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Running a Book Club

Choosing What to Read

Starting a Book Club:

You might've heard people talking about Reading Clubs, and now you're interested in finding out more about this great way to share books. From small Clubs that gather in living rooms and libraries to the millions who tune in to find out Oprah's picks each month, reading clubs are everywhere! You and your friends could have a lot of fun in a Book Club, but how the heck do you start one? Stay cool; Teenreads has all the answers to your Reading Club questions.

The easiest way to get a club started is to just phone up another friend or two who like to read. Call or email your buddies and see if they want to get together to read and discuss a good book. If everyone brings one other person, you'll have a large enough club in no time! You can also put up posters advertising your club if you still want more members. Post flyers at your school, church, or library (that's one place where you're sure to find book-lovers!) and you can meet some new kids who might make good additions.

Attendance can be a big deal with clubs just starting out. Make sure your friends are really dedicated to reading the books and will come to the meetings. You should decide if members who haven't finished the book yet are welcome to the discussion; they might steer the discussion off-track, and you want people there who actually read the books!

The best club size is between eight and twelve members. Since some people won't be able to make every meeting, you can still have a good conversation with a couple of missing members; if you have more than twelve, it's hard to let everyone speak their minds. You should also decide before you start if you're going to have a coed club or just keep it one gender. Sometimes it might be nice to have different opinions from the opposite sex, but the boys might want to read different books than the girls and the whole club can become a mess. Remember: You're here to read and talk about books, not gossip! When you have a set club, you should discuss how open to new members you want to be and come up with a system for inviting or accepting them.

Once you've gotten your club going, you'll want to lay down some ground rules to keep things running smoothly. Discuss how you'll be organized and consider how you'll make your book selections. Some clubs specialize in certain genres (nonfiction, mysteries, foreign authors, etc). It might be a good idea to appoint a secretary who keeps track of your book lists (both what you've read and what you plan to read) and sends out reminders about your meetings

Your Book Club will be a lot of fun, but it might also be hard work at first. If you want help, ask a parent, teacher, or librarian; they'll be happy to work with you and get your club going. The first few weeks will be a little crazy as you're working stuff out, but you'll be surprised how much fun you and your friends can have discussing the great books you read! Good luck!

Running a Book Club:

So you've got a club of friends who are eager to start a reading club together. Now you're faced with the basic question that all clubs have to deal with when they first start out: What next?! The most important thing when you're starting out is to be organized. You need to set down some simple rules that will keep your club running efficiently.

The first thing you should decide is when to meet. Most clubs find that once a month works out best. This gives you plenty of time to read the book you've chosen without putting pressure on your homework time or other activities. Reading is fun, but no one likes to feel forced to plow through a long book just to meet a deadline. Some clubs meet once every two weeks, but keep in mind that the books can't be too long if people only have fourteen days to read them. You also need to pick a set time to meet. It can be tough working around the busy schedules of everyone in the club, but you can usually find a couple of hours when everyone is free. Sunday evenings work well for a lot of people - just make sure you do your homework early! Also, have kids check with their parents' schedules; if they need to be picked up or dropped off somewhere, they'll need a ride. Once you have a time, stick with it! Members should let their families know that the Reading Club is an important activity for them; most parents will respect their kids' priorities and will help them fit their schedules around it.

OK, you have a set time to meet; now you need a place. This can be tricky for kids, since you can't exactly hop in the car and drive to a convenient place. If the parents of kids in the club are willing, you can take turns hosting the club at different people's houses. Dealing with parents will probably be a necessary, annoying part of running a Book Club; most adults will be accommodating as long as you're polite. If there's a place in the neighborhood where everyone can meet, that'll work too. Just be careful of restaurants, since managers don't always like a bunch of kids sitting around for a long time without buying anything. Snacks are almost as important as books for any good Reading Club, so you should make sure everyone shares the responsibility of bringing something to eat, like chips and salsa, cookies, or brownies. Also, instead of only having one person supply food, have two or three; that way the club doesn't rely on just one person each time and there will be a variety of food.

Another aspect of reading club you'll want to consider in advance is the format your meetings will take. It's helpful to have one person lead the discussion, so some clubs have the person who proposed the book make some questions and get the conversation started. You can also have each member come up with a couple questions of their own and go around the club. Don't be afraid of using outside help! Find a Reading Club Guide for your book online and use those questions to start the discussion. Another possibility (especially for clubs just starting out) is to ask someone like an English teacher or librarian to lead the discussion until the club gets the hang of it. Sometimes it can be tough to spark a good debate, so it never hurts to have a lot of questions and tricks up your sleeve!

Once your discussion is rolling, you need to keep it on track. Remind members to ground their comments in the text; if they have to point out specific examples from the book, they probably won't ramble too much. You might have a couple of people in the club who add a lot to the conversation but also have a tendency to get off topic a little. The most important part of a Reading Club is the book, so try hard to keep the discussion focused on what you're reading and not how hot Sally looked today or Chris's new sneakers. If a Reading Club turns into a Gossip Club, it won't last long, but if it sticks to books, it'll be a big success.

Choosing What to Read:

One of the most enjoyable yet frightening aspects of a reading club is choosing the books. While it's exciting to consider the options, make your list, and cut it down to those few select titles that you'll read, picking good books for your club can also be intimidating. You want the perfect book: one that's not too easy, not too hard, that will hold the interest of a diverse club of readers and will also inspire a lively discussion. Where on earth do you find books that are all that and more, and how do you pick which of these to read?

Probably the best place to start looking is on your members' bookshelves. If a kid in your club has already read a book and liked it, there's a pretty good chance others will too. You'll want to read new stuff too, but there's nothing wrong with occasionally rereading an old favorite. You'll be surprised how many things your club will bring up that you never thought about before. Also, ask your parents what books they've read recently that you and your friends might enjoy. True, adults might be completely clueless about your tastes, but your parents probably know you pretty well and might have good suggestions. Many books published for adults aren't too advanced for teenagers to read and enjoy.

Look around online for Reading Club suggestions. There are a bunch of sites out there dedicated to Reading Clubs, and they'll give you some good titles to choose from. Sometimes it's risky to try a book that no one's heard of before, but experimenting might find you a new favorite. If you're looking for new ideas, go to a local library or bookstore and ask an adult for help. Librarians often have Reading Club experience and can help you pick some books that will suit your club's needs.

The best way to make sure your club's happy with the book choices is to create a list and then vote on which ones you're going to read. The more information you have on each book (author info, recommendations, previous reading experience, etc), the easier it'll be for your club to make a smart decision. Some clubs like to plan out their reading for a whole year, but others prefer to wait and only pick a couple of books at a time since their tastes change. Remember: Choosing your books should be fun; make a good list and then enjoy the best part --- reading and discussing good books!!