Junior Great Books
As a nonprofit educational organization, the Great Books Foundation strives to advance the critical, reflective thinking and social and civic engagement of people of all ages. Students who participate in Junior Great Books programs get a great head start in developing the key skills of lifelong learners and thoughtful citizens.
Junior Great Books programs comprise curated anthologies of outstanding fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama designed to:
- Inspire students to explore essential ideas
- Teach students to learn to read for deeper comprehension, develop greater stamina and reading fluency, and think critically
- Equip teachers to lead engaging, inquiry-focused explorations of challenging texts
- Create energized, collaborative classrooms
Professional Development
The Great Books Foundation’s professional development courses and custom consultation offerings help educators learn and continuously improve their use of the Shared Inquiry™ method of teaching and learning. Through interactive training and ongoing support, teachers gain practical experience leading discussions that build critical thinking, collaboration, and comprehension skills.
These programs strengthen instruction and foster professional growth by:
- Providing educators with hands-on workshops and training sessions
- Offering continuous support to refine instructional strategies
- Encouraging collaboration and idea-sharing among teachers
- Use evidence-based practices to enhance teaching effectiveness
We Help Educators
Build Collaborative and Engaged Classrooms
“After doing this program for a year, I’ve noticed that the level of discussions we can have about a piece of literature is so different now. The students can analyze underlying meaning, how each story relates to their life . . . different things that I did not see before. They’re just better readers.”
“Over the years, we kept seeing how much of a value it was to our students, and now it’s really complementing our current reading curriculum. We’re seeing students able to access complex texts. Junior Great Books provides access to good literature and a scaffold for learning how to discuss texts.”
“Learning how to agree and disagree respectfully is really big for kids, as well as learning how to talk directly to another human being . . . because they are behind their screens all the time. In Junior Great Books, they look at the person they are talking to, and don’t try to shut down an idea that is different from their own.”
Our Mission
We believe that literacy and critical thinking help form reflective, knowledgeable citizens equipped to participate constructively in a democratic society. The mission of the Great Books Foundation is to advance the critical, reflective thinking and social and civic engagement of people of all ages through Shared Inquiry™ discussion of works and ideas of enduring value
Who We Are
For over 75 years, the Great Books Foundation has trained thousands of educators and serviced millions of students. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit best known for founding Junior Great Books® and the Shared Inquiry method of teaching and learning. Junior Great Books programs comprise carefully curated anthologies of outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that students explore collaboratively with their peers and the teacher through Shared Inquiry, boosting all the basic language arts skills as they do so.
JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS
Join the Conversation
Earn Shared Inquiry Badges with Great Books Professional Learning
We want to recognize your expertise in Shared Inquiry™ and make it simpler to share your achievements with others. The Great Books Foundation now issues a Shared Inquiry Leader digital badge to participants who complete the Shared Inquiry Essentials course.
Advanced badges are issued to educators who complete additional courses.
What People Are Saying
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Learn more about us!
Helping all students learn to read successfully remains one of the highest priorities for educators and the public. Researchers and practitioners continue to learn more about the science of reading. Plus, we can all benefit from focusing on different aspects of the process of learning to read, then seeing howContinue reading
A Champion for Critical Thinking and Civil Discourse After fifteen years of dedicated service to the Great Books Foundation, Paul Barton steps into the role of Board Chair, bringing passion, experience, and a deep commitment to transforming classrooms through Shared Inquiry. The Great Books Foundation is thrilled to announce thatContinue reading
Today our Assistant Director of Training and Development, Teri Laliberte, appeared on WVON AM Chicago to chat with host Kimberley Egonmwan about the new Junior Great Books Inspire program and the Shared Inquiry methodology the Foundation employs to make JGB programs such a success. For the first time in aContinue reading