How to Start an Online Book Club
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Have you ever considered an online book club? The basic idea of a book club is to read a book, then come together to talk about it with others. Whether you’re social distancing or wanting to keep in touch with a friend who has moved away or involving relatives who live afar, an online book club it’s a great way to read, share, and to connect.
What do we need?
- A book – visit the online resources at a local public library or at Audible.
- Facetime and Skype are great ways to connect if it is just two households coming together online. If you’ve got a larger group, then consider Zoom. All are free to use.
- An informal leader who reads the questions and keeps the group on track.
What do we read?
The choices are really are endless! Here are some titles if you need some ideas:
- Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
- Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
- Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead which refers to Madeline L’Engle’s Wrinkle in Time
- The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
What do we talk about?
You can discuss a part of the book that you liked the most or that you liked the least. You can wonder what might have happened if the character made different choices. You can compare a situation in the book to a similar real-life situation you may have experienced. Be sure to check the publisher’s website to see if they have come up with discussion topics for book clubs and/or teachers.
Have fun with this. You can make this a one-time book club, a regular event, or schedule the meetings as it makes sense for your schedules.
Jann Fujimoto, MS CCC-SLP has been a part of family and community book clubs where she has enjoyed favorite books and discovered new finds. She’s also a speech-language pathologist and owner of SpeechWorks. SpeechWorks has been helping toddlers to teens become confident communicators through telepractice and in-person sessions since 2013. Contact SpeechWorks at 262-490-5653 for a complimentary 20-minute consultation today.