Come up with eight to ten questions about the book. Then look no further this list is full of great titles to talk about. A book club can be a great way for your staff to push themselves to continue to learn. Sarah quinlans husband, jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager. Before you dive into the heavy plot points, character development, themes, or other weighty subjects, start off your book club discussion by finding out everyones first impression of the book, advises sadie trombetta, via bustle. How to lead a book group discussion 7 great discussion tips. They arent helpful in moving discussions forward, and can make others feel defensive. Oct 15, 2014 book club games and ice breakers book club activities litlovers stay safe and healthy. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the circulation desk a. Thompson sees the parentchild book club as an avenue for conversation and communication. Arrive early, ready to focus fully on others and give of yourself. I love talking books with readers and would be honored to join your discussion via skype.
Appoint a club memberwhoever selected the book or the person who is hosting. No matter the genre, age, notoriety, or length of the book of the moment, book club questions can kickstart or enhance your group discussion. Reveal the book club idea, like a fun surprise, building anticipation about the way were going to experience our next book together, use pictures or video, have students create their own collage of what a book club might look like imagine no limitations. Classroom discussion is a timehonored way to learn. This is a literary analysis technique called close reading. However, if youre a discussion leader, you may be nervous. Book club central will be a repository of resources on book clubs from tools to start and maintain your club to recommendations on books, as well as fun ideas like food pairings for. This book group for adults meets on the first thursday evening of each month september through june. Newzbundlz monthly newsletter, dedicated to whats happening on the site and in the book club world. Doing so, and starting slowly, will give you a jumpingoff point to discuss what about the selection kept you turning the pages, she says, or what made the book difficult to get through.
Is the group on a roll and ready to tackle that long thick book youve been talking about for months. An 11yearold boy named michael boards a ship crossing the indian ocean and the suez canal. Book club central, or bcc, will bring a world of information to book lovers, book clubs, libraries, and anyone who wants to increase their enjoyment of reading. At your first book club meeting, or whenever new people join your reading group, its good to spend a bit of time getting to know each other. Nonfiction book club questions add these questions to your standard book club list. How to conduct a great book club discussion youtube. Copies of the selected book are available at the main desk for the month leading up to the meeting. Sounds like life of pi, but in this tall tale form the seas, parts of the story are retold in his adult. How to lead a successful book club discussion bookbrowse. As joseph addison said, reading is to the mind what exercise is to the brain.
Book club discussion questions this page gives you a full list of all the books featured on this site, split between fiction and non fiction. However, nonfiction books are not yet as popular as their fiction counterparts as. This week the author is leading a book club about nan shepherds the living mountain. Games to break the ice at book discussion groups and other.
Book club for kids discussion questions, reading guide. Find instances in the book where silence or voice and speech are noted, and talk about the authors possible intentions for emphasizing these motifs. Thank you for selecting missing pieces for your book club discussion. In my own motherdaughter group she says, i have found that when the mothers take the time to read, listen and respond to their daughters as readers, they send a powerful message that the girls thoughts and experiences are important. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. Other frequently used terms to describe a book discussion club include reading group, book group, and book discussion group. As a member or leader of a book club, you are likely to be reading books on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and nonfiction. You dont have to be in an english class to analyze books as a group. General book club questions for study and discussion. This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and this year will be my third year leading our small but dedicated book discussion group. Many books suitable for book clubs have discussion guides.
Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. Have a good topic of discussion to start the conversation and make sure to have some more ready to introduce if the conversation flags, goes off topic, starts to repeat itself or gets uncomfortably contentious. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa. Best for book clubs best books to read for a great book club discussion. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. Book group howtos from the seattle public library guide to leading, coming up with good discussion questions, drawing conclusions and more. Keeping nonfiction book club questions simple, but open ended, will allow for plenty of opinions and encourage discussion among members. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussioneverything from book discussion questions. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Gather a group of friends, choose a book and start reading. Book club games and ice breakers book club activities. Asking the right questions can mean the difference between a dull, lackluster book club and an inspiring and engaging one.
Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and pass them out. Here are some tips and insights about what has worked well for me. The group usually meets the second monday of the month from 5. Need to lead your book club and want tips on how to promote a lively conversation. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. Relationship problems loom large as do sexual gender issues. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book sales club, which can cause confusion. Books unleashed monthly updates on the bestsellers, whats hot and whats new in the book world. These steps advise you on every aspect of leading a good discussion, from keeping everyone. Some clubs have one member who enjoys leading all discussions. Draw from their collages when introducing the book club concept. Litcourse 3 has a good discussion of close reading. Having great book discussion questions is essential to leading a successful book club, and now that i run an online moms book club i use this lesson to avoid awkward silences yes they can happen online and create a lively, engaging book club meeting each month.
Below are some tasks that should be addressed by the club coordinator. Or something you could use for a kidfriendly book club choice. We have a standard set of questions that we use for most of our book club discussions you can find them at questions for a book club youll quickly work out that you need a wide variety of books to keep the interest level high, stopping people from dropping out. Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and this.
Book clubs can be a wonderful way for likeminded people to get together and share their love of literature. Keep the mood of the club in mind when selecting the book. All of these book studies can be done either in a small group setting or as an individual. We try to provide as many as we can an in a timely manner on our discussion questions page, but most of the time discussion questions arent. Each month, we share top book picks from indie next and libraryreads, as well as the target book club title and pennies pick for costco. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions that will. How to lead a book club discussion book club questions. Here is a list of helpful suggestions for leading a bible study discussion group. A book discussion club is a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read and express their opinions, likes, dislikes, etc. The hate u give by angie thomas book club discussion. The book club gives employees the opportunity to step up and practice leadership roles such as leading a group discussion or presenting to provide an overview of a chapter.
Take notes or mark passages that strike youpassages you find significant, funny, or insightful. You can help your organization become a learning organization in which people continuously grow and develop. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center for. These tasks may be delegated to other club members. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets. Michael pappas m y book club was the first to concede defeat. Some of the studies have a unique study guide that must be purchased separately. At the bottom of the page you will also find useful links, all in one place. From inspiring true stories to awardwinning classics, these mustread books are loved by kids as well as adults. Holding the discussion also see how to discuss a book with a leader. The role of club coordinator in a book club as the book club evolves, the role of the group coordinator will change. Our ideas can help you lead a discussion, find helpful resources, and be a smart participant.
It is also an evidencebased way to help students retain information, pay attention, and gain real insight. When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most rewarding experience out of your club meeting. The first two things are easy to accomplish just read anything by. At classy, several of our departments participate in quarterly book clubs in order to. If there are parts of the book that made an impact on you or that you think may come up in the discussion, write down the page numbers so that you can access the passages easily while preparing and leading your book club discussion. A nationwide book club bringing readers together to discuss. The perfect book club is made up of three key things. Robert galbraith shelved 16 times as mysterybookclub avg rating 3. Suggest books that your group has read that led to a lively discussion, whether people loved or hated them. As you read each novel, jot down page numbers and passages that moved you and where you found answers to the discussion questions. That way, you can easily share them with the group later on.
Emily rankin, narrator the book immerses the reader into several serious areas of discussion, like parenting, single motherhood, sexual prefer. Selections are chosen by members a few months before the meeting date. Rotate discussion leaders each monthmaybe its the person who selects the book or the one who hosts the meeting. But it can be overwhelming to find great book club ideas. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. Looking for a book to jumpstart discussion with your tweens and teens. Preparing for, opening, and continuing a great discussion is a skill you can learn. Non fiction book club questions westfield memorial library. Every book page contains useful information for your book group including book club questions. Even if your members are used to being part of group discussions and. If the book youre discussing has one its certainly worth printing it out but do look through it before the discussion opens and decide which topics you think your group will enjoy. This can be as simple as going around the group taking it in turns to introduce yourself and saying what you like to read and what youre looking forward to about the book club if youre new or what you like about the club if youre an established. Having discussion questions before your book club meets will help facilitate a good discussion of your book.
Finding the right book club book is easy when you follow these helpful tips. Use our litlovers resources below to help you with specific questions. Invite an outside facilitator english teacher or librarian. Or, is the team struggling with the last few books youve read.
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