How to Run a Book Club

Use our ideas to help you organize your book club activities, hold good discussions, and settle tough
issues.
_____________

Basic Ground Rules

Members who haven’t read the book

Come anyway. Not everyone can finish every book, but non-readers may still have valuable insights.

Disagreements about the book

Be gracious! There is no one way to experience or interpret a book. In fact, differing opinions are good.

Members who prefer to socialize

Be gentle but firm. Insist that discussion time be limited to the book. Some clubs hold book discussions
first and invite "social members" to join afterward.

Dominating personalities
Never easy. “Let’s hear from some others” is one approach. Some clubs pass an object around the room;
you talk only when you hold the object. If the person continues to dominate, a friendly conversation
(never e-mail) might work. If all fails, sometimes they've just got to go—for the good of the club. (See
our Blog Post—Book Club Blues.)

Meeting Format
Allow 2 to 2-1/2 hours per meeting—

 30-45 min. — social time (eat, drink, be merry)

 15-20 min. — administrative matters
 60-90 min. — book discussion

Holding the Discussion

(Also see How to Discuss a Book)

With a leader

 Appoint a club member—perhaps the person who selects the book or hosts the meeting. Some clubs
have a member who enjoys leading all discussions.
 Invite an outside facilitator (English teacher or librarian), paid or unpaid.

Without a leader

 Take turns going around the room, allowing each member to talk about his or her experience
reading the book.
 Hand out index cards. Ask everyone to write a question or observation; then select one or more to
discuss.

Use LitLovers Resources!

 Discussion Tips—ideas for discussing any book

  Reading Guides—specific discussion questions
 Generic Questions—for fiction and nonfiction
 Read-Think-Talk—a guided-reading chart
 Free LitCourses—short, fun, and guaranteed to make you smarter!

(Book club tips by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks!)
How to Select Book Club Books
Follow these smart tips to help guide your book club selections.
_____________

Basic Do's & Don'ts

1. Don't read favorites

Reading a book someone "just loves" can lead to hurt feelings—like inviting people into your living
room to critique your decor. Ouch! Best to stay on neutral territory.

2. Do choose for good discussions

Some books don't offer a lot to chew on in the way of discussion. They may be great reads
(mysteries, spy thrillers) but don't have much to talk about.

 Look for "literary fiction," works rich in characterization and ideas.

 Don't neglect nonfiction—works of historical or sociological significance provide fertile grounds
for discussion.

3. Don't choose for the whole year

It ties you into a year-long rigid schedule with no flexibility to add exciting new works you might learn
about. And it's unfair for those who miss the one meeting when selections are made.

4. Do choose 2 or 3 at a time
This allows members to read at their own pace. It's especially helpful for those who travel or miss a
meeting or two.

5. Don't get stuck in a rut

A steady diet of one thing can be dull, dull, dull—so mix styles and genres. Intersperse heavier reads
and lighter ones; fiction (current and classic) with nonfiction, graphic novels, short stories, and drama.

6. Do establish limits
Set some basic ground rules up front, so you don't get into misunderstandings as you go along.

 Some clubs limit selections to paperbacks—easier on the pocketbook; others read both soft and
hard-cover.
 Some clubs limit page number—300-400 pages a month is a healthy read. Other clubs enjoy
longer reads at 500-700 pages—or shorter at less than 300. You can also split up longer books
into 2 sessions. Nothing wrong with that.

7. Don't let the same people choose

Make sure everyone gets a say in what books to select. One person shouldn't be in charge of the
process, nor should one or two dominate. Make sure to see the three methods for choosing books
below.
Selecting Books

Vote—All members make suggestions, followed by an open discussion, and vote.

Rotate—Members take turns, each choosing a book for a given month. In many clubs, the one who
hosts the meeting picks the book.

Mixed—Members rotate each month, with the member whose turn it is proposing 3 different titles;
members then vote to select 1 book out of the 3 choices.

Finding Book Ideas

Use LitLovers of course!

 Popular Books — our list of book club favorites.

 Book Reviews — our monthly recommendations
 Reading Guides — 3,000 guides with discussion questions, reviews, a summary and author bio.

Libraries & bookstores

Check out your public library, local bookstores, and national book chains. Most of them carry their own
recommendations or lists of what clubs are reading.

Newspapers & magazines

 Sunday's New York Times Book Review is the biggie;

 Newspapers, such as USA Today and most local papers, especially the big city dailies;
 General interest magazines, such as Time, Newsweek, The New Yorker, Oprah, People, Vanity
Fair, and Elle, to name a few;
 Two of my favorite magazines are Bookmarks andBookPage. Your library should carry them; if
not, you could pony up for your own subscriptions.

Literary prizes
Keep your eye on annual literary awards, considering both finalists and winners. Here are the most
prestigious prizes (for the English language):

 Nobel Prize for Literature

 National Book Award
 Man Booker Prize
 Pulitzer Prize
 National Book Critics Circle Award
 PEN/Faulkner Award

(Book club tips by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks!)
How to Discuss a Book
Our ideas can help you lead a discussion, find helpful resources, and be a smart participant.
_______________

How to lead a discussion

1. Toss one question at a time out to the group. Use our LitLovers Resources below to help you with
specific questions.

2. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and pass them out. Each member (or
team of 2 or 3) takes a card and answers the question.

3. Use a prompt (prop) related to the story. It can help stimulate members' thinking about some
aspect of the story. It's adult show & tell.

(Think maps, photographs, paintings, food, apparel, a music recording, a film sequence.)

4. Pick out a specific passage from the book—a description, an idea, a line of dialogue—and ask
members to comment on it.

(Consider how a passage reflects a character...or the work's central meaning...or members' lives or
personal beliefs.)
5. Choose a primary character and ask members to comment on him or her.

(Think character traits, motivations, how he/she affects the story's events and characters, or revealing
quotations.)

6. Play a literary game. Use one of our Icebreaker Games. They're smart and fun—guaranteed to
loosen you up and get your discussion off to a lively, even uproarious start.

7. Distribute hand-outs to everyone in order to refresh memories or to use as talking points. Identify
the primary characters and summarize the plot.

LitLovers Resources

 Reading Guides — Discussion Questions, Reviews and Summaries for 3,000 books.

 Fiction and Nonfiction Generic Discussion Questions to help with almost any book.

 Read-Think-Talk — a Guided-Reading Chart to use while you're reading.

 LitCourse — our 10 Free Online Literature Courses are short and fun...and highly informative.
You'll be the smartest person in the room! Guaranteed...or your money back. (Oh, wait. They're
free!)

How to participate in a discussion

1. Watch your language! Try to avoid words like "awful" or "idiotic"—even "like" and "dislike." They
don't help move discussions forward and can put others on the defensive. Instead, talk about your
experience—how you felt as you read the book. See our Read-Think-Talkguide for helpful ideas.

