Book Clubs - your thoughts and experiences?

[Emba]

I am going to try to get a book club together for some local homeschoolers.  Has anyone done this, and what was your experience? I have many questions I'd like input on from those who have been there, done that.

 

What kind of age range is workable? How did much did you guide discussion?  Did you do crafts and activity type things, or just discuss the books?  How much of a book can be covered in one meeting?

 

I am thinking of the first book being The Little House on Rocky Ridge.  Maybe just a girl's group.

[LMD]

I started one in my local group, passed the torch and it's still going successfully.

 

We aimed ours at about 3-6th grade, and also had a separate activity group for younger siblings (who often also heard the book as a family read aloud). We had boys and girls.

 

I would put a selection of 3 books to the vote/any objections heard, then I'd just pick one. We gave about a month to read it. Fyi- our first selection was The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane which everyone loved.

 

At the meetings, we'd give a quick run through of the plot, maybe asking what everyone's favourite part was. I would choose one literary device to lead a discussion with the kids about. This was about half an hour or so.

After the discussion, the kids would take turns giving an oral review of another book they had read (I provided a basic template).

Then food and play! Very positive experience here. In my experience, you need someone to just lead/organise, be firm in making it what you want (don't pander!)

 

I'm working on the idea of a mother & teen/tween daughter bookclub at the moment, but haven't been able to make it happen yet. I got the idea because dd and I enjoyed reading and discussing Little Women this year.

[Emba]

Thank you! That gives me much better idea of how to organize the time. Did you find third graders mature enough? I had wondered if that would be too young.

 

A mother-daughter club sounds fun!

[LMD]

Yes the third graders were fine, adorable actually, just needed a little more directed discussion. I had written notes to guide me and asked them lots of leading questions. Sometimes I had an activity, like putting cards with plot points in order or finding places on a map etc.

It takes a few sessions for the kids to get used to how to have a literary discussion and feel confident expressing their opinions so don't be discouraged if it's quiet the first time!

It was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed it, it is still running in our old town.

[Bluegoat]

A little different but something that could be fun:

 

My kids are doing a bit od a casual book group with some friends - the kids are grades 4 to 6.  It's a bit of a one-off group - they've been reading a series (only two books) by a local author, and have met once, and will probably meet once more.  They had some discussion with the father of one of the kids leading - it's set in ancient Rome and he's a classics professor.  When they are done, they are going to meet with the author.

 

It depends on finding someone who will meet with the kids, but they are super-excited about it.