How To Run A Kids’ Book Club (That They’ll Love)
This post is part of our archived content. While we’ve shifted focus, it still may be useful.
As a confirmed reader with wonderful memories of a childhood devouring books, and as a mother of six boys, I wanted to get them involved in a junior, non-boozy book club for kids.
I wanted them to have to same reverence and joy for reading as I do and to celebrate that with their friends.
Learning to talk about writing, learning to look a little deeper, being encouraged to sink into a story, and to be pushed by others’ ideas about it can only be a good thing.
Some kids – particularly older ones/young adults – might enjoy an online book club via Zoom or FaceTime, ask your teenager what they’d prefer.
If you are homeschooling your children, an online book club is a great way for them to socialise with friend as they develop and deepen their love of books.
These are my five tips on how to run a book club for young readers.
1. MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS ARE KEEN
If you try to push a book club onto a kid who is not quite yet ready, no one will win.
You want your kids to be excited by the idea, and to be confident, experimental readers.
Explain that membership of your own book club is a commitment to reading the whole book through, and that it requires regular meet ups, with some thought and perhaps research into the author or the topics raised in the book.
Don’t go into it half-hearted and don’t let it ever become a chore.
2. PICK A SMALL GROUP
Group meet ups and roundtable discussions can be hard to manage, whatever the ages of the participants.
Keep the group small, with kids who are at similar reading levels and who share an enthusiasm for the project.
I would suggest keeping the group at no more than four or five kids.
3. WORK OUT THE STRUCTURE
We have turns hosting in our homes which involves choosing the book (after offering two or three possibilities) and feeding everyone.
For a kid’s book club, look to doing the same on a Sunday afternoon, perhaps once every three weeks.
Steer the kids towards a few book choices and prepare a simple afternoon tea for them.
Make it seem special.
Give the kids a quiet comfortable space with no interruptions from rowdy siblings or the distracting TV, and limit the time, perhaps aiming for 30 to 45 minutes.
When they become more confident, let them make the next book choice.
Encourage the seeking out of reviews, trips to the library and to book shops to get a flavour of new authors and the classics.
4. HAVE GROUND RULES
Our rules are pretty simple – no one can have read the book ever before and you shouldn’t talk over anyone else, though we get excited and invariably do.
For the first few meet ups, you should probably act as a moderator to keep the conversation on track.
Ask the kids questions and let them speak.
Make sure everyone has their turn.
If things get a little noisy, start using a Talking Wooden Spoon to be passed around so when each kid is in possession of the spoon, it becomes their turn to speak.
Remind the kids to be patient and show respect towards other members of the group.
Once the group is established, let the kids have turns acting as hosts, leading the questions and the discussion, but be on hand to restore order if you need to.
5. FLESH IT OUT
If a particular book really grabs the kids’ attention, then look to fleshing out the topic in some way.
Start with London itself.
This city is rich in places to go and things to do that might relate to the book your club is currently reading.
Look out for author talks.
The Southbank’s Imagine Festival always has author’s talks, and bookshops like Daunts and Foyles have signings and events, so keep your eye out for these.
Films and theatre might offer a fresh look at a topic.
Ffrom Horrible Histories to Matilda, there will be something that ignites imaginations and adds something to the book.
Walk Dicken’s London, go for a walk to Paddington Station, try to find J.M Barrie’s blue plaque, read The Uncommoners by Jennifer Bell, which is set beneath the streets of London.
Think about reading The Great Fire Dogs by Megan Rix about two dogs who escape the Great Fire of London.
Or read Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse and visit the Animals In War Memorial in Hyde Park.
Keep it light, keep it fun, and increase the complexities of the books as the kids become more confident.
Challenge the kids by suggesting classics alongside more accessible options, and try short stories, poems and non-fiction and biographies.
Try Roald Dahl’s Going Solo or I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb.
Your goal is to help your kids enjoy it – it will cement a lifelong joy and refuge in books.
When your kids hit the tween years, it can be hard to find age-appropriate books for them to read.
For the tween who loves to read books, there are many classics that should not be overlooked.
Just because a story is many years old doesn’t mean it isn’t exciting.
There is nothing like opening a book and being transported to another era.
Not only do classic books give tweens a chance to learn about what life was like many years ago, but they also are filled with simple ideas that help kids get back to the basics.
Don’t let that mislead a child, though.
A lot of classic books for tweens are also filled with adventure, mystery, humour, and plenty of chances to use their imagination.
Classic Books for Boys Ages 9 to 12 Years
Imagine a time when three pets (two dogs and one cat) find themselves far from home and have a strong desire to get back.
Tweens will enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations the pets face in the Canadian wilderness and learn that loyalty and trust will go a long way in working towards a common goal.
The Incredible Journey (written by Sheila Burnford in 1961) was thought to be such an inspiring story that Disney made the popular feature, Homeward Bound, starring Michael J. Fox, which is based upon the book.
The pets in The Incredible Journey cannot talk, as in the movie, but the adventures are no less exciting.
Edith Nesbit wrote Five Children and It in 1902 and quickly became a popular children’s novel.
The story is about five children who happen across a mean little monster called Psammead, who is obligated to grant the children a single wish each day.
Each wish would end by sundown, and a new wish made the next day.
Of course, the children wished for things such as being rich and being able to fly, but soon realize that some of their wishes had harsh consequences, which led to many adventures.
Do the children ever stop making wishes? Does the Psammead have to grant wishes forever?
Find out by reading this fun book.
Classic Books for Girls Ages 9 to 12 Years
Anne of Green Gables was written in 1908 by Lucie Maude Montgomery.
The story is about a couple who wanted to adopt a boy but mistakenly got a girl, Anne Shirley, instead.
The couple decides to keep Anne, and the rest of the story transpires into a tale about Anne’s adventures, friendships, and, best of all, devotion to family.
The reader will learn how Anne adapted to her new environment, including her struggles and successes.
The end of the book shows just how deeply Anne loves her adopted parents and the lengths she would go through to prove it. There are many sequels to this endearing book as well.
Download the book for free at The Gutenberg Project. You can also watch a modern version on Netflix.
While a movie can gain much popularity, it is never quite the same as reading the original book, or in the case of Mary Poppins, the books.
Mary Poppins was originally written in 1934 by Pamela Lyndon Travers. She wrote a three-book series:
- Mary Poppins (1934)
- Mary Poppins Comes Back (1935)
- Mary Poppins Opens the Door (1943)
There are five other books in the series, but the first three are the basis for the latter five.
Each story is about the adventures of a nanny with special magical powers who finds herself raising the Banks’ children.
If your tween enjoys stories about a strict nanny, many magical happenings, such as meeting the Bird Woman and Christmas shopping with a star and having to say goodbye to someone loved dearly (only for her to return in subsequent books), then this is truly a treasure to read.
Classic books are a great way for tweens to connect to the past and really see how imagination has penned many a great read.
While today’s books are interesting and fun, it is important that present and future generations keep the classics alive.
Do you have any tips on how to run a book club for kids that they’ll actually want to attend?