The Enrichment Circle Book Clubs Model

Organize your own reading circles by age, interest and location. Enjoy our online library, suggested reading lists, study guides and book reviews. Create your own list, define the frequency of your meetings: tailor your reading club and enjoy the experience!

TAILOR YOUR BOOK CLUB AND SUBMIT YOUR BOOK CLUB  FORM (email us to request your form or fill it up online) at www.enrichmentcircle.com

START YOUR OWN BOOK CLUB NOW !!! CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT TO JOIN BOOK CLUBS

Submit your Book Club Registration

Book Club Members - Who? How many? What does it mean to be a member of a book club?

• Members should come up with a name for the Book Club!
• Members can volunteer and vote to select a Club Representative or Leader. This person (or family) will serve as the administrator of the club. This person (or family) will have an account in The Enrichment Circle website that will allow him/her to post and update information about the club in our site.
• Members agree on the book to read – every member can participate on the making of their club’s Reading List
• Members must read the book before the meeting
• Members can be:
  Ages 4 and under       - YOUNG BOOK LOVERS (Parent reads to child)
  Ages 5 and 6             - BEGINNERS 1
  Ages 7 and 8             - BEGINNERS 2
  Ages 9 and10            - INDEPENDENT 1
  Ages 11 and 12         - INDEPENDENT 2
  Ages 13 and up         - TEENS

(This classification is designed to be used as a reference only and it's been based on the average reading level, skills and content appropriateness of books)

• Parent’s involvement in every group is highly encouraged. The nature of such involvement changes according to the group ages, reading level and stage of the club and it’s totally up to the members of the group to define it.
• Some fundamental objectives of these clubs are:
  to facilitate children’s leadership in the discussions
  to promote children’s ownership over the organization and planning of the meetings and activities (age appropriate)
  to enhance children’s active role in the choosing of their reading material.

• Clubs will be organized based on the age classification above
• Min. 4 members, Max. 12 members

The Reading Cycle - Frequency of Meetings.

A new book could be started:

• every 2 weeks - for shorter reads / when books are read to the children by parents / fast independent readers
• every 4 weeks - for longer reads, independent readers

The Reading List – What to read?

One of the most fun but difficult parts of managing a Book Club is choosing the books to read. You want titles that aren't too hard but aren't too easy, books that will be interesting for readers who like different things. Where on earth can you find these magically perfect selections? For our monthly suggestions, click here.

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), 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 we suggest that a list be created for 3 months, since interest varies often.

Sometimes it's risky to try a book that no one's heard of before, but by experimenting you might find a new favorite.

Choosing your books should be fun; make a good list and then enjoy the best part --- reading and discussing great books!!

• Every book club will create a Reading List
• The Enrichment Circle Online Library will serve as a reference to help on the selection process –you’ll find reviews and descriptions of the books! This is not a lending library.
• We’ll post our own recommended titles per month in each category
• You’ll also find links to The Newberry Medal Winner Books, The Caldecott Award Winner Books and many wholesome and thorough reading lists from all over the country.

Books – Where to find them?

• Your local library is our best recommendation!
• If you want to buy the book, check online book sellers, book swaps, used books stores, regular book stores. We’ll provide a link to Amazon.com for your convenience. Buying books this way offers an opportunity to support The Enrichment Circle

Hosting Book Club Meetings - Where to meet?

Parents can decide on rotational schedule for hosting the club meetings. Alternative suggested locations: Your local library, local book stores. The club can also have a fix location for meetings.

At the meeting – What to do?

We will provide ideas for club discussions: study guides, arts and crafts. Feel free to write to us if you have ideas to add!

Who Leads The Discussion?

It's helpful to have one person lead the discussion, so some groups have the person who proposed the book make some questions and get the conversation started. Each member can also come up with a couple questions of their own to contribute to the discussion. Help: Find a Book Study Guide for your book online and use those questions to start the discussion. Another possibility (especially for groups just starting out) is to ask a parent or librarian to lead the discussion until the group 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 a Book Club turns into a play group with tons of off-topic conversation, it won't last long, but if it sticks to books, it'll be a big success.

• Meetings will be 1 to 2 hours long (depending on the average age of the group, the number of children attending the meeting and the activities proposed to be done).
• The Book Club leader will let other members know of upcoming meetings and activities to take place so members can come prepared.
• Announce the Title of the Book and discuss its cover, detailing specifics on the illustrations. Discuss particulars about the Author and Illustrator.
• Members might read some passages of the book for clarification, for further enjoyment, or for illustrating a particular point. To read aloud, check suggestions in the link below:

Hints on how to read aloud to a group from Reading Rockets

Post Reading Suggested Activities

• All the activities that will take place during the meeting will revolve around the topic and book’s message.
• Upon arriving at the hosting house/place, we suggest to start the meetings with a warm up time (short song, finger games, name games).
• Members can use one or more book study guides to help guide the discussion of the book. Keep in mind the questions from the guide are designed to explore problem solving situations and reactions to feelings.
• Members can prepare an activity related to the story to propose to the rest of the group:

*Drawing/Painting

*Cooking a dish related to the story

*Games related to the theme of the book

* “Act the story”

*Create a Book Club Scrapbook (an initiative of Daniela Gomez, age 9): During meetings

and activities, pictures will be taken – including pictures of the book cover and members

will create an artistic collage (a little in every meeting) that will illustrate the clubs

activities over a period of time!

* Post a book review (individual or by group) in The Enrichment Circle Online Library

What to Bring to the Meetings?

Your books, of course! Snacks are almost as important as books for any good Book Club, so you should make sure everyone shares the responsibility of bringing something to healthy to share and eat. Also, instead of having only one person supply food, have everyone bring something; that way the group doesn't rely on just one person each time and there will be a variety of food.

A Themed Book Club – suggested ideas to put together your Reading List

• Author Study: choose to read different books by the same author, to discuss style, common traits from book to book, differences between books, etc. E.g. Eric Carle, Beverly Cleary, Bill Pete, Mary Pope Osborne, Roald Dahl, etc.
• Newberry Medal Book Club – All books in the list will be winners of the Newberry Medal
• “Other awards” Book club – just as above, but varying the award (e.g. Caldecott Honor).
• Book and Cook Club (an initiative of Daniela Gomez, age 9): At every meeting after discussion, club members will prepare recipes of dishes or a particular food that has been referenced in the book and if there is not a direct reference to food in the book, any other recipe agreed previously by the group. Members will contribute bringing ingredients.
• Choose books from a particular genre: non-fiction, fiction, poetry, novels, picture books
• Choose books of a particular subject: pirates, fairies, adventures at sea, explorers, etc.

At the Enrichment Circle website you will find all the resources you need to create and run your book club! We will:

• post each club by name and description
• list contacting person (Club Representative or Leader)
• run registrations for each club
• publish the club’s reading list
• indicate which book is being read at the time and
• when and where will the next meeting take place
• post individual or made by the group book reviews in The Enrichment Circle Online Library
• add the club meetings in our calendar!

TAILOR YOUR BOOK CLUB AND SUBMIT YOUR BOOK CLUB  FORM (email us to request your form or fill it up online) at www.enrichmentcircle.com

START YOUR OWN BOOK CLUB NOW !!!