Children's Book Clubs are Awesome Ways to Get Kids Hooked on Books

​Hands-down the best part of my writing journey is connecting in-person with young readers. at at festivals, bookstores, schools, and libraries.  

But I hadn’t visited a children’s book club until recently, when I was invited to the Boys’ Book Club to discuss writing and read from my e-fantasy, “The Magical Aquarium.”  I had THE best time with these eight winsome second-graders, who attended the same school and played sports together.  Here are 10 things their moms and I did to make lasting memories of the boys' afternoon with an author.

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​1.      Book Selection and Meeting Site

The boys selected their own books that ranged from biographies and non-fiction to my e-fantasy with an ecological message, The Magical Aquarium.

​Given demands of doing homework. playing sports, and just being kids, the Boys Book Club met quarterly, rotating between member houses. 

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​2.      Create a Theme

Themes add to the fun

I learned tons about creating kid-friendly vibes from the moms!  

Host Mom fashioned an underwater theme to immerse the boys in my book: kids sat on beach towels spread on the floor; beach shovels, goggles and sand toys sprinkled around the room added to the ocean feel.  Host Mom even filled pails filled with crayons and pencils the boys would use for activities.

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​3.      Break the Ice
We started with a fun, physical exercise that got these active boys up and moving before settling down to discuss their book. This also helped us get to know each other.

4.      Use "Big" Discussion Vocabulary
The first third of our 30-minute discussion started by dissecting my tale using bookish terms most already knew:

•  What's the main action or plot?
• What's the conflict?  How is it solved? 
• Who is the protagonist/main character?  What’s her goal?
• Who is the antagonist/baddie? What does the the antagonist want?
• Which character is most like YOU and why?
• Fantasy is a special genre/type of writing: Is fantasy real or make-believe?  What elements of fantasy did you find in "The Magical Aquarium?" 

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Cat leads a 10-minute discussion about their book

5.      Share Inside ‘Secrets’ of a Writerly Life
Next, we huddled around my laptop for a slide presentation on writing and publishing.  The boys were really into this, and I loved encouraging junior authors and artists!  I found techies in the group, too, who were excited to learn how computers and apps were used to create and format books. 

My biggest tips for junior writers:
Write what you know; write what you love.  
And edit, edit edit!

Boys learn what it takes to write, illustrate, publish children's books

6.      Elicit Questions Ahead of Time

Although we answered general questions along the way, we concluded my portion of book club with Q&As. The boys wrote questions in advance and slipped them into a beach pail. I was impressed by what they wanted to know!

Write questions in advance

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• What’s the hardest part of being an author?  
• Which is your favorite out of all the books you’ve written and why?  
• How do you get the drawings to go with your story?  
• How long does it take to write a book?

​7.      Incorporate Extension Activities
The children moved into extension activities run by another mom.  Reinforcing The Magical Aquarium’s themes of ecology, she showed a video about manatees and discussed ways to save the ocean and its animals.  To solidify learning, their final activity was creating a poster showing what the boys could do to protect the sea.

8.      Leave Behind Something Fun 
Since the boys read my e-book and I couldn't sign a physical copy, I created and signed character image cards for them.  I also gave each child  a coloring page and word-find printable, based on The Magical Aquarium,  to do at home.

9.      Serve Kid-Friendly Food When Possible
Literally, the icing on the cake came at the end of book club, when Host Mom served a killer treat supporting my book’s aquatic theme: “kelp” cupcakes (dyed-green vanilla) with watery-blue frosting and gummy fish topping.  (Note: Gotta watch what's offered to make sure no one has allergies to nuts, wheat, etc.)

Fun foods, like kelp cupcakes, play off book selection themes

10.  Follow Up
Within 72 hours of a visit, I sent a thank-you video made just for the children, featuring photos of them that highlight our time together. (Note: I’m sensitive about showing children's faces on social media and do not do so unless I have express permission from parents.)  

I even received beyond-precious notes from children that let me know I made an impact.

Young authors, artists are inspired by author visits

Conclusion

Children everywhere are excited meeting an author and hearing a story read aloud by the person who penned it.  Older kids want to know about the writing process and all young readers bubble over with questions.

I was lucky to have host moms help me. However when I run events and don’t have host moms, I offer extension activities and printables after customized discussions to cement our time together. 

Not every author visit can match the depth of a small group experience like the Boys Book Club; however essentials of literacy can be present anywhere to make reading fun, engaging, and relevant for any group of young readers.

Catly Note of Appreciation:
HUGE thanks to Drew, Hayden, Nicholas, Jude, Connor, Julian, Brian, Sebastian, Ms. Maria, and all the moms of the Boys Book Club!  Happy tales always -:D. ​

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YOUR Catly Author Visit?

Is your classroom, library, or book club ready for a Catly author visit to get children pumped about reading? I travel in-person near my North Carolina home, southern Connecticut and adjacent New York counties; York County, Pennsylvania, or by Skype anywhere!

Learn more and schedule your author visit to build lasting memories for your young reader HERE

​Your Turn
What tips and insights can you offer about helping kids get the most from an author visit?  Please share in the comment section.

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