Build a
Book Club
A step by step guide to creating a successful and much-loved book club in your school, community or online.
I’ve been in adult book clubs on and off since my late teens and found them a wonderful source of literary goodness, scrumptious food and lifelong friendships. there are two or three key mistakes which guarantee a bookckub will fail.
I’ve applied the same model of book clubs to younger readers and I’ve set up countless book clubs over the years for tweens, teens, English as an additional language students, Harry Potter obsessives and groups of little family friends. I’ve made all the mistakes and had failures! There are two or three key mistakes that guarantee a book club will fail and I want to teach you about the traps so that you create a book club which is the buzz of the school or your local community.
In Build a Book Club I’ve distilled all my learnings, research and resources
into a six week course.
Mind Now Flicking Through Possible Members for Your
Book Club?
While you ponder membership and cake recipes, let me take the legwork out of the organisational aspect of it, after all, I am a librarian and we are known for our skills in curating content!
What Can You Expect from Build a Book Club?
Build a Book Club is a step by step guide to creating a successful and much-loved book club in your school, community or online. All the best groups start (and have longevity) where there is a strong foundation and some key objectives underpinning it!
Modules:
The Basics of Bookclubbing
The how and why of bookclubbing. Why start or join a book club and covering all the basics you need to consider before opening your first book club read!
Balance in All Things
A balanced literary diet – a feast of genres. Just like we talk about eating a balanced diet and balancing screen time with time outdoors, we need to find balance in what we read as a bookclub. Unless you’re exclusively a Harry Potter bookclub you’re going to want to read widely!
#ownvoices
Acknowledging and reflecting diversity and the power of reading books by authors with lived experience of race, disability, gender etc.
Tech and Reading
Will we read in print, as an ebook or though audio? There is an element of apprehension amongst parents and educators about reading in the digital age but on the upside, technology means we are now more connected to the stories of others, worldwide and in our local community, than ever.
The basics are done. Now to add the Frills.
Admit it. You’re here for the food and the drinks as much as the books! How to take your book club to the next level with themed literary food, craft options (glitter is not going to kill you I promise) and planning social outings to bookstore and library events.
Resources and Read on
Like a good librarian does, I’ve curated the best content I could find and put it all in the one place. Here you’ll find links to websites for further reading, ideas for magazines you might like to subscribe too, links to some of my favourite authors…
The material in this e-course is especially useful for students in years 5, 6, 7 and 8 or your child aged approximately 9 – 15 years old. Content is aimed at adults and all book recommendations should be perused for suitability for your reader.
Each week via email
you will receive;
- A video welcome from me, outlining the module
- Comprehensive module notes
- Three suggested books and three reading links
- Actionable points
- A recipe idea to stash away for future meetings
You will be welcomed into the 7000 strong Facebook Group, Your Kid’s Next Read – moderated by authors Allison Tait and Allison Rushby and myself, where the conversations can continue. Note: in order to keep the cost of this course as low as possible, there is no dedicated Facebook group. And to be honest? Your Kid’s Next Read is where it’s at and you don’t need another group other than this one! I’m all about streamlining your life and helping you to curate the content you see on your socials – follow Children’s Books Daily and join Your Kid’s Next Read and you’re set!
Book Club are an Extra-curricular Activity
with a Twist
As parents we drive and drop off our children to dance, sporting pursuits and the local speech and drama studio or Girl Guides hut. As teachers? We run these activities! Build a Book Club is about establishing an extra-curricular activity with a bit of a difference whether you are an educator, parent, librarian or bookstore own looking to set up a social group – you get to enjoy the book, the food and the emerging friendships. Book Clubs are not a drop and go activity, they are all about connections – with others and with books. If you’re lucky? Book club might just become your favourite extra-curricular activity.
Build a
Book Club
A step by step guide to creating a successful and much-loved book club in your school, community or online. All the best groups start (and have longevity) where there is a strong foundation and some key objectives underpinning it!