2. Don't be dismissive. If you disagree with someone else, don't refer to her as an ignoramus. Just
say, "I'm not sure I see it that way. Here's what I think." Much, much nicer.

3. Support your views. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. This is a
literary analysis technique called "close reading." (LitCourse 3has a good discussion of close reading.)

4. Read with a pencil. Takes notes or mark passages that strike you—as significant or funny or
insightful. Talk about why you marked the passages you did.

5. Use LitLovers for help. Check out our Litlovers Resources above. They'll help you get more out of
what your read and help you talk about books with greater ease.

(Discussion tips by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online of off, with attribution. Thanks!)
Book Club Questions for Fiction / Novels
Use our general fiction questions when you can't find specific discussion questions. They're basic but
smart.
_______________

1. How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to
"get into it"? How did you feel reading it—amused,
sad, disturbed, confused, bored...?

2. Describe the main characters—personality traits, motivations, inner qualities.

• Why do characters do what they do?
• Are their actions justified?
• Describe the dynamics between characters
(in a marriage, family, or friendship).
• How has the past shaped their lives?
• Do you admire or disapprove of them?
• Do they remind you of people you know?

3. Do the main characters change by the end of

the book? Do they grow or mature? Do they learn something about themselves and how the world
works?

4. Is the plot engaging—does the story interest you? Is this a plot-driven book: a fast-paced page-
turner? Or does the story unfold slowly with a focus on character development? Were you surprised by
the plot's complications? Or did you find it predictable, even formulaic?

5. Talk about the book's structure. Is it a continuous story...or interlocking short stories? Does the
time-line move forward chronologically...or back and forth between past and present? Does the author
use a single viewpoint or shifting viewpoints? Why might the author have chosen to tell the story the
way he or she did—and what difference does it make in the way you read or understand it?

6. What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? (Consider the title, often a clue to a theme.)
Does the author use symbols to reinforce the main ideas? (See our free LitCourses on
both Symbol and Theme.)

7. What passages strike you as insightful, even profound? Perhaps a bit of dialog that's funny or
poignant or that encapsulates a character? Maybe there's a particular comment that states the book's
thematic concerns?
8. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

9. If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask? Have you read other books by the
same author? If so how does this book compare. If not, does this book inspire you to read others?

10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or
been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
Generic Questions-Nonfiction
Use our general nonfiction questions to get book club discussions off to a good start. They're basic but
smart.

1. If your book offers a cultural portrait—of life in another country or region of your own country,
start with questions a, b, and c ...

a. What observations are made in the book?

Does the author examine economics and
politics, family traditions, the arts, religious beliefs, language or food?

b. Does the author criticize or admire the culture? Does he/she wish to preserve or
change the way of life? Either way, what
would be risked or gained?

c. What is different from your own culture? What

do you find most surprising, intriguing or
difficult to understand?
2. What is the central idea discussed in the book? What issues or ideas does the author explore? Are
they personal, sociological, global, political, economic, spiritual, medical, or scientific

3. Do the issues affect your life? How so—directly,on a daily basis, or more generally? Now or
sometime in the future?

4. What evidence does the author use to support the book's ideas? Is the evidence
convincing...definitive or...speculative? Does the author depend on personal opinion, observation, and
assessment? Or is the evidence factual—based on science, statistcs, historical documents, or
quotations from (credible) experts?

5. What kind of language does the author use? Is it objective and dispassionate? Or passionate and
earnest? Is it polemical, inflammatory, sarcastic? Does the language help or undercut the author's
premise?
6. What are the implications for the future? Are there long- or short-term consequences to the
issues raised in the book? Are they positive or negative...affirming or frightening?

7.What solutions does the author propose? Who would implement those solutions? How probable is
success?

8. How controversial are the issues raised in the book? Who is aligned on which sides of the issues?
Where do you fall in that line-up?

9. Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing,
illuminating, disturbing, sad...? What was memorable?

10. What have you learnedafter reading this book? Has it broadened your perspective about a
difficult issue—personal or societal? Has it introduced you to a culture in another country...or an ethnic
or regional culture in your own country?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

Important courses for book club organizer free courses

http://www.litlovers.com/run-a-book-club/read-think-talk

www.litlovers.com (a well-read online community)

http://www.pragmaticmom.com/2012/01/our-kids-most-successful-book-club-meetings/

http://nalibali.org/tips-topics/reading-storytelling-topics-a-z/

http://nalibali.org/resources/useful-links/global/

http://nalibali.org/resources/useful-links/mobile/

http://www.reading-with-kids.com/readingactivities.html

http://www.reading-with-kids.com/reading-games.html

http://www.edutopia.org/blogs/tag/formative-assessment

http://www.randomhousekids.com/blog/middle-grade-book-club-ideas#.Vo5nYapGGwE

Our 10 FREE online courses explore different ways to evaluate literature. You can take individual courses
on...

• Character
• Plot
• Point of View
• Symbolism
• Irony
• See the full list

Course Catalog
Choose a LitCourse
It's best to take courses in order—but not necessary.
_______________________

1 Literature Matters: Why We Read

What is the difference between serious fiction and pulp fiction—and why should we care? In this
course, we attempt to answer both of those questions.

Read
—Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
—Calculating Love by Alicia d'Marvel

Take the course (begin Lecture).

2 The Novel: A Mirror of the World
Where did the novel come from? This course offers a brief history of realistic fiction, the infant of the
literary world.

Read—A Case of Identity by Arthur Conan Doyle

Take the course (begin Lecture).

3 How to Read: Finding Meaning

Learn to read deeply in order to open up a richer level of meaning. This course is the first in a series
that explores setting, plot, characters, and much more.

Read—Powder by Tobias Wolff

Take the course (begin Lecture).

4 How to Read: Title & Setting

"It was a dark and stormy night"—how's that for setting? We'll talk about both titles and settings—and
the clues they give us for understanding fiction.
Read
—Digging by Seamus Heaney
—A & P by John Updike

Take the course (begin lecture).

5 How to Read: Character

Good writers create characters that jump off the page, some living in our memories forever. This
course explores different ways to think and talk about fictional characters.

Read—Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Take the course (begin lecture).

6 How to Read: Plot

How do authors create plots that keep us turning the page and burning the midnight oil? We'll look at
some of the plot devices writers use to develop their story lines.

Read—A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner

Take the course (begin lecture).

7 How to Read: Point of View

Whoever tells the story shapes the story—it's one of the most important decisions an author makes.
So how does an author decide who does the telling? We'll talk about that in LitCourse 7!

Read—Why I Live at the P.O. by Eudora Welty

Take the course (begin lecture).

8 How to Read: Irony

Authors love to use irony—to make readers expect one thing but give them another. That's the fun of
irony.

Read—Roman Fever by Edith Wharton

Take the course (begin lecture).

9 How to Read: Symbolism

Symbols are some of the most powerful tools a writer has to create meaning. This course explores
what symbols are and how they work.

