Last week was our monthly book club on “Life of Pi”. As we live in Florida, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and met at a nature park’s picnic shelter. My amazing friend Christine brought China bone teacups and authentic Indian chai, setting up a fancy tablecloth on one of the tables, and we enjoyed Indian cuisine potluck-style.

Christine came prepared with thought-provoking questions and passages from the book, which she had prepared with her kids. As we discussed the book, we sipped tea, surrounded by Florida’s enchanting scenery.

The book club involves several homeschooling families, and all of us, including parents and younger siblings, participate. Although the club focuses on high school kids, everyone is welcome. My kids always look forward to book club day, and it’s their favorite day of the month.

Not only is book club a great way to socialize, but it also promotes a love for literature in a positive and friendly environment. It enables kids to engage in book discussions and discover their preferred genre of books, promoting critical thinking. Book club also fosters a commitment to reading and understanding books fully.

Here are 13 tips for making your book club successful

1. Start a book club and take the initiative. Don’t wait for someone else to do it.
2. Identify the target age group, invite families with kids of similar ages, and encourage parents to participate. Reach out to friends, neighbors, and family members to join in. Multi-age groups are beneficial.
3. Commit to a date for the book club for the entire year. Choose the same day each month and avoid skipping a book club. Put it on the calendar.
4. Connect all participants and send out emails that reach everyone at the same time.
5. Find or be the organizer to oversee the book club while letting each family organize an individual book club.
6. Find a suitable location with minimal distractions but enough space for setting up and kids to play. A beautiful park’s picnic shelter is an ideal location.
7. Select good books from various genres, with each family picking a book and organizing the book club. Encourage kids to choose books that they’re passionate about. Don’t choose the books for your kids, as tempting as it might be.
8. Come well prepared: Have questions written down and discuss them with your kids before the book club.
9. Don’t overthink the book, as you don’t need to be a literature expert. The most important thing is to be authentic and passionate about the book.
10. Plan playtime before and after the book club, giving families time to arrive, let the kids say hi and expend some energy. We usually plan 30 minutes of playtime before the book club starts.
11. Find a theme from the book and plan activities that deepen the learning experience, making it enjoyable for everyone. For instance, we had astronaut food for the book “Endurance,” and for “Life of Pi,” we had Indian food.
12. Encourage parents to participate instead of using their phones or chatting while the kids are discussing the book.
13. Finally, make the book club into a social event by having each family bring a snack or dish that goes along with the theme. This will connect you to other families and give kids an opportunity to talk about the book in an unplanned setting.

Remember, the most important thing is to have fun!