Book Club Ideas
If you run a successful Book Club at your school and care to share, please email tlccin2018@gmail.com with your helpful tips - and thank you!
Alison Cunningham: William Clarke College
My Book Club has almost doubled in size this year. I've had another staff member jump on board to help run the group. Today my Year 5&6 group had our first face to face meeting (we are a mostly online group but we meet twice a term). The returning kids were so happy to be back and the new members were pumped. We set our first Reading Challenge - 'Australian Stories'. They must each read a book by an Australian author OR set in an Australian setting. I had some books ready to go or they could choose from the wider collection. I also gave them a lollipop with a message to 'Get sucked in to a good book'. Everyone was buzzing - these moments fill my TL heart
Erin Heino: Towradgi PS
I'm doing a pseudo book club for stage 2 and stage 3 where the kids come one lunchtime a fortnight to share what they been reading. They tell each other the titles and what's been happening in their book. Then others get a chance to ask the speaker questions and comment on the book if they've read it. They love it! And it means you don't have to try and source heaps of the same book. I got the idea from the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Society book!
It seems there are some common, almost essential, ingredients for a successful book club:
- a small group of readers
- an agreed expectation of respectful interactions
- a comfortable reading space Note: the links below are to face to face book clubs
- a variety of books
- food!
Welcome to Lit Club 4 Kids by Dymocks Children’s Charities (DCC), the ultimate book club for kids 8 – 13 years who love reading! Come hang out in the clubhouse as we journey through enchanted forests, discover magical kingdoms, and adventure to deserted islands and beyond, all through the magical world of books.
Lit Club 4 Kids is a safe and inclusive digital space for children to find new books, engage with authors and develop their interests.
This is a step-by-step guide and a great idea!
Love all things about the NZNL! Here's their guide of how to start a book club.
Book Club Organizing Guide
Another UK site with seven different Book Club experiences for you to adapt! This blog also has two useful book lists to search - by topic/theme and author/illustrator/translator.
How to start a BOOK CLUB with tips from author Nikki Gamble
How to run a book club [UK site]
Some helpful tips that can be tweaked to suit your specific needs.
Follow the links for more great ideas :)
This US site has some good tips and activities to go with your Book Club. The author is not a TL or a teacher, but a book lover - good qualifications!
2014 article - while every kid loves a good story, not all love to read. An activity-based book club focuses not on reading skills, but on celebrating the story
Not a library site but her pre-school book club suggestion could work for ES1. This US site also has extensive book lists including LGBTQ and diversity themes.
US podcast and also has tips for engaging readers
Making the Most of In-Class Book Clubs
First of all, what are Book Clubs? Book Clubs are an opportunity for students to form partnerships in reading. Students read a book together, collaborate to get a job done, and share in the joy of exploring a book together.
This site requests a subscription but once signed up, you have access to free resources. Their products are also found on TpT.
Geared to secondary school but loads of ideas that could work in a primary setting.