Read—Horse Dealer's Daughter by D.H. Lawrence

Take the course (begin lecture).

10 How to Read: Theme

After all the words and all the pages, what is the author trying to say—really? We'll talk about how
you can discern some of the larger ideas at stake in a work of literature.

Read—Eveline by James Joyce

Take the course (begin lecture).

Read-Think-Talk
• Are the characters convincing? Do they come alive for you? How would you describe them — as
sympathetic, likeable, thoughtful, intelligent, innocent, naive, strong or weak? Something else?

• Do you identify with any characters? Are you able to look at events in the book through their eyes—even if
you don’t like or approve of them? Do they remind you of people in your own life? Or yourself?

• Are characters developed psychologically and emotionally? Do you have access to their inner thoughts and
motivations? Or do you know them mostly through dialogue and action?

• Do any characters change or grow by the end of the story? Do they come to view the world and their
relationship to it differently?

• Is the story plot-driven, moving briskly from event to event? Or is it character-driven, moving more
slowly, delving into characters' inner-lives?

• What is the story’s central conflict—character vs. character...vs. society...or vs. nature (external)? Or an
emotional struggle within the character (internal)? How does the conflict create tension?

• Is the plot chronological? Or does it veer back and forth between past and present?
• Is the ending a surprise or predictable? Does the end unfold naturally? Or is it forced, heavy handed, or
manipulative? Is the ending satisfying, or would you prefer a different ending?

• Who tells the story—a character (1st-person narrator)? Or an unidentified voice outside the story (3rd-
person narrator)? Does one person narrate—or are there shifting points of view?

• What does the narrator know? Is the narrator privvy to the inner-life of one or more of the characters...or
none? What does the narrator let you know?

• What about theme—the larger meanings behind the work? What ideas does the author explore? What is he
or she trying to say?

• Symbols intensify meaning. Can you identify any in the book—people, actions or objects that stand for
something greater than themselves?

• What about irony—a different outcome, or reality, than expected. Irony mimics real life: the opposite
happens from what we desire or intend...unintended consequences.

(Read-Think-Talk by LitLovers. Please feel free to use, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
Games and Icebreakers
Try these fun book club games to liven up your normal routine or break the ice for newcomers!

1. Extreme Makeover
Update a character or two from a book set in the
past. Place the characters in today's culture—and
invent a new life.

Example: Lydia Bennett (Pride & Prejudice) considers Cosmo great literature and Sex &
the City serious drama. She hits the clubs,
wears designer knock-offs and has Big Hair.
Her eyes are always peeled for Mr. Big.

Example: Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby) takes twice-weekly elocution lessons (The Rain in Spain....).
He's fastidious—flosses 3 times/day
and wears only Armani. Listens to rap in private but forces himself to attend the opera, alone.
Was a big player in a Wall Street hedge fund but managed to avoid indictment...so far.
2. Alphabet Soup
Working around the room, have each member name a character, event, place, or object from the
book—the first letter of which starts with A, the next with B, the next C, and so forth through the
alphabet.

3. Extend the End

Jane Austen did it in Pride and Prejudice—she wrote an epilogue telling us how Elizabeth and Darcy
fared after the story's last line. Take any novel, or novels, you've read over the past year and write an
epilogue. What happens to those characters, say 1 year, 5 years, 10 years out?

Divide up into teams, or go solo. Read the results out loud. Be as funny...romantic...or serious as you
want.

4. Literary Grab Bag

Fill a large shopping bag or box with objects from novels. Have everyone pull out an object and guess
which novel (and author), which character, and at which point in the story (if relevant) the prop is
used.

Obvious examples: stuffed tiger for Life of Pi; potato peels for Guernsey Literary Society, etc...;
camera forMemory Keeper's Daughter; sling shot for Kite Runner; a book by Russian author Nikolai
Gogol for The Namesake (even better...an old overcoat!), and so on.
5. Hollywood Bowl
Cast a book as a movie. Pass around a bowl with folded slips of paper containing titles of recent book
selections. Each member (or team of 2) draws a title and casts the movie. Take turns reading out
everyone's choices.

Variation: Using the current book only, have everyone write his/her casting choice.

6. Literary Snowballs
Sounds silly, but it's lots of fun. Divide into 2 teams on either side of the room. Hand everyone an 8 ½
x 11 sheet of paper on which to write a question from the book.

Crumple the sheets into “snowballs” and, at a signal, throw them across the room to the other team.
The team who correctly answers the most snowballs correctly wins

Scoring:
2 points—to a team for each correct answer
1 point— to the other team for each incorrect answer.

7. Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Chose someone to read quotes by or about various characters — from the current book or past book
selections. Members try to guess who said what and when. If you want, divide into teams and keep
score. (This icebreaker will require a bit of prep.)

(Games and Icebreakers by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution.
Thanks.)

Over 20 Activity Ideas From Successful Book Club Meetings

93 in My Family by Erica S. Perl. Activity was to draw your family using template printed from her
website, www.ericaperl.com. Perfect for Preschool through 2nd grade book club. A fun rhyming
book! In a separate book club meeting, the book club members met at bookstore nearby where
Erica Perl hosted a book reading for her new book Chicken Butt.The kids were captivated by her
presentation which included songs, a chicken hat and chicken shaped cookies. The parents were
captivated by hearing how her book evolved from one idea into the final evolution of the book. We
ended the book club at a nearby park for snack and free play. If she’s coming to your town, don’t
miss her! Her book tours are also on her website.
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. The activity was to plant a container garden that each child
took home. Plants included tomato, cucumber, sweet basil, marigold and parsley. Perfect for
preschool through 2nd grade book club to do in late spring or early summer.

The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack. I used the picture of Ping on the front cover to cut out larger
ducks out of white tagboard. The kids decorated their ducks using markers, feathers and glue
sticks.
Mr. Tanen’s Ties by Maryann Cocca Leffler. Using white tagboard, the kids decorated large ties
with paint, stampers and dot-dot paints.

Clocks and More Clocks by Pat Hutchins. The activity was to create your own clock. You will
need a clock kit per child and a handy mom to host. Perfect for 1st through 3rd graders.
The Greatest Power by Demi. This book coincided with Chinese New Year so we went this that
theme. The book is the sequel to The Empty Pot. The book goes over the achievements of the
Chinese by answering a question posed by the child emperor of what is the greatest power? We
folded origami cups (very simple), fortune tellers (not that hard) and cranes (hard). The kids took
turns trying to pick out candy from a bowl using chop sticks to fill their origami cup. Technically,
origami is more of a Japanese art form but candy is appropriate for Chinese New Years because
you are supposed to eat something sweet to get good luck in the year ahead. Perfect for grades
Kindergarten through 2nd grade.

