Book Club- Advanced Literature for Gifted Readers Ages 8-11

Davidson Scholars

Prepare to be amazed as you watch your differently-wired kiddo make real friends, explore this unique content, grow under the guidance of this expert mentor, and be seen in all their glory!

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Why Take This Course?

For highly gifted readers ages 8-11 who burst with ideas and love debating what stories really mean, Book Club for Developing Scholars offers the intellectual acceleration they crave with content that honors where they are developmentally. Centered on books with wit, depth, and philosophical playfulness like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, this course strengthens analytical thinking while fostering the joy of discovering complexity in literature alongside intellectually matched peers.

Each weekly session blends:
📖 Structured Literary Analysis – Explore how authors craft meaning through absurdist humor, philosophical questions, and unconventional storytelling, move beyond plot into "why did the author make that choice?" discussions, and support each other in developing sophisticated interpretations
💭 Creative Intellectual Exploration – Engage through Socratic discussion, creative response activities, and collaborative analysis while building comprehension skills, social connection, and space for genuine debate and intellectual risk-taking

This course provides intellectual depth within a maturity-appropriate framework and is ideal for readers who love finding hidden meanings, analyzing author's craft, and discussing books with peers who share their intensity and curiosity. Through theme-driven novels voted on by students, individualized learning support, and multiple channels of engagement, students will expand their analytical abilities while satisfying their hunger for complexity.

If your reader craves depth and complexity at their intellectual level but isn't ready for content designed for older teens, Book Club for Developing Scholars is their gateway to discovering literature that challenges conventional thinking while honoring their developmental stage.

Perfect for: Children who read ahead, debate story meanings, and seek intellectual challenge with age-appropriate content.

Ages: 8-11

Class size: Maximum- 8 Students

Level: All Levels

Price Per Session: $41.80 weekly

Explore Tuesday times
Explore Wednesday times
  • For highly gifted readers ages 8-11 who burst with ideas and love debating what stories really mean, Book Club for Developing Scholars offers the intellectual acceleration they crave with content that honors where they are developmentally. Centered on books with wit, depth, and philosophical playfulness like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, this course strengthens analytical thinking while fostering the joy of discovering complexity in literature alongside intellectually matched peers.

    Each weekly session blends:
    📖 Structured Literary Analysis – Explore how authors craft meaning through absurdist humor, philosophical questions, and unconventional storytelling, move beyond plot into "why did the author make that choice?" discussions, and support each other in developing sophisticated interpretations
    💭 Creative Intellectual Exploration – Engage through Socratic discussion, creative response activities, and collaborative analysis while building comprehension skills, social connection, and space for genuine debate and intellectual risk-taking

    This course provides intellectual depth within a maturity-appropriate framework and is ideal for readers who love finding hidden meanings, analyzing author's craft, and discussing books with peers who share their intensity and curiosity. Through theme-driven novels voted on by students, individualized learning support, and multiple channels of engagement, students will expand their analytical abilities while satisfying their hunger for complexity.

    By the end of the course, your student will have:
    ✔️ Mastered close reading skills that reward analysis and uncover deeper meanings
    ✔️ Developed ability to examine author's choices and craft sophisticated interpretations
    ✔️ Built understanding of how literature explores human nature and philosophical questions
    ✔️ Gained connection with intellectually matched peers in a developmentally appropriate setting

    If your reader craves depth and complexity at their intellectual level but isn't ready for content designed for older teens, Book Club for Developing Scholars is their gateway to discovering literature that challenges conventional thinking while honoring their developmental stage.

    Perfect for: Children who read ahead, debate story meanings, and seek intellectual challenge with age-appropriate content.

  • By the end of the course, your student will have:
    ✔️ Mastered close reading skills that reward analysis and uncover deeper meanings
    ✔️ Developed ability to examine author's choices and craft sophisticated interpretations
    ✔️ Built understanding of how literature explores human nature and philosophical questions
    ✔️ Gained connection with intellectually matched peers in a developmentally appropriate setting

  • Materials Needed: Copy of Pax (book or audiobook), writing utensils, paper. Final day: beverage and snack for book review tea party!

Our Promise To You

Satisfaction Guarantee: If you’re not 100% IN LOVE with your courses:

  • Payment Plan: Let us know in the first 24 hours and we’ll immediately stop all payments. After that, no worries! Tell us anytime, and we’ll stop future payments after a 30-day processing period.

  • Paid in Full: You can switch to another class of equal value or get a credit for the remaining balance for future classes.

