If there is one thing we ALL love… it’s connecting through books. As booksellers and librarians, it’s those connections that feed us. Due to the pandemic, many of us have been left feeling disconnected, and missing those little reader’s faces and conversations that happen in “normal” day to day visits.

Enter: The Virtual Children’s Book Club! Some of you may already be part of a book club, or are getting your taste of it via online school or through a larger book club. But for many of us, starting small with even a few members can feed the connection we crave for our customers, patrons and community members. So how to get started? Check out our tips below…

START WITH BOOKS THAT WILL TOTALLY GRAB THEM!

• Sign up for the Cardinal Rule Press Newsletter to receive great offers like our LATEST FREEBIE: BOOKS WE LOVE – a great tool to have patrons fill out and see what favorite books they’re most interested in!
• Have older readers? Research books on sites such as Common Sense Media and Goodreads to determine if they’re right for your group. Talk with fellow parents to agree which topics are okay and not.
• We love these recommendations from Red Tricycle:

Grades K – 2: I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic & Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.
Grades 3—5: The Front Desk by Kelly Yang & Wonder by R.J. Palacio.
Grades 6—8: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein & Eragon, Book One of The Inheritance Cycle Series by Christopher Paolini.

GUIDE PARTICIPATION AT FIRST

• There are a ton of great resources online to draw from such as reading guides, questions, and discussion helpers for chosen books.
• To keep members on track, assign pages or chapters to read so everyone stays on the same schedule between meet-ups.
• Start simple. Would the club members give the book a thumbs up, thumbs down, or, something in between? Who was their favorite character? Once you get going and the club gets more comfortable with each other (and dependent on age), you may be surprised how quickly other members take the lead.

TIPS FOR YOUNGER READERS

• Understandably, it is harder to keep younger readers focused on a Zoom call for very long. There are no hard rules for your book club. It can run 20 minutes or over an hour. It’s really up to your group.
• Add an art component! For example, ask club members to create a picture featuring a scene or character, or make a prop, just as they imagine being described in the story.
• Pick a theme each month to keep kids engaged! Allow members to arrive in props and costumes if they choose, reflecting the story, theme or a favorite character.
• Allow snacks! Discussing the book while eating keeps kids at the table—and talking about the book—just a bit longer.

Sign up today for Cardinal Rule Press freebies (like this month’s BOOKS WE LOVE SHEET!) and other tips coming right to your inbox with our bi-weekly Newsletter. And of course, don’t forget to purchase our latest titles over at Cardinal Rule Press Books.

Happy Connecting!

~ Your Marketing friends at Cardinal Rule Press