My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco. The children each brought a handful
of family photographs that they could use to make a photo album scrapbook. I supplied
blank scrapbook pages purchased at a craft store along with glue, scissors, and markers. We
bound each books using a velobinder but stapling the books together is fine too! The kids wrote
captions under each picture. This was a 1st grade book club.
Wedding Flowers by Cynthia Rylant. We made tissue paper flower bouquets (use tissue paper
and cut into petal shapes and scrunch up at the bottom). We had teams and each team dressed a
girl in a wedding dress made of white crepe paper (more durable than toilet paper). We decorated
cupcakes. You could also recreate the wedding feast in the book. 1st through 2nd grade book
club.

My Haunted House by Angie Sage.A perfect pick for an October book club, especially one near
Halloween. The host mom baked brownies and cut them out in the shape of bats. Activities were
outdoors and included bobbing for apples, chubby bunny (put crackers in your mouth one at a
time. After each cracker, you say chubby bunny. When you can’t say chubby bunny anymore,
you’re out), and relay races. 1st through 3rd grade book club.
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson. The activity was to make a coin purse
using fabric and glue guns. The mom then set up a “grocery store” with her week’s shopping and
displayed the prices the each item. The kids had $10 to buy food. The idea was that 2nd graders
may not realize that $10 doesn’t buy a lot of food. Another spin would be to have each child bring
$10 from home and then go to the grocery store to buy $10 worth of food to donate to a food
bank. This book club was during the holiday season because the mom wanted to have the kids
think about others.
Squirrel’s Birthday and Other Parties by Toon Tellegen. This was a really great book club
meeting. The mom hid invitation cards filled out with instructions throughout the house. As the
kids found the cards, they did the activity. Here are some of the cards which make up different
steps of planning a party. 1) Go to the living room. Learn the dance: Blame It On The Boogie. 2)
Make Fruit Punch. Directions: 2 cups fruit punch, 2 cups gingerale, marachino cherries, ice. Mix
in pitcher. Remember to work together! 3) Make a centerpiece for the table. Work together! Be
careful with the glue gun! Also make placecards with your name on it. You may decorate as you
wish. (She supplied a styerfoan cone plus cuttings from the garden and other decorations). 4)
Decorate the cookies. 2 cookies each. Share frosting. Don’t eat cookies yet! (sugar cookies). 5)
Enjoy the treats.

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles. Using large sheets of tagboard, draw your own dragon.
Tangerines for snack.
Sideways Stories of the Wayside School by Louis Sachar. The kids all liked this book but I
thought this was a quirky book with stories of very strange children. I hosted this one. I suggested
that the kids pantomime a character like charades and have the kids guess who it was. This was
vetoed. Instead, it because a group project in which they created a scene of the class using
tagboard, markers, tape and glue. They were absolutely quiet for 2 hours working on this project
and said it was a blast. It wasn’t even that messy! Perfect for grades 2nd through 4th. This
author was so popular that the following book club was Angeline by Louis Sachar.
The Doll People seriesby Laura Godwin. This series was so popular that we did three book clubs
in a row, one book after the other. For the first club, the hosting mom created a scavenger hunt of
clues to find the aunt. This was a big hit! For the second book, the hosting mom had the girls
create a doll house using tag board cut out in the shape of a doll house. The girls drew the
characters hidden throughout the doll house. I have to research what the activity was for the 3rd
book; her daughter thinks they just played. Perfect for 2nd through 4th grade book clubs.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. The activity was to create nature survival
guide by finding edible and poisonous plants in your neighborhood. I printed out wildlife
information fromhttp://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio/Edible_plants/LetsEat_home.html. Another
site ishttp://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants. I also bought a flint & steel combination fire starter from
EMS and had the girls try to start a fire like the boy in the story. This was supervised by an adult
and done on pavement. It was pretty hard to do! We collected plant samples as well. 3rd
through 5th grade book club.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and Marla Frazee. This was a very simple but wildly popular
book club meeting. The hosting mom created a Jeopardy Game by writing trivia questions based
on the book. She also asked each child to bring in two questions. 2nd through 3rd grade book
club.

Tale of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler and Sarah Gibb. This was my turn. I copied a 5th grade
assignment and had the kids create a game together based on the book using foam core board,
markers, tape, scissors and cardboard. It was a great way to practice group dynamics. At first
there was arguing over who was in charge. After about half an hour, there was silence. When I
looked in, all the kids were happily engaged in their part of the project. This was another big
hit that was also very easy. 3rd or 4th grade book club.

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris. In the story, the princess creates her own perfume. The
activity for this club was making your own perfume using Perfumery Kit. The kids loved playing
“mad scientist.” 2nd through 4th grade book club.
Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins. In this book club, we were fortunate to have the author visit our
book club. She happens to live in our city. She was absolutely captivating. She also talked about
the evolution of the book. At first, she thought this book would be a picture book about a boy
rickshaw driver. She also talked about how easy it was for her to get her first book published, but
her second book took more than 10 years. As a child growing up in Bangladesh and India, she
compared cultures and talked about how Bangladesh was changing. The boys were particularly
captivated about micro-loans which were changing Bangladesh’s village economy for the better.
She also talked about her next book, Monsoon Summer which is perfect for middle school age
children. If Mitali Perkins comes to your city, she is a must-see!
We combined with the boys’ book club for same grade for the first time. The boys stayed for the
author presentation, snack and photo with the author. The girls stayed for an art project. They
created Alpana designs using large brown tag board and white poster paint. You could also
create Alpanas using flower petals and ground colored spices. I printed out alpana examples from
the internet so they could get an idea of what the designs looked
like: http://jamiepeeps.blogspot.com/2008/11/alpanas-and-henna.html. The artwork turned out
really well. 2nd through 4th grade book club.
Harry Potter (any of them) by J. K. Rowling. This was from the 4th grade boys’ book club. They
played Quittage by using Tiki Torches and 4 square balls on a beach, but a field would work just
as well. 3rd through 5th grade book club.

Holes by Louis Sachar. This was a book club that other moms always talk about as the best book
club their child ever attended. She buried items from book into holes dug in her yard for the kids
to dig up. The combination of a wildly popular book with a wildly popular activity is the reason why
everyone always talks about how fun this meeting was! 3rd through 5th grade book club.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney. My friend ran this book club for the 4th
grade boys’ book club. The boys had all read all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books so she bought
the newest one hot off the presses, hired a teacher to teach cartooning and had the kids create
their own comic strips. It was a big hit! Perfect for 2nd through 4th grade.

Matilda by Roald Dahl. The mom hostess had just returned from a Transatlantic flight and was
completely jetlagged. She had them watch the DVD of Matilda but I think that is actually a great
book club. It’s always music to my ears when my daughter tells me that the book was waaaay
better than the movie! It would be fun to compare what was different about the book versus the
movie.

