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Starting a book club??


NotSoObvious
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My twins will be in 5th grade next year. I'd like for them to tackle some good literature, but I feel like they get sick of me asking all the questions and doing all of the "conversing" with them about the books.

I was thinking about starting a book club for kids (maybe just girls?) their age. We could send home some questions about the book ahead of time for them to think about, meet and discuss, and possibly do some sort of activity or craft.

I was thinking of holding it at the library.

 

Has anyone had success with a group like this? What are your tips? My girls LOVED their Liberty Girls (American Girl) book club, but I'm not sure if I'm that ambitious! They met twice a month for three hours at a time.

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My kids do a book club once every month. We are a part of a homeschool group that just gets together for field trips and playdates, and this book club is one of the times we get together. Its held at the library and lasts a couple of hours.

The lady in charge of the group lets us know what the book will be a couple of months ahead of time, and then we let her know if we will be attending. That way she has a better idea of what to plan. The kids sit around and discuss the book first (what they liked/didn't like about it, their favorite parts, etc). Then they do a game related to the book, and after that a craft. My kids love it! And even though they are a lot younger, I'm sure you could change a few things to suit a 5th grader better. :D

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I hosted my first book club this year. We only did 4 books, 2 per semester. I wanted to start small and work my way up to more. I read through most of Deconstructing Penguins and went through Teaching the Classics (was doing the 6 week syllabus with my high school dd).

 

I chose classic literature that had been made into movies. We read the book at home, then met in another mom's home. We discussed the book and made a lapbook from a set I purchased at Currclick.

 

Then we would watch the movie and discuss the differences. The kids really enjoyed it, and so did I.

 

The books we read were:

 

The Trumpet of the Swan

Because of Winn Dixie

The Borrowers (went to the theater for this one)

Swiss Family Robinson (They read a children's version because we weren't sure the kids were ready for it, and they read on their own.)

 

Books I'm looking at for next year, but will only choose 6:

Babe, the Gallant Pig

Charlotte's Web

The Tale of Despereaux

The Indian in the Cupboard

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

The Railway Children

The Secret Garden

The Wind in the Willows

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My twins will be in 5th grade next year. I'd like for them to tackle some good literature, but I feel like they get sick of me asking all the questions and doing all of the "conversing" with them about the books.

 

 

:iagree: This is exactly what I was thinking about my son who will be in 6th grade! Thanks for the good ideas!

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Definitely go for it! There are TONS of resources online and in books to prepare for such a book club. I've led book clubs for... hmmm.... 3 years now, I think? It is THE BEST thing to let kids view reading as a *social* activity!!! Our kids discuss each book whenever they see each other, even if it's between book club meetings. And as our book club has grown, I would say that they discuss books more frequently than movies/tv shows hands-down. they talk about the books as if they are part of their day-to-day lives, and it's awesome. 5th grade is a great time to get started.

 

A couple of books I highly recommend for inspiration purposes (I also like the Deconstructing Penguins book recommended above):

 

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Complete-Guide-Creating-Mother-Daughter/dp/B00381B7WI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334551268&sr=8-3

 

This is an American girl kit for a book club. Some cute ideas within:

http://www.amazon.com/Book-American-Girls-Collection-Sidelines/dp/1593692765/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334551296&sr=1-1

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mother-Daughter-Book-Club-Rev/dp/B001PO64IC/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334551573&sr=1-8

 

 

I would suggest making it "official" - whether that means naming the book club and printing special made bookmarks for each member, or printing membership cards for each girl with her name on it, or giving each girl a friendship bracelet (all the same design/colors) designating her as a member of the "club." This gives them some "ownership" and that ownership tends to increase enthusiasm & follow-through dramatically.

 

Good luck and happy reading! :D

Edited by orangearrow
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