Book Clubs

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Interested in starting a book club?
Here are some tips to help you get started:

Compose the group:

What is the goal of your book club?
Is this a social event to help your child make friends? Is this a way to motivate a reluctant reader to read more? Is this activity a sneaky way to boost academic skills? What is your goal for hosting/organizing a book club?

Who to invite? Ask your child who they would like to invite- you might be surprised. Think of kids, in the neighborhood, classmates, but also friends from church, teammates, relatives? Brainstorm with your child all the friends (s)he knows who might enjoy a club with the goal you have in-mind. This will help you find the right mix of kids to invite.

Invite kids who have similar reading levels. Look for members with similar interests and abilities. Reading level and age are a big factor in the book selection and if one child is bored reading "baby books" or other children are frustrated because books selected are often too hard.

How many? This also depends on the kids. For our Bookclub4boys site- I highly recommend inviting only the number of kids that sit comfortably around your table. But if this is a parent/child book club or a mix of boys & girls other seating arrangements might work better. I would limit a group of 8 and 12 (including adults and children).

Organize your Club:

Will you host book club each time?
Will you give each child an opportunity to pick a book and host a book club meeting?
Plan a schedule or make a calendar. On your first book club night let parents pick a month they would be available to host. (Giving them the responsibility to pick the book, plan an activity and send out reminders.)

Set a schedule: Meeting monthly seems to gives everyone time to read the selection without too much time pressure. Some groups meet only during the school year; others meet only in the summer. Find what works best fits your group.

Talk to the parents in your book club- would they prefer to choose dates at the beginning of the club or set a recurring date, such as the first Friday of every month at 7pm.

Find a place: As a group, decide if you would rather meet at participants' homes or at a public spot, such as a bookstore, library, or park. Personally, I find in- home meetings helps eliminate distractions. I only host book clubs in public when the location fits the plot or setting in the book. KIDS love field trips!

For example if you were to read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs.Basil E. Frankweiler a story about siblings who runaway and live in a museum- visiting a local museum and talking about the book would add to the experience.

Select the books: Think about your goal for book club.

What type of book club is this? Some book clubs like to have a focus like : Book/Movie group. This type of book club reads books that were made into movies, then on book club night they watch the movie and compare the movie to the book. (GREAT type of book club for reluctant readers!)

Or are you hoping to introduce your child to great literature?
Here is a great list of Classic Books for kids
or pass out a list of The Newbery Medal winners and have your children/parents select a book.

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.


If this is a book club just for fun- let the kids pick the books. Have the host of the first meeting choose the first book, then let the kids decide on the rest. Some groups select books months ahead of time; others choose only one or two in advance so they can see what is new or interesting. ( Or what movie is coming into the theaters... our boys read Prince Caspian and then we went and saw the movie as a book club, same with the Spiderwick series!)

Prompt discussion: Encourage each child to come prepared with at least one topic for discussion or question to ask the group.

What happens when someone doesn't finish the book? Not a problem. Book clubs can be a great tool in encouraging kids to read. Listening to the discussion of others might motivate them to finish the book, or be more diligent in reading the next book. If you notice this is a pattern among all book club members (as with my son's book club)- try introducing incentive games to your book club.

( I use incentive games consistently in my book clubs to motivate them to finish their books. For example:I plan a fun activity- like a water fight- and for every right answer they earn a water balloon!)

Plan an activity: As the host it will be their responsibility to think of a game or activity that compliments the book.

Refreshments: Snacks always are enjoyed and if they can relate to the book -even better! (For an example: Click here to see The Chocolate Touch FREE Book Club Outline.)Be sure to find out in advance if there any foods that are off limits due to allergies or other sensitivities.

Keep it simple: Start with your activity- to get that burst of energy out and then thirty minutes to an hour for discussion with a snack afterwards is enough.

Stay flexible: Your group will naturally evolve as your kids grow and change. You may meet more or less frequently or choose different books to explore. Remember what your goal is and try to keep things relaxed. What matters most is making book club enjoyable and encouraging the kids keep reading!