Activities that Can Be Done for Any Book

 Have the group work together or individually and create a game based on the book. Provide
cardboard or foam core board, markers, scissors, tape and stapler. I like to introduce group
activities to teach kids how to work as a team around 3rd grade.
 Provide sculpey (a kind of clay) and have the kids sculpt a character’s head. Would be good
for any age.
 Create bookmarks based on the book. Provide stiff paper or cardboard, markers & scissors.
 Create a scene from the book using a shoebox, paper, glue, markers, tape, etc. You can
even tell the book club in advance to bring in things from home to create a diorama. You can
do this individually or as a group. For a group project, you could also create a scene using a
big piece of tag board or foam core board.
 My middle child’s book club is not shy about breaking out the hot glue guns… but you will
need at least two adults on deck for this. Using cardboard craft boxes or other
container purchased at a craft store, use the hot glue gun to attach something related to the
book in a design.
 Create a trivia game by having each member bring in three questions about the book. Have
everyone take turns drawing a question and have fun answering it. Remind everyone to
read the book IN ADVANCE!
 Act out a scene of the play and then have an adult record the show on a DVD recorder to play
back.
 Write a plot for a sequel to the book. For a twist, do this in pairs or as a group.
 Have everyone name something that would be different in the book if the setting of the book
took place 100 years into the future.
 Choose one character in the book. Each member of the team must decide on what gift to
bring to a birthday party for this character. Consider the character’s personality, likes and
dislikes. Act out the party with each team member presenting their gift. Or make the gift.
 Write a poem about a character. Each team member must think of at least one line. The
poem must have at least 6 lines and must rhyme.
 Write a script and act out a new ending for the book.
  Make a 30 second television commercial to try to get people to read the book. Be sure to
include information about the characters, setting, and the story that will get people interested
in the book.
 If you can get your hands on a game called The Book Club in a Box (try ebay), play the
game. Many of the ideas for book clubs are from this game!
 I received a great tip from the blog, Mother&DaughterBookClub.com for this book by Cindy
Hudson, Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs.
MORE ACTIVITY IDEAS:
Here are some activities you could offer during a reading club session. You do not need to do all of
them each time the reading club meets. Most reading clubs with several children and some
volunteers like to do some activities – like games and songs, reading aloud and storytelling – in
every session. Choose from the other activities depending on how they link with the books and
stories you are sharing with the children and how much time you have available. Changing some of
the activities each week will help to keep each of your reading club sessions fresh and interesting
and encourage the children to attend regularly!
If your group is made up of just one or two adults and a small group of children, or is a self-run
teenage club, you may just choose to read and talk about books together.
 Games and songs: Children learn easily and comfortably when they play, and these are fun
ways to start a session. Think about games and songs that you used to play and sing as a child
and teach these to the children. You can also ask older children to teach all of you a game that
 they know or have made up! Sing some songs in the home languages of all the children in the
reading club. Find others to help children learn English or another language.
 Reading aloud and storytelling: Ideally, all sessions should include reading aloud and
storytelling. Children learn about how stories work and how to read from listening to stories
being read and told to them. Click here to find more information on reading aloud and telling
stories.
 Shared reading: Spending time sharing books in pairs or small groups allows children to
select and share books they are interested in. Children who are able to read independently, can
read books together in small groups or pairs. They can also read simpler books to other children
in the club who are still learning to read. Join in by letting a child read to you or by reading to a
small group of children. Shared reading offers wonderful opportunities for children to learn
from each other as well as from the adults who read with them.
 Silent or independent reading: Allow some time for children to look at and read books on
their own. Children who can already read often like to spend time alone with a book, reading
silently. Silent reading is important because it extends children’s ability as readers. Children
who are still learning to read enjoy looking at picture books and telling their own story that goes
with the pictures. They also like to recite the actual words of a familiar story. Although this
looks like they are just having fun with books, they are also developing essential reading skills
like using pictures to give you a clue to what the words on the page say.
 Writing: Give children opportunities to write for real reasons. Rhymes, songs and games can
all be written down and read as shared activities. The children can make their own books that
they can read themselves and then share with others. Let them keep journals in which they
write about books that they have read and provide opportunities for them to write letters and
make greeting cards to friends and family. During writing activities, help children who are still
 learning to read and write by writing down the words that they say. This helps them to discover
the link between spoken and written language.
 Talking about books: Spend some time introducing reading club members to books that you
have at your club. Show the books to the children and tell them a little about each one.
Afterwards, remember to display the books well so that children can find them easily.
 Art, craft and drama: Extend a story you have read or told by encouraging the children to
paint or draw pictures, make puppets or other objects related to the story. Or, allow time for the
children to act out the story.
 Reading Activities Make Reading Fun

There are a lot of reading activities you can do with your kids to make
reading fun and inspire them to improve their skills. Here are a few
ideas:

Create your own Book Club . These are great for developing reading
comprehension and listening skills. Click here to learn more about how
to start a book club.

Start a reading program. These are fun ways to get your children
involved with reading. You could try our own Reading Club Calendar, or
local libraries will often offer reading clubs, reading programs, or reading
calendars.

Color with your kids. Coloring teaches children to hold a canyon/pencil

properly. It also develops the muscle coordination they will need when
they learn to write. ( Find out more about coloring here .) In
addition, alphabet coloring pages help your child become more familiar
with letters of the alphabet.
Make scrapbooks with your kids that they can read. Kids love
reading stories about themselves, so make sure you journal your pages
so that they can read all about themselves while looking at the pictures.

Let your children write their own stories. This is a simple activity, but kids love it. Just take some plain
paper and a piece of construction paper or colored cardstock for the cover. Fold them in half and put a few
staples close to the fold. Let your children dictate their story to you or write their own (depending on their
age)and then let your children draw their own illustrations.

Give your children their own personal journal . Kids love writing about themselves
and things that actually happened. It can be as simple as a spiral-bound notebook --
that makes little difference to kids. Just give them a book to write in, and they will be
happy.

Give your children the opportunity to write letters . Chrildren love to write to
people, whether it is a thank you note, a simple "hello", or even Happy Birthday, they
love to write it then stick it in the envelope.

Explore Nursery Rhymes with your kids. Nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce reading to your
children. Make use of the activities on our Nursery Rhymes page, including coloring pages coloring pages
and a fun game called"Homonym Phrases."

Plan a treasure hunt with your children. You can help your children write and hide clues, or you can
create a treasure hunt for your children to follow. No matter what the "treasure" is, kids love participating in
treasure hunts.

Make a roller box. This is similar to a slide show where your children get to illustrate the stories
themselves. It is a fun way for your children to view a story and a great opportunity for them to get involved
in drawing their own illustrations.

Plan seasonal activities. Kids love to make the most of any holiday season. See our Holiday Reading
Activities page.

Do some role-playing with your kids. You can watch them

present a puppet show or play. Or better yet, get involved yourself and let your children
"direct" you!

Practice interactive reading skills while reading with your child. Learning to read
should be a joint effort. These are suggestions for reading with your child, not just reading to
them or having them read to you.

