How to Start a Book Club for Your Kids and Their Friends (That They’ll Actually Enjoy)
It doesn’t matter whether it’s an Oprah Winfrey, Resse Witherspoon, or Mindy Kaling book club: the selection is always intended for adults. But perhaps a book club would actually benefit kids, both socially and academically—after all, two-thirds of children in the United States cannot read, according to the Department of Education. Luckily, you don’t have to be an industry insider to start a local book club. While you may not have the clout of Winfrey or the star power of Witherspoon, you can easily create a book club for your kids and their classmates to improve their reading and communication skills.
Set expectations early
My seven-year-old attends a book club, and at their first meeting everyone was so excited to talk about the book they were reading that they completely forgot about conversation norms and started talking over each other. Establishing ground rules early on, such as giving everyone a voice and not talking over anyone, will ensure that everyone is heard and respects what the other has to say. Establish a no-cell phone policy if you have teenagers or young teens in your group to ensure no one accidentally interrupts or ignores anyone.
Keep things short and simple
Adult book club selections sometimes come with lengthy questions to get the conversation started. This may work for you, but it’s best to keep it short and simple for kids. Three or so questions about their favorite characters or funniest parts of the story should spark a good conversation to see what they took away from what they read.
Add an activity related to the plot of the book
In the book Stuart Little, the main mouse participates in a boat race. One of the ways my son’s book club connected to this scene was through an activity where participants made their own little boat out of aluminum foil, Popsicle sticks, and paper. This unleashed their creativity in a completely different way, giving them another way to remember the story of the book.
Find an activity or activity that participants can try that relates to the book’s theme, such as listening to the music Chester performs at the Cricket in Times Square, or making bird pies from paper plates and chimney sweepers for Roald Dahl’s The Crazies .
Get other adults involved
There’s no shame in asking for help, especially when you’re taking on a fun activity like a book club. You can work with other parents to develop ideas, put together crafts, or rotate responsibilities at each meeting. You can even reach out to your child’s school teacher to see if they would be willing to help. In the case of my son’s book club, his teacher recorded herself reading each chapter from the monthly selection in her backyard and posted them on YouTube.
Respect Every Child’s Reading Ability
If your child’s book club consists of second graders, now may not be the time to read Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grader . Book club is for fun, not for grades, so try to find materials that everyone will enjoy. Remember, it doesn’t matter if they read Harry Potter or Captain Underpants , as long as they develop a love of reading.
Keep everything consistent
Children like to have a routine, so keeping a schedule and sticking to it is essential for consistent attendance. Additionally, with other activities that require a child’s attention (games, birthday parties, sports leagues, etc.), keeping the same day every month will allow other parents to carve out time in their schedule ahead of time.
Bring snacks
Getting creative with goodies is the key to a successful book club meeting. For example, bring Turkish delight to a discussion about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or chocolate marmalade worm cake to a meeting about eating fried worms.