The authors realized that participating in a book club with friends has often provided the incentive to read books they normally wouldn't choose on their own. Book clubs have offered them relaxed and informal places to share and compare opinions, to explore texts and authors they wouldn't as readily appreciate or fully understand without friends guiding the way or joining them on the journey. So they began to consider ways of designing a summer reading assignment that would mimic book club participation. To encourage more engaged summer reading, the authors assigned students online discussions modeled on book club meetings. Their assignment for summer reading asked students to prepare for and participate in a self-directed collaborative book discussion. Their results demonstrate the value of collaboration among students and teachers. (Contains 2 figures.)