There are many other reading activities, such as letter mazes or word mazes, word searches,
and (for older children) crossword puzzles. Discovery School is a great website for many
games. You can make a crossword puzzle, a word search, or other puzzles with your own
words and clues.

In addition to the reading activities listed here, you may also want to think about the interests
of your own child. You may want to develop your own reading activities based on those
interests.

You may also want to check out our ideas for Reading Games. (You will find a few ideas that
were previously listed on this Reading Activities page have been moved to ourReading
Games page.)
Ten Ways to Cultivate a Love of Reading in
Student
As a teacher, I was obsessed with cultivating a love of reading in my students. I love to read, loved it as a kid
too. I'm equally compelled to ensure that my own child loves reading -- and he does. I well aware that I'm on
a mission -- but I also know it's a worthy one!

Here are ten suggestions for how any teacher, teaching any subject can participate in this mission, and how
parents and administrators can help.

1. Read. Simple first step! If we're going to encourage kids to read we need to do it too. Read for pleasure,
information, instructions, connecting with others, and so on. Read. Read a little more than you've been
reading lately.
2. Share your reading experiences. Share with colleagues, friends and students. Tell them what you've
been reading, what you've gained or learned from these texts, what you recommend. As a teacher, I
very intentionally and regularly told my students what I was reading, where I read, ("in the bath!"); I
brought in the books I read, I read passages to them, I read during silent reading, I told them about how
I couldn't wait for the weekend so that I could read, about my book club arguments, the stories my
husband I read aloud to each other...and so on. Help them see what a reader does. Also -- I recently
 discovered Goodreads where you can share, get recommendations, and read reviews that friend have
written -- I had so much fun on this site and was reminded of how socializing and reading are a perfect
match. If you are on Goodreads, or join, find me there! I'd love to hear about what you're reading. I also
wonder if there's an equivalent for kids to use -- anyone know?
3. Invite students to socialize around reading. Set up book clubs, reading groups, literature circles.
Many students (especially boys) need to interact with each other around texts. It greatly enhances their
comprehension and makes it so much more enjoyable. Adults know that (we join book clubs and spend
hours on Goodreads) so let's help kids have this experience too.
4. Organize a Read-a-Thon. A beautiful event that parents and administrators can take a lead on setting
up. My son's school recently did a Read-a-Thon and it was the highlight of the year for my boy. Kids
wore PJs, took their pillows and stuffed animals to school, were invited to re-read their favorite books or
select a "challenge book." Parents supplied snacks, teachers and administrators read. It was fun and
community building and they raised a lot of money.
5. Take a field trip. This is another way to make reading social and exciting. Visit your local library, a
university library or a bookstore. It's not about checking out or buying books -- it's about being
surrounded by thousands of books, touching their gorgeous pages, seeing the world of possibility in
print, salivating over what there is to know and explore. In my family, we often take weekend trips to
explore different bookstores in the area. We make it an adventure and talk about what constitutes a
"good bookstore;" it's just fun. This is another event that parents can organize and administrators can
support or encourage.
6. Listen to audio books. Invite students to listen to them; play short passages. To me, audio books
"count" as reading. While you're not developing decoding or fluency skills, you are acquiring vocabulary,
applying comprehension strategies, and enjoying stories or accruing information. Some of the audio
books I've listened to have stuck with me in ways that reading text hasn't. My mind was free to visualize
the scenes in a way that creating lasting images. (One such book like this was Native Son by Richard
Wright. A phenomenal listen).
7. Invite authors to speak. Another activity that can be supported by admin and parents. Kids can be
greatly impacted from hearing an author (if possible, especially one from a similar background to theirs)
speak about reading and writing.
8. Make connections between reading and other issues. I just read this this fascinating
article in Harper's about how people in Mali hid their ancient sacred texts as Islamic militants took over
Timbuktu. Books and reading have always been political (think banned books, prohibitions on slaves
becoming literate, etc.). Help students see the wider, historical and political context of the importance of
reading to enhance their appreciation.
9. Learn about specific needs for specific populations. Those responsible for teaching literacy also
need professional development in how to serve specific vulnerable populations. One book that
dramatically changed how I taught reading in middle school is Reading Don't Fix No Chevys, by Wilhelm
and Smith. If you teach boys, you must read this book! Another equally impactful book for me
was Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males, by A.
Tatum. We need to meet the needs of all learners.
 10. Teach reading strategies. Finally, I believe that all teachers, in every content area, should be
responsible for teaching reading. Text genres are different in every content area -- teachers should
receive PD in how to teach reading strategies so that they can do so with students. Kids won't enjoy
reading if they can't do it -- no one loves doing something that's really hard. We must give them the
skills to read at the same time that we cultivate an attitude.

There's so much more we can all do -- from the superintendent to the classroom teacher, the custodian to
the parent's association. I'm tempted to turn this list into "20 things..." but I'll stop here and invite your
participation!

Teaches, how do you cultivate a love of reading? Administrators, what do you do towards this end? Parents,
how do you do this with your own children? Please comment in the section below.
Middle Grade Book Club Ideas
BY LINDA RAVIN LODDING | FEBRUARY 28, 2014
1

. . . plus 20 great middle grade titles

to put on your “to read” list!

What makes for a great middle grade* book club? I asked my librarian pals for their insights. Here
are some tips to get you and your child rockin’ and readin’—or to help amp up your child’s book
club.

For book club newbies, here’s what you need to know: book clubs can be hosted by school
librarians, scouting troops, and religious youth groups, or by simply gathering together a few
friends and a few good books. Set up your book group by inviting friends (or parents and kids) and
discussing how you’d like to organize your group. You don’t need to over complicate things with
too many rules, but agreeing on how often you want to meet, where to meet, and what kinds of
books to read will give your club a solid foundation. It’s also a good idea if your readers are of a
similar age and reading level.

Here are a few more ideas to add some spice:

New books on the block: As parents (or adult book club leaders), we’d love for our kids to enjoy
the same books we did at their age. The Mixed-Up Files, anyone? Chronicles of Narnia? While
those tales are tried-and-true, help your readers tune in to the latest middle grade releases to find
new classics. Your book-clubbers will also feel “on trend” by reading what’s hot off the presses. In
fact, checking out the latest books can be made into a monthly feature at your book club.

New friends, new views: Book clubs are not just about books, but also a wonderful way for kids
to broaden their social circle and meet like-minded (or at least book-minded) friends. So instead of
being exclusive, be inclusive and open to all kids. You’ll end up with great book buzz for your
social bees! But small is also beautiful . . . if your group is small, don’t be discouraged. Most book
clubs start out small and grow as word gets out.

One book, two books, three books . . . more: While most adult book clubs focus read the same
book, middle graders might feel that identifying just one book for all to read is limiting. Why not let
everyone read whatever they’d like to read—and then share their book with the group? For some,
this approach can feel more liberating and less restrictive. And let’s face it, kids these days have
enough books that they haven't read. Let your book club be a time and place to just talk books!

