Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. Here is what you need to know on how to start a book club for teens and have it succeed. You could also form a faithbased club, a club dedicated to volunteering, a club that raises awareness of an issue, or a club for professionals of a certain industry. A book discussion group is a forum where readers can come together and talk about books and the reading experience there are adult groups, studentled groups, motherdaughter groups, fatherson groups, and parentchild groups, to name just a few. How to run a teen book club hermiones secret library. Have you been thinking of starting a book club for your teen. Many book clubs start when a few friends get together and decide that theyd like to meet to discuss books on a regular basis. In a new twist on the traditional book club, little free librarys action book club invites participants to read books on timely topics, engage in lively discussions, and take part in meaningfuland fungroup service. A feminist lord of the flies about three best friends living in quarantine at their island boarding school, and the lengths they go to uncover the truth of their confinement when one disappears.
Furthermore, the teen centered book club has huge potential to further a whole range of library goals, from bringing more teen patrons through the door, to building communitywide awareness and support for the library itself. After reading the book with your teen, it would be interesting to discuss a current event that is affecting the world, such as racial inequality, gender roles, or class divide. Sometimes you might find enough people to start a book club right away. Dont just rely on your friends and dont worry about clashing personalities it just makes for a better discussion. Your child doesnt have to wait until adulthood to participate in a book club. If you want your kids to feel an attachment to their book club, consider building it around a theme that resonates.
Thus, if you want to start a group a great place to begin can be with your friends but dont assume that they share your expectations about the sort of books to read or how the club. Summer was coming to an end, and i found myself worrying about my oldest. Teen author teri brown shares tips from her experience running a teen book club. I recommend meeting once a month for an hour if you are a teacherlibrarianmentor. Whether youre looking to start a parentchild book club or you are more interested in forming a group just for kids, we can help. How to start a christian book club pen and the pad. I hope this has provided some helpful ideas on starting a teen book. The best books to start your club off right are those that are both nearuniversally beloved and able to inspire heated conversation and opinions about important topics.
Consider starting a blog or an online forum to keep track of the club. When youre starting a digital book club, all the standard book club rules apply. Often youll at least recruit some help in completing the rest of the steps. Weve put together a comprehensive howto guide so you can start reading and discussing new books. Our teen book club was started to expand programming and spark more interest with teens in. Marys public library, the idea for the club was suggested by area teens. Youll soon be surrounded by people that want to be there for the right reasons. Whether youre interested in joining an online book club or starting. Jan 31, 20 these books are great choices for middle grade book discussions. Starting your own book club is an endeavor that we applaud.
Thus, if you want to start a group a great place to begin can be with your friends but dont assume that they share your expectations about the sort of books to read or how the club will run. Most book clubs socialize first and then get down to book club discussion. Teen programs youth programs library programs books for tweens books for moms new books activities for teens book activities amazon publishing. But there is more to starting a book club than you might think. Today the penguin teen author spotlight is thrilled to introduce katherine howe, the author of conversion, which is lauded as. To prepare for book club, make sure you read the book yourself. Discussing important topics such as these is a great way to get your teen interested in news, current events, and politics.
The hennepin county library also provides a helpful overview of how to start a book club specifically for kids or teens. Search the complete list of teen books available for your book club. All recommended books were selected for high literary value and thematic content that would provide compelling discussion material for book clubs. Start by planning where youd like to hold meetings. Before you start looking for prospective members, sit down for a few minutes and ask yourself the following questions. The perfect book club is made up of three key things. While its tempting to stick with your cliche, a book club is a great way to extend your circle and get to know new people.
How to start a middle school book club education possible. Most clubs are hobby clubs, such as book club, chess club, garden club, math club, knitting club, running club, and science club. The fastest way to advertise is through word of mouth. For the past two and a half years, the lez book club has been meeting in groups of 12 in pubs in london, providing a space for queer women to meet and share literature.
The cooperative childrens book center also offers book discussion guidelines. So if youre ready to finally get that ya book club started, here are 6 perfect picks to start it up. Looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people. Book recommendations, tips and tricks for good discussions, and more. Theres a fine line between a book club thats too small and a book club thats unwieldy. The selections for the youngest group include a mix of picture books and chapter books to offer options for children to read alone or with a parent. Joining a book club can seem impossible, if you dont know where to look. All of my teen programs start with a few minutes to chat and catch up, as i have discovered that nothing really gets done unless.
