AAC Four Seasons Book Club

Summer 2026

July 6 and 20

“The Miracle of Morning” by Amanda Gorman

“The Miracle of Morning” is a poem written during the COVID-19 pandemic. It talks about hope, strength, and staying connected during hard times. Even when things felt difficult, it shows that each new day can bring comfort and a fresh start. For AAC users, it connects because it reminds us how important it is for everyone to be able to stay connected, even when communication is harder or support is needed.

Text and video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8yejdQc2_o

Just the text:

https://www.rosalienebacchus.com/poetry-corner-january-2022.html

1. What did you do when you could not visit family and friends in person during the pandemic?
2. During the pandemic, many people were hospitalized, on ventilators and became nonverbal.  The patients and staff were not prepared for this.  What suggestions would you have to train patients, staff and family for this in the future?
3. What is your takeaway after reading this poem, besides it being about the pandemic?

“Do Us Good” by Amanda Gorman

“Do Us Good” is a poem about goodness, how we see people, and standing up for what is right. It asks if people are really born good or bad, or if those ideas come from how others label and judge them, and it encourages us to choose kindness, unity, and action instead of quick assumptions. For AAC users, it also reminds us that people should not be judged by how they communicate, because every way of communicating still has real meaning.

Text and video:

https://teachlivingpoets.com/2024/12/01/do-us-good-by-amanda-gorman-a-poem-inspired-by-wicked/

Text only:  https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Do_Us_Good

1.  Why are two people who are very different from each other attracted to each other either as friends or romantically?
2.  How can misunderstanding people hurt a community just like someone doing something wrong?
3.  What is the most “wicked “ thing you have done?

Join the Book Club Chat

Email:  AACBookClub@isaac-online.org

• Chelsea Hagen
• Patrick Regan
• Kevin Williams
• Marcia Gemler

Join the Book Club Chat

Past Book Club Books

Winter 2026

January 12, 2026

“This was the Year that was Not the Year” by Brian Bilston 

Read the poem

1. What are your New Year’s resolutions?  Do you think you’ll fulfill them?
2. Do you think that a year that you don’t accomplish everything is still a good year?
3. How would you answer this question: “This was the year that was not the year…”

“Dust of Snow” by Robert Frost

A short poem that reflects on how a small, unexpected event can change your mood.

Read the poem.

Read and listen to the poem.

1. If a crow dropped a dust of snow on your AAC device, would your mood improve?  What would your mood be?
2. What do you do if you want to go from feeling cranky to being happy?
3. What do you like to do in the winter?

Jan 26, 2026

 “Snowball” by Shel Silverstein

Read the poem.

Read and listen to the poem.

1. Did you ever have a pet that turned out to be different than you expected?
2. Snowball is about misunderstanding. What’s the funniest way someone has misread or misheard your AAC device?
3. Did you predict the snowballs ending or did it surprise you and make you laugh?

“Dust of Snow” by Robert Frost

A short poem that reflects on how a small, unexpected event can change your mood.

Read and listen to the poem.

1. If a crow dropped a dust of snow on your AAC device, would your mood improve?  What would your mood be?
2. What do you do if you want to go from feeling cranky to being happy?
3. What do you like to do in the winter?

Fall 2025

October 6, 2025

The Haunted House, Shel Silverstein 

The Haunted House begins with a dare to enter a terrifying house.

Audio:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SskMFUd4lY

Question Suggestions:

• Were you surprised by the poem’s ending?
• Do you remember a favorite bedtime story that had an unexpected ending?

Each Night Father Fills Me With Dread, Edward Gorey 

Each Night Father Fills Me with Dread is a short disturbing limerick.

Text: Goodreads — Each Night Father Fills Me With Dread

Question Suggestions:

• How did your reaction to the poem change from reading the title to the final line?
• If you could invite someone who has died to dinner, who would it be?

October 20

September Tomatoes, Karina Borowicz

This poem laments the passage of summer into fall.

Text:  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56583/september-tomatoes

Questions:

• What traditions do you have in the fall?

The Witch, Jack Prelutsky

Jack Prelutsky’s “The Witch” describes a terrifying crone with a piercing scream, who hurls curses and spells on her flight.

Text:

https://lmsplanner8.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/3/1/2431484/witch_-_prelutsky.pdf

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC-Xq8jfET0

Questions:

•  In the poem, we imagine how scary or funny the witch is. How does using an AAC device let others imagine your personality?
• What words or lines in the poem show the witch’s personality? Do they make her seem more funny, scary or both?

Haunted Houses, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This poem suggests that every home carries the memory of those who have lived there.

Text:  https://poets.org/poem/haunted-houses

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCli8TNoZtk 

Questions:

• Do you believe in ghosts?
• Do you know who lived in your house before you?  What changes have you made to your house?

Summer 2025

Book: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Parts 1 and 2

Questions:

1. Is there a time in your life that you would change or relive?
2. Did you like the book? Did you have a favorite part?
3. If life is a one-way trip, what is something you want to do before the end of the road?
4. What do you do to help your mom/family around the house?

Spring 2025

Book: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Questions about the book:

A Man Called Ove is about a grumpy old man whose life changes when a lively family moves in next door, showing him the power of unexpected friendships.

1. Is Ove just a grump, or are we guilty of stereotyping people?
2. What is a stereotype that people assume about you?

Winter 2025

Book: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Questions about the book:

1. How relatable was Melody’s story to you?
2. What was your favourite part of the book?
3. Do you think the author showing Melody as a genius makes it seem like only extremely intelligent people can use AAC?
4. What part of the book made you feel happy?
5. How did the book handle the portrayal of AAC?
6. Did you like the book? Why or why not?
7. Did you enjoy the movie premiere of “Out of My Mind”? Now let’s read the book and talk about it.