Snack attack: What’s a movie without popcorn? Same as a book club without snacks. For a
creative twist, see if you can make food that ties in with the book you’re reading. Does the
character in the book eat a special meal? Love a certain candy? If it’s historical fiction, maybe
research a recipe inspired by the book’s setting. Or have on hand a bowl full of gummy (book)
worms! And eating before discussing your book is a great way to fuel the discussion to follow!

Ready, set, action! And speaking of popcorn, why not make your next book choice one that has
also been turned into a movie. Read the book first, then plan an outing to see (or rent) the movie.
A lot of interesting discussion will be sure to ensue. Did the movie do a good job interpreting the
book? Is the movie how you imagine the book to “look”? Did the director cast the right actors in the
character roles? How did the screenwriter change the book’s plot? Was the screenwriter also the
book’s author? For starters, read Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee, and then see
the recently released Disney film Frozen. Both stories are based on Hans Christian Andersen’s
“The Snow Queen.”

Be my guest! Why not host a special guest—the book’s author!—at your next book club meeting?
These days, through social media, authors are approachable, and most authors enjoy engaging
with their readers. Using Skype is a fun, easy, and inexpensive way to bring the author in for a
visit. Start by checking out the author’s website to get contact details, then send a brief email,
tweet, or Facebook message. If the author agrees, set up a time, exchange Skype details, and be
sure to prepare some questions in advance such as Did you like to write when you were in
school? What made you want to become a writer? What inspired you to write this book? Which
character in your book is your favorite, and why? What are your favorite middle grade books?

From historical fiction to fractured fairy tales, here are some great middle grade book club reads
that will get your readers reading . . . and talking.

*Middle grade books are generally intended for ages 8 to 12.

 5 Fun Ideas for a Children’s Book Club
BY LINDA RAVIN LODDING | NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Want to add some pizzazz to your child’s book club? Try these fun ideas:

1. Serve food: Nothing spices up a book club meeting like food—especially when it’s thematically
tied with the book your reading. You can take your cooking cue from the book’s setting or historical
time period. For example, if you’re reading Because of Winn Dixie serve up southern-style grits
and biscuits. Reading the Chronicles of Narnia—bring on the Turkish Delight! And chocolate
fondue is a perfect accompaniment for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

For younger readers, your book club menu can be inspired directly by the picture book you’re
reading:

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

The Popcorn Book by Tomie de Paola.
Pizza at Sally’s by Monica Wellington
 The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by John Scieszka (Serve up some stinky
cheese on crackers . . . if you dare!)

2. Watch the movie: While it’s hard to squeeze a novel into a 90-minute movie, it’s always
interesting to see if a book’s transformation to screen matches up with the reader’s expectations. If
the book your child’s book club is reading has been made into a movie, dim the lights and start the
film rolling. Reading a book before watching the film, and then comparing the two, always provides
for an interesting discussion. Here are some suggestions for books that are also on the silver
screen:

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Hotel for Dogs by Lois Duncan
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
 Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

 Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

3. Find a fun location for your book meeting. Reading the Magic Tree House books? Find a tree
house to “house” your meeting! Reading a mystery? Take flashlights and pillows to an attic
location and hunker down. Other fun and offbeat locations are parks, cafés, zoos, and backyard
tents. A “secret” garden is the perfect spot for discussing A Secret Garden.
4. Invite a special guest: Consider inviting a guest speaker to your book club—someone who can
share his experiences about the book’s topic. Reading a book about a ballerina? Invite someone
from your dance community to share her insights. Reading a book set during World War II?
Extend a special invitation to someone who lived through this time period. If your book takes place
in foreign country, suggest inviting someone from that country to discuss what it was like growing
up there.

5. Fill in the blank: A fun way to provoke a book discussion is with pre-printed questions for
members to fill out and then share their answers. For a twist, pass around the answers (keeping
names hidden) and ask members to guess who wrote the answers.

Here are some suggestions to get started:

My favorite character is_______________because_______________________.

I am most like this character:_____________________because______________.
If I wrote the book, I would have titled it __________________.
If this book were made into a movie, I’d want to play the part of__________________.
If this book had a sequel, this is what I think would happen:____________________.
On a scale from 1–10, I’d rate thisbook:_____________________.

These are many ways to blow fresh air into your child’s book club. One of the easiest is visit an
author’s website. Many author’s Web pages have links to book-related activities and downloadable
worksheets or crafts. (So there’s no need for you to channel you inner Martha Stewart!)
What NOT to Do . . . If You Want Your Kids to Love Reading
BY LINDA RAVIN LODDING | JANUARY 14, 2014
1

Sometimes, despite our best intentions, our kids still resist reading. But what you may not realize
is that your best intentions may be backfiring. So read on to find out how to avoid these reading
pitfalls at home:

1. Don’t reward reading with TV. The idea of rewarding kids for reading is, among literary
experts, contentious. The idea is that, if we reward children for reading, we are sending the
message that reading must be unpleasant and therefore the task must be rewarded. This may
lead your child to perceive reading as a means to an end rather than reading being its own reward.
Research has shown that, when extrinsic rewards are given for a task that would otherwise have
been started purely out of interest, children lose interest in the task once the incentive is removed.
In fact, this may lead to a drop in their to a level even lower than before the reward was
introduced.

Some children, however, do respond better when rewards are dangled in front of them. The goal,
after all, is for your child to practice reading and thereby develop their skills so that they will
eventually find reading easier and more pleasurable. If this is what it takes to get your child
motivated and reading, then consider offering an appropriate reward—one that is related to the
activity such as a book or bookmark or a gold star on a reading chart.

“Kids are smart and they’re paying attention, and the message we want to give them is that
reading is its own reward. When we [offer TV as a reward for reading], we show them that reading
is what you do to get something really valuable, like watch TV,” says Thom Barthelmess, president
of the Association of Library Service to Children.

It’s worth bearing in mind that sometimes the biggest motivator for kids is just knowing that you are
cheering them on.

2. Don’t just “sound it out.” When you’re helping your child read, focus on the meaning in
addition to the sound of the letters and words. Reading well is about understanding meaning, not
just knowing how to say the words. If your child is stuck on a word, don’t just “sound it out,” but
also “talk it out.” Talk about the text and ask question. Help your child figure out the word from the
context of the story or by looking at the pictures.

3. Don’t stop reading aloud. Reading aloud to your child, and with your child, is the most
important thing you can do to help them make the leap to reading independently. Try reading a
book in unison—with their voice over yours—with a book like Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories:
Read & Listen Editionor any other "Read & Listen" Dr. Seuss book. In this way, they have your
support, hear themselves reading, and begin to feel what it’s like to be a reader. Once they
become comfortable reading with you, try alternating sentences—you read one sentence, your
child the next. And when they’re ready to read longer works, you can alternate reading chapters
aloud to each other. Even when your child is ready to fly solo, still make time to read together (this
will also alert you to any lingering difficulties in pronunciation or comprehension) or just read to
your child and let them float away on the story. The Magic Tree House series is wonderful for
slightly more advanced readers.

