Twilight Comes Twice is the title of one of my favorite children's books by Ralph Fletcher. That sentiment couldn't be more true this month with the release of the movie based on Stephanie Meyer's bestselling Twilight novel for young adolescents.

This pop culture event creates a perfect opportunity for teachers to encourage the social aspect of reading for teens. As "literacy people" we are aware that high school students need three elements in order for them to remain readers. Students need time and choice as readers. But we also need to recognize a third element, the social aspect of reading, which is just as crucial for many adolescents.

With the release of Twilight, educators are given the perfect opportunity to play up the social role that reading plays with young adult readers. This is exactly what we did in the high school where I teach. First, as soon as the movie posters were available, we posted them wherever we could. This got people of all ages talking, since this book is such a phenomena that many adults have read it. If students had read Twilight, many of them began to check out the other books available in the series. If they hadn't read Twilight, students felt as if they were missing something; many made their way straight to the library to check out one of the multiple copies we had on hand. At the point of this article, all copies are checked out from our school library and there is a waiting list of close to 50 students for books in the series.

We also have a case with the photos from the Twilight 2009 Movie Calendar released in advance of the movie. We often notice students circled around the case discussing characters, with words like "That isn't what I thought he would look like" or "She is perfect for the part."

We also noticed students standing in this same spot, discussing how Hollywood could possibly recreate some of the scenes in the book without ruining the charm of the story. The calendar pages were an inexpensive and easy way to spark a wealth of literary discussion. Often we notice students meeting in the library with their own copies of the books because they just couldn't wait any longer to borrow one of ours. Squeals of delight and the words "Oh, when did you get it!" are not commonly heard in high school hallways in relation to book purchases.

Next, our librarian held a raffle for Twilight t-shirts. She made a big deal of the event. When she called the names, all the principals were present as if she were awarding the winning super lotto ticket. Now even more students are talking about the books.

Teachers were encouraged to ask their students about the books as well. We didn't require any specific curricular activities. All they were asked to say was, "Hey, have you read Twilight?" or place copies on their desks to spark the initial conversations. Just by having the book in a visible place, students started to pick it up and borrow it. With all the buzz in the building, no one wanted to be left out.

Students Initiate Activities and Reading

It was amazing how this small effort on our part led to so many student initiated offshoots of activities and discussions. For example, one morning I walked into my classroom to find a note plastered across my board. It read, "Attention all students, we are planning a trip to see Twilight open at midnight on November 20th. Be there and dress accordingly." With a picture of vampire teeth in the margin, there was an implicit understanding that you would have read the book.

Another group of students approached me a few days later with a handout. The flyer read almost like the announcement on my board. The question, "Mrs. Koch - can you run this for us on colored paper?" Students also made an ad for the October issue of the school news magazine about the gathering for the movie opening. And finally the t-shirts arrived. But these t-shirts didn't announce the movie or sport the faces of those perfect characters. These t-shirts were more like those worn to a political rally. These shirts read, "Camp Edward" or "Camp Jacob". Now students are starting to take sides. More social conversation about the books they are reading. The difference in these shirts is that as time has progressed, so have the readers and their conversations about the series. In order to participate in this debate, readers must be well into the third book or have finished the fourth. The conversations have evolved with the series.

Best of all, our students are talking about these books - big, thick books with plots that are a stretch for some of our more reluctant or struggling readers. I overheard one student say to another, "These are the only books I have ever read." The other responded with, "Your first book had over 400 pages in it?" This can't be anything but good.

We'll see what happens as our students head to the theaters in late November to meet their favorite vampire and mortal couple. The conversations will go on for awhile then our students will move to something else, which is as it should be. And as teachers, we will know to look for the constant opportunities to talk up books in any way we can.

It really doesn't take much to encourage older readers in a literacy community, especially when you bring in any connections from outside school. Even if your school doesn't have the time or inclination to launch a big campaign around a book, you can still do small things every day to get students conversing more naturally and casually about reading:

• Ask students in the hall, "Hey, what are you reading?"
  
• Set the book you are reading out on your desk or up on a stand during the day so your student will not only recognize you as a reader, but ask about what you are reading. Talk to them about the best parts of your book and what you can't wait to find out. Ask students, "Who wants to read this when I'm finished? I'm dying to know what you'll think of it."
  
• Ask a student, "Did you finish that book you were reading?" even if you have no idea what it was. If they look at you like you have lost your mind, act shocked if they aren't currently reading a book. "What do you mean you aren't reading a book? Get down to the library today and get one." Say it as if something horrid might happen if they were to go another 24 hours without a book in their hands. Remember, we are old compared to our students. They aren't sure what we know and we just might be right - they may not be willing to take that chance.
  

Getting our students excited about reading isn't difficult. It just takes a question every now and then and a seized opportunity when presented. This month I hope all high school teachers take advantage of the Twilight release to get students across the country talking about books.