| By Cheryl Murfin Bond
A Great Forum for Sharing Ideas and Nurturing a Lifelong Love of Reading
Seattle mom Susan Maney and her daughter Julia will never forget the day the book Go to the Room of the Eyes, by Betty K. Erwin, came to life for them. It was a magical moment shared in their mother-daughter book club.
Written in 1969, Erwin’s story is a reflection of the times, as six children deal with civil rights concerns and meet a Vietnam vet suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. It’s also a right-in-your-own-backyard mystery for any Seattleite with one of the characters searching for clues and treasures in an old mansion on Capitol Hill.
“It’s a great book and it offered a place to discuss important aspects of our history,” says Maney. “But it was also a fun book for us to read together. Then I found out that the house in the book is real and in Seattle. We were so excited our club went and found it.”
“When we knocked on the door someone who was actually part of the story answered, and he actually let us in and showed us the room in the book,” Julia says. “We were really excited to see what was different and what was still the same. It made me appreciate the book so much more. I don’t think any of us will never forget it.”
Therein lies the key to a successful parent-child book group: Bringing books into the here and now of a child’s life through open discussion, activities and even outings to inspire excitement about story lines and characters.
Parent-child book clubs are a growing phenomenon in the Northwest with many bookstores and libraries hosting gatherings and friends and neighbors coming together to form independent groups. In the best clubs, librarians, educators and bookstore owners say, the thoughts and insights of kids and parents are equally valued and encouraged.
Both Maney and Julia, now 14, are convinced that the club they attended when Julia was 9 to 11 years old helped lay the foundation for her voracious book appetite. And just as she was encouraged to do in her book club, she continues to share her ideas about what she reads with her parents.
A parent-child book club “is a benefit in almost every way,” says Susan Scott, owner of Seattle’s Secret Garden Bookshop. “Kids need to hear the lessons of life from other people – other kids, other parents, other trusted adults – along with their parents.” It doesn’t hurt that a little peer pressure goes miles toward encouraging reading in school-age kids.
“One of my daughters is what you might call a reluctant reader,” explains Sue Cain, whose daughters Maggie, 10, and Emily, 11, are in two different mother-daughter book clubs. “Even though she’s a straight A student, she’s not someone who will just sit down and read in her spare time. It really helps to have someone other than her mother to keep her reading. She loves seeing her friends and going to the book club and she understands that it would be embarrassing to go in and say ‘I haven’t read the book.’”
The upshot is Maggie and Emily both read at least one good book a month outside their school assignments.
“The fact is kids talk, and they want to be reading what their friends are reading,” says Scott.
Listening with an open mind, speaking one’s own mind respectfully, recognizing and defining one’s personal values and forming opinions are all critical life skills, Scott and other book club advocates points out.
Sounds like skills for older kids? Not at all, educators say.
In fact, preschool and school-age book clubs are a wonderful opportunity to foster opinion making and responsibility, says Felicia Oh, owner of Hullabaloo Books in West Seattle. The store hosts nine different book clubs, five of which are parent-child.
Oh and her colleague Claudia Benbow, who facilitates Hullabaloo’s preschool book club, say that in many cases younger children benefit most from bookstore, school or library-based clubs where parents are present and active, but discussions are led by a facilitator. Because young children develop at different paces, a facilitator with some knowledge of child development will keep the discussion on track. A good facilitator will also study the book to pull out and simplify key questions and concepts for discussion, and plan fun activities that keep kids engaged.
Cain says the activities and guests that are part of the Hullabaloo club she attends with daughter Maggie are surprising, thought provoking and always educational. She recalls the emotional meeting of Maggie’s club to discuss Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.
“The book is about a girl who is raised by her father after her mother dies, and so the girls were asked to write 10 things that they will always remember about their mothers,” says Cain. “And then us mothers wrote 10 things we remember about our mothers. It was very emotional since some in the group had lost their mothers like the girl in the book. It was nice to see what my daughter would remember about me.”
And neither Cain nor Maggie will forget the book club meeting to discuss The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman. Hullabaloo owner Felecia Oh invited a real midwife.
“Suddenly it got to be a much bigger conversation than any of us had planned – even the midwife and Felicia,” Cain recalls. “But when girls started asking questions like where do babies come from and the midwife asked how much information we were comfortable with, all us moms looked at each other and said, ‘Go for it!’”
Book club times like these, says Cain, are really priceless.
Benbow, leader of the preschool book club, agrees that finding ways to make a book tangible makes a real difference to younger kids’ enthusiasm.
“I like to keep all the elements a surprise and the kids really enjoy that aspect of the club – they are always trying to get secrets out of me,” Benbow says. “We always start with a craft or activity related to the book, but no one knows what it is until they get here. We serve a snack but keep it a surprise and I never divulge the next book until the end of the meeting.”
She also shows deep respect for statements and ideas shared by kids and parents and goes out of her way to ensure that every child has a chance to speak.
“Kids at this age are acutely aware of issues revolving around friendship or family or feelings and we’ve dealt with all of these things,” Benbow says. “I’ve been amazed by what the kids will say.”
That fact and the fact that many children are exposed to news and information about current events and controversial issues makes parent-child or facilitated book clubs an important place where kids start to find their own voice.
“The thing about literature is it offers a neutral playing field,” says Angelina Benedetti, teen materials selector for the King County Library System. “In a group you can talk about issues that you might not have an opportunity to discuss otherwise. You get to decide where you stand when it comes to conformity versus non-conformity.”
The bottom line, Benedetti says, is that reading equals opportunity no matter the age – opportunity for personal, emotional and intellectual growth. A good book group will foster that growth and in doing so open up the world to a child.
Tips for Starting Your Own Parent-Child Book Club
· Never drag a child to a book club. “The idea has to be appealing to the child or you will be swimming up stream!” says Susan Scott, owner of Seattle’s Secret Garden Bookshop.
· Look for members with interests and personalities that complement each other – that goes for parents and children. Shireen Dodson offers qualities for a good fit in her book The Mother-Daughter Book Club. They include: an interest in reading, similar reading skill levels, ages or grades close together, an acquaintance or friendship with someone in the group, a cooperative attitude, comfort with discussion and an interesting mix of viewpoints for the mothers.
· Plan activities, crafts or outings inspired by the book