We know because our own tween book club has read and loved them. A book club can also help you stay on track with your reading goal and since the year just started, this is the perfect time to get together. Think about what your intentions are for your book club. Ive compiled all the book club ideas for tweens that youll need to get started with a tween book club of your own. Starting a middle school book club book selections. Consider the size of the space where youll be meeting.
Large groups, comprising your friends and their kids as well as your teen s. If you dont have anywhere to meet in person, you can start a virtual book club using social media or video chatting. If youre interested in forming a mighty girl book club or would like to learn more about them, this is the place for you. Book clubs for kids can be a lot of fun, and dont need to be a lot of work. Jennifer nivens top 10 teen books to save your life. Though i also love the idea of starting one in the home too. And weve made it easy to do with these tips and resources. In this post, well share 12 helpful tips for starting a book club for kids. There may be a meeting room at your church your pastor will let you use. In our club, we choose the titles at the start of the school year. Social media accounts run by the grownups are only successful in starting a book group or promoting your event if you have teens sharing your posts. How to start a book club for teens welcome to the family.
To start a book club, start by finding a small group of people who all love to read, like friends, family members, or coworkers. A great book can provide you with an escape while inspiring a need to reach out and connect, and virtual book clubs are an accessible and flexible way to communicate with other readers. Best for a teen book club i want to start a book club for teens and i need some help on choosing some good novels that everybody likes. Often, people choose book club names based on the types of books that they read. Aim to discuss the book for about half an hour to start with and see how it goes. Ideas on starting a teen book club in your school library. We believe that books can inspire you to make the world a better place starting in your own neighborhood.
If i had to give any advice on starting a teen bo ok club it would be to simply start one. Your book club can have as many or as few members as you want it to. Decide what will be best for your group and try it for 34 months, and if it doesnt work try something different. You can do this on a monthtomonth basis or you can choose all of the titles the club will read together at the beginning of the year. There are many ways you can connect virtually with friends and family during quarantine, but virtual book clubs are one of our favorites. Get together a core group it is much easier to start a book club with two or three people who already have some connection. Ben keene, the club s cofounder, says that rebel will continue hosting these monthly virtual book discussions, as well as a daily video chat called rebel book pub, for the foreseeable future. Marys public library is starting a teen book club, and the inaugural meeting is scheduled to take place on thursday, july 12 at 4 p. Starting a book club many book clubs start when a few friends get together and decide that theyd like to meet to discuss books on a regular basis. When kids participate in a book club, they can have a blast, while they reap the incredible benefits of reading. I hope this has provided some helpful ideas on starting a teen book club. One of the most important parts of a book club is the books you choose to read. Ask around the office, playgroups, your church, or civic organizations.
The first step in starting a successful teen book club is to choose a purpose for the club. We also opened up the age group to 6th12th grade so junior high and high school could be represented. Whether youre a facebook addict, an avid tweeter, or are willing to be part of any group that will read books with you, creating an online book club has never been easier. They just started a teen book club at our library, which i think is a fabulous idea. Then, decide on a place for your book club to meet, like your house or a local library. The first two things are easy to accomplish just read anything by. If i had to give any advice on starting a teen book club it would be to simply start one. A couple of years ago, i was disappointed by the selections in the book fair fliers my daughter was bringing home from school, and i wanted to feed her nascent love of reading with highquality, memorable writing. You can also try joining real simples noobligation book club.
How to run a teen book club teen services underground. He was newly and insisting that he wanted different school projects that didnt always include his younger siblings 11 year old twins. Book clubs have become a staple of library services, although book clubs for adults outnumber book clubs for kids or teens. Currently, my library out of 5 locations is the only one to offer a teen book club. If you are starting a book club with your friends, then you need to find the perfect name for your club.
To help you make sure your book club is on point, here is a short guide about how to start a book club to help you make yours perfect. Websites like are free to join, easy to use, and allow all the members of your club to post on a communal site. For example, a mystery book club might name itself after sherlock holmes or baker street. When i was a kid, my dads regular response to our cries of. If it is to share a book and have the group members read for enjoyment, then it would require the content to be of interest to each of the group members. Im a teen librarian with some experience in starting and running three different young adult book clubs and ive got some top tips id love to share with you on how to run a teen book club. Books are the medium and the club is the method to achieve the ultimate goal of developing teen readers and leaders.
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