Book clubs are a great way to find unexpected favourites, forge new connections, and keep the story rolling long after you’ve turned the last page-- and you can start one or join one right from your living room! A household book club is a great way to keep young readers interested and bring the family together, and by keeping your approach fun and flexible, everyone can participate and add to the conversation. 

Choosing Your Books:

• As a family, take turns picking the book, and make sure that when it’s your turn to pick, you have several titles ready to go-- let the rest of your family vote on which book they’d like to read. You can be the tie-breaker!
• Age gaps? No problem! If a title is too advanced, try reading the book out loud together, or access an audiobook version. Otherwise, a similar book (ie. similar topic, genre, setting) that is better suited to the reader can be found using one of these services. 
• Looking for book suggestions? Sites like Goodreads or 49th Shelf are a great resource, and don’t forget to check out several e-resources offered by your Lac La Biche County Libraries. If you’re really stumped, our August blog Keeping Things Interesting has more tips and suggestions for finding new titles. 

Keep it Flexible:

• Don’t put a time-limit on your books! Let every reader finish before coming together. You can start by scheduling an evening and adjusting accordingly to the reading level and speed of your club members. It’s okay to challenge your members and set deadlines-- Just make sure everyone is having fun!
  
  
• Find inspiration around you: If a reader in your household has been assigned a book for school and you think the family would enjoy engaging with the title, take it on! Similarly, you can draw on upcoming holidays, historic events, and geographical locations to set the theme of your selection. Anchoring your reading list to relevant settings and events can bring a new level of engagement for the entire family. 

Keep it Fun:

• Does the main character have a favourite type of food? Try making a dish or type of food from the book-- It might be as simple as adding a few drops of blue food colouring to a glass of milk… (Star Wars, anyone?)
• Throw a costume party! Invite all the members of your club to create (with help if needed) a costume inspired by the book. You could go as simple as a mask, or as far as a full-body costume-- you could even try assigning roles and acting out a scene from the book! The possibilities are limitless! 
• For the books that have a box office hit, or the nights you just want to relax, grab a bowl of popcorn and snuggle up to watch the movie version of your book. If your book doesn’t have a movie (yet), choose a movie that takes place in a similar time period, similar location, or even a similar topic.  

It may take a planning session or two to get the ball rolling, but a fun and flexible reading rhythm like a book club may just be what you and your family need this winter! You might also find that other family members and friends want to participate- with Skype or Zoom, or even a phone call, your book club can be as big as you want it to be!