How To Choose Kid Book Clubs
Made fashionable by Oprah, book clubs now dot the landscape across the country, connecting folks with countless books and engaging them in stimulating story-talk. So why not get kids in on the act, too-especially now, as schools close down for the summer and reading losses set in?
There’s no better time to act than right now. Research confirms what teachers already know: reading achievement takes a big hit-sometimes by as much as two months–when books aren’t part of the summer equation. Standardized test scores that are lower in September than in the preceding May bear this out– but just reading a few books over the long three-month break could reverse that trend.
You can help make that happen in a fun and winning way with an oh-so-grown-up book club, a sure-bet hit with youngsters of all ages. In this way, your child and his or her friends are surrounded by mutually selected books that they then get to talk about–sharing opinions and insights, sometimes disagreeing but always reflecting and learning. Such groups take reading way beyond the classroom and serve as a tool for self-discovery, while honing reading and communication skills and fueling a life-long love for the written word.
To get started, have your child call or email friends who might be interested, while you talk it up with their parents. Just be sure to limit membership to no more than twelve children-many more than that and the conversation inevitably veers off and away from the book to be discussed. Then gather everyone around and peruse a stack of appropriate books, make choices, and set up a location and meeting schedule that goes well beyond the summer months.
To help with title suggestions, look to teachers, librarians, and fellow parents and also check out the list of Newbery Medal Winners and Honors Books provided by the American Library Association. Also consider these 2009 Children’s Choice Book Award Winners, which represent the top new book picks chosen by 12,500 children and sponsored by the Children’s Book Council and the International Reading Association which offer the complete list:
o Kindergarten to 2nd Grade Book of the Year: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, by Mo Willems
o 3rd Grade to 4th Grade Book of the Year: Spooky Cemeteries, by Dinah Williams
o 5th Grade to 6th Grade Book of the Year: Thirteen, by Lauren Myracle
o Teen Choice Book of the Year: Breaking Dawn, by Stephanie Meyer
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