Starting Our Kid’s Book Club
The neighborhood I grew up in was like most neighborhoods, to the outsider there would appear to be nothing special about where we lived. But, what they couldn’t tell from the road, was what was going on in this small community. We played outside all the time – digging in the sandbox, swinging on the swing-set, pretending our parents were dead and we had to survive on our own… our imaginations plotting and collaborating. We climbed the fence so much to get to the neighbors that at one point my dad just put in a gate between the two yards. And when we wanted to play with kids from further down, we met them in our shared alleyway. We created our own fun, and the adults played along.
We put on musicals on the back porch, the adults brought their lawn chairs and a cool drink, clapping (and tolerating) our performance. We did crafts together – making pj’s out of pillow cases or entire towns out of huge boxes our neighbor brought home from work. We made themed meals and shared them together. And one summer, the wonderful woman next door, (so wonderful in fact that my sister went as her for Halloween), invited all the kids in our little alley to be part of a book club in her home.
Together we read one chapter a week of James and the Giant Peach, doing activities and crafts that went along with each chapter. We wore peach, ate peaches, made spider hats… it was delightful! It made the summer magical, and I will always remember it.
Last summer the kids and I were reading a book out on our deck and something made me think of this, so I shared it with them. Aliza is particularly fond of books and perked up when she realized – a club? For BOOKS?! She instantly declared that we must have our own club, and I knew it was something she would enjoy very much. So we chose a book and reached out to a few friends, asking if anyone would be interested in meeting up for a one time book club in the summer. Majority of them said yes and a month or so later, we had our own book club! It went over so well that we decided to meet throughout the year as well!
Over the course of the past year we have read:
- Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
- The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
- A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
- Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Etsby Dagg
We meet every other month at either a park shelter or the meeting room in our local library, depending on the weather. Our family hosts – communicating with everyone, creating activities and discussion questions, and leading them on the day of club. We ask for input from the other families about which books they would like to read, and everyone brings a book themed snack. This has been a great way to teach my kiddos to serve their friends and community.
Our meetings are not of the academic sort – we don’t discuss themes and grammar – we have fun! We discuss the book (often in a very lively conversation), play games, do some fun activities, and some of the kids dress up as their favorite characters. It’s great fun, and I pray that they will all look on it as fondly as I do my summer in James and the Giant Peach.
I read a post the other day from a homeschooling mama who was saying that not all of homeschooling is magical – that for every magical homeschooling moment there are often hours of work and preparation that come first. And that is true of kids book club. But y’all, it’s so worth it. And I hope you will consider trying it – even if it’s only once – I promise it will be a book your children remember long after the history dates and mathematical formulas begin to fade from their minds. And, hopefully, it will inspire them to read more!
And, you’re in luck, I did the hours of work for you so you can just jump to the magical moments – just head over to our shop to download the FREE Kids Book Club guides for Sweet Home Alaska and A Place to Hang the Moon. In them are everything we did in club, including print-outs, tips, and instructions. They can be done in large groups or even as a family.
If you are wanting to learn more about HOW to start a book club, I highly suggest checking out the following resources:
Wild + Free Book Club: 28 Activities to Make Books Come Alive by Ainsley Arment, which you may be able to find on Hoopla.
And Greta Eskridge’s Instagram account @maandpamodern – she is a contributor to the book above, but shares more ideas and club meetings in her highlight titled ‘Kids Book Club’, and they are inspiring!