4. Don’t keep books out of reach. If you want your child to read, your house should be filled with
books that are within reach of your child (rather than having the remote control in reach)! Try
planting a book basket in your kitchen so that your kids can grab a book or magazine to thumb
through over breakfast or in the evening while you’re making dinner. Surround your kids with
reading material that is easy to digest in short blocks of time such as comics, magazines, joke
books, or The Guinness Book of World Records. All of these kinds of books are easy to have on
hand and can be picked up when your child has free moment.

5. Don’t choose your child’s book all the time. You want to encourage a love of reading and
that means that your child should feel comfortable with the books they are reading. The best thing
to do is to give your child a choice of books. While children may not like to be told what to read, if
left on their own, they don’t always make the best choice. A child struggling with reading might
choose a very simple, short book or, alternatively, may choose a book that’s too much of stretch
so as not to be seen reading a “baby book.” A good strategy to try is for you to choose one book
and the child to choose the other.

6. Don’t be the reading police. Reading is more than just about books. If your child wants to
read a comic book, let him. If your daughter wants to read a kid-friendly website, then let her. It’s
all still reading and will call upon your child to process and synthesize what they read and build
their vocabulary. Ultimately, though, the goal should be to get your kids to read a mix of genres
and formats so look for ways to nudge them out of their comfort zone. Reading different kinds of
books—novels, nonfiction, poetry—develops other neural pathways, so it’s good to expose your
child to the breadth of reading material.

7. Don’t make reading only a bedtime activity. While it’s great to read to your child before bed,
or encourage them to read for a few minutes before “lights out,” reading shouldn’t only be an
activity relegated to those sleepy times. Find other times to read to your kids or get them
reading—at breakfast, outside on the porch, while waiting in the car pool line. Create fun spaces
for reading such as an impromptu blanket fort or cozy reading nook on the side of the couch or
under the dining room table.
8. Don’t make a reading list based on your childhood favorites. When my daughter started
reading longer books, I was so excited to share with her my childhood favorites—Little House on
the Prairie, Harriet the Spy, A Wrinkle in Time. Are these books for today’s kids? Of course they
are. But not all kids will take to these books and many parents will try to make their child read by
getting them to read what they loved as a child. My daughter found the Little House books to be
too slowly paced and eventually put Laura aside.

Setting up a reading list might be a good way to organize a child who isn’t inclined to read, but let
your child add her own books to the mix. And, if your child can’t get “into” a book, it’s okay to put it
back on the shelf and try another title. There are many wonderful (new) books out there to
discover!

9. Don’t pressure. The pace at which children learn to read is highly individual. While some
young readers devour Harry Potter, others take tentative steps into beginning readers. As your
child’s reading coach, resist the urge to pressure your child by setting page counts. Instead of
asking them to read 10 pages (or 10 books), which may seem overwhelming, ask them to read for
just 20 minutes. A time frame is more manageable for your child and doesn’t put the pressure on
reading for speed but reading for enjoyment.
The best thing to do? Just encourage your child by praising and supporting their efforts, and being
patient. In time, there will be a happy ending.
Go (Book) Clubbing
BY LINDA RAVIN LODDING | DECEMBER 26, 2012

9 Steps to Setting Up a Book Club for Your Child

Books clubs are the rage for all ages. When planned right, a children’s book club is not only a fun
social activity but also a forum for children to develop important public-speaking skills and learn to
express their opinion and accept different perspectives. Book clubs also provide a wonderful way
for children to spend time with old and new friends.

Here are some tips to help get you started:

1. Decide who should be invited: Ideally, all the kids in the club should be at a similar reading
level and generally around the same age. A good place to start looking for recruits would be with
your child’s scout troop, your child’s classmates, or ask the school librarian which students might
be most interested. You can also put the word out through your child’s school paper.

2. Limit the size of the group: Too many participants and discussions can easily veer off course
and associated book activities for a very large group can overwhelm the organizer. A group of 5–
10 participants is manageable and is the perfect size for lively conversation.

3. Appoint a “book” keeper: A well-run group needs an organizer to keep track of meetings and
send reminders to the participants. For young books groups, this task will usually fall to a parent.

4. Decide on a meeting spot: Meetings can be held at a participant’s house (perhaps based on a
rotating schedule) or held at school, a library, bookstore, or favorite coffee shop.

5. Hold a kickoff get-together: At your first meeting, discuss where you should meet, how often
and what sort of books you’d like to read (see point 6). This is also a good time to set down a few
ground rules (e.g., be accepting of everyone’s opinion, be respectful of the person talking, etc.) A
fun way to kick off your club is to ask everyone bring one of their favorite books to share with the
group.

6. Choose the books: The most successful book groups are those where the children decide on
what books they would like to read. (For younger elementary school readers, however, an adult
leader may want to choose the book—if nothing else than to avoid disagreements.) Participants
may decide to take turns suggesting titles or decide to read books from the same series, or focus
book selections on a certain theme or genre (historical fiction, for example, or fantasy). Also, try
mixing it up. Read nonfiction one month and a graphic novel the next. If book clubbers are
stumped on what to read, ask a school librarian or peruse kid book review websites for
suggestions, such as Through the Looking Glass, andKid's Book Review.

Books should be appropriate to the reading and interest level of the members and have enough
substance to inspire discussion. (See suggestions below for good book club reads.) And
remember, you are choosing recreational reading—not school books—so have fun picking!

7. Ensure lively discussion: For younger groups, a parent-child duo should moderate the book
conversation (on a rotating basis). For tweens and teens, let participants lead the group with
adults, ideally, staying in the background as much as possible. This is a time for children to freely
express their insights and opinions. If conversation stalls, this can be a signal for an adult to enter
with conversation starters.

8. Prepare a variety of questions: Moderators should kick-start the conversation with a variety of
questions (try to avoid yes/no type questions). Some ticklers could be: What did you like best
about this book? Why do you think the author choose the title she/he did? Who was your favorite
character? Other questions might be specific to the book you’ve read.
9. Don’t force it. A book club shouldn’t be compulsory (children have enough mandatory activities
and a book club shouldn’t be one of those). If your child is keen on the idea—or, at least willing to
give it a try—then go for it! If not, check in again in six months or so—maybe Junior will have
changed his mind.

Above all, have fun! Books should bring joy and what better way to spread that joy than sharing a
good read with friends.

Check out these titles to start your book club on the right chapter!

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Ages 8+
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
True Colors by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Koningsburg
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

Ages 9+
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Ages 10+
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Ages 12+
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Giver by Lois Lowry
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
TOPICS: Reading Tips