We can offer you a 100% satisfaction guarantee because we know what we do works for hundreds of other families—and we know it will work for your family, too!

We’re taking all the risk because you’re getting over $2000 in bonuses when you sign up, and you could cancel the class and keep all the bonuses.

My promise to you.

-Mr. Sam

Mr Sam

How To Enroll

Explore Times

Click below to discover when this transformative course is blasting off:

Tuesday Class
Wednesday Class

What Our Parents Say…

Meet Your Mentor

Jennifer Hughes

Professor Jennifer Hughes is a retired criminal, international and family court attorney with over 23 years in legal practice. She has taught both in person and online middle and high school for over fifteen years and was the History Department Chair at a non-traditional charter school. She also was an Associate Criminal Justice Professor and has over thirty years of experience competing in Speech and Debate events, including Congress, Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum, Moot Court and Model UN.

Jennifer created her High School Debate program and coaches Debate students for both the NSDA and TOC circuits. Her students have won competitions such as Harvard, obtained national bids and won State championships. Since 2009, she has taught Advanced Placement Courses such as APUSH and Comparative Government. Professor Hughes, as a parent of both neurotypical and neurodiverse kids, fosters classes that are inclusive and tailored to each individual learner.

Questions Asked By Fellow Parents

  • 4 KEY things:

    1- A focus on the positive! We don’t focus on what students aren’t doing, we support what they are and we know the rest will come. We develop strengths, interests, and relationships. We build students up so they can build a better world! And do it with the new friends they make in our program!

    2- Like-minded neurodivergent peers. Our asynchronous students need one another and YSA is a safe haven for these kiddos to connect around their asynchronies, quirks, and interests. We’re a place where they can be their authentic selves and make friends while doing so!

    3- Passionate, masterful neurodivergent mentors who have walked the walk and can authentically validate and support your child with personal experience and care AND expertise as we all have advanced masters + degrees

    4-Content your students care about taught in a way they love! We offer the courses they need to be taking, not the ones they’re required to take.

    Come by and see for yourself!

  • Please don’t confuse reactive “distance learning” and virtual enrichment programming. After all, a student who is completely fried from a boring zoom class is often quick to pick up a tablet or phone, right?

    Our courses are not at all the same animal =)

  • THIS IS A SATISFACTION GUARANTEE, so your child must attend the class in question to qualify.

    If you’re not 100% IN LOVE with your courses, here are your options:

    1- 8-Week Courses Refund requests must be received up to 24 hours after the first course begins to do one of the following options: 

    Payment plan or Paid in full- 3 options: transfer to another course of the same price, get a 100% refund credit toward a future class, or get a 75% money-back to the original payment method. 

    2-  16+ Week CoursesThe deposit made at the time of enrollment is non-refundable. Cancellation options are:

    Payment plan- Cancellation requests received up to 24 hours after the first course begins will stop any future payments. Any cancellation requests beyond that require a 30-day notice to stop the membership/billing.

    Paid in full- Cancellation requests require a 30-day notice. The remaining balance at the end of the 30-day cancellation period can be used to transfer to another class or be converted to credit toward a future class.

    Please read the description of each course before enrolling.

  • We do! We have 3 kinds:

    1- Word of mouth: 25% off- we know that the best way to reach new families is word of mouth. When you help another family enroll in a YSA class and they name you at checkout, you will get 25% off the cost of the course you’re currently enrolled in once they stay past the refund period. Note— this applies to all regular courses, BUT only applies to the first month of membership courses.

    2- Multi-sibling: 10% off- We believe in supporting whole families and we are willing to put our money where our mouth is! When you sign-up 2 or more kiddos you will receive 10% off. Note— this does not apply to our membership courses.

    3-Multi-course: 10% off- To fully serve your family, we hope to provide your child with all the courses they dream of taking! To make this more affordable, when you enroll in 3 or more classes, you will receive 10% off. Note— this does not apply to our membership courses.

  • Of course!

    As we like to say, if you’re on our site, you’re in the right place.

    Our programming is for students who are not being supported or challenged enough in school.

    If you have an asynchronous kiddo who you know has strengths and struggles, our courses are for your child.

  • 2e students experience such asynchronous development that it proves difficult to have hard age limits.

    We often evaluate students on a case by case basis =)

    Please email us and we’ll discuss: sam@youngscholarsacademy.org

  • All of our programs are 100% virtual. This allows us to bring together the twice-exceptional/neurodivergent students of the world, connect them, and nurture them!

    Your child may very well enter a 6-person class with 5 other students from 5 different states/countries!

    Cool, right?