Reading Group website advice

[Jocelyn Ozolins]

I'm a graduate student planning (with other students) a Family Book Club.  Am working on a very simple website using Google Sites.  It will have basic info. such as meeting dates, links to authors' websites, etc.  It is only for this specific use - not for a school (though it will take place at a school).

  I would also like to add a wiki feature and this is somewhat awkward with Google Sites, but possible (by allowing each member access).  Another possibility is to link to wikispaces and conduct between-meeting discussions there.

I'd like this to be as attractive and intuitive as possible (it's for middle schoolers).  Anyone have links to exemplary sites for inspiration?  Any advice on the wiki issue?  Cool widgets? Any other advice?

Thanks in advance.

Jocelyn
Orient, NY

[Shawn Steidinger]

Hi Jocelyn - I just scoped out LibraryThing's Groups and if you search "middle school" you can find what others have done. I haven't used LT much, but it looks like groups can enable privacy features so others can't see/join discussions unless invited... LT may be something to check out...

http://www.librarything.com/groups

--Shawn

[Jocelyn Ozolins]

Shawn:
That's a great resource. I will check it out.
Thanks very much.

Jocelyn

[Kathleen Johnson]

I wonder if something like this could work for us? I am trying to get our students set up on a books social networking platform so they can discuss their summer reading with each other.
Do you know if what you propose competes with Shelfari, Library Thing of GoodREads?