aspects Graphic Organizer
November 2025
Coming Soon
December 2025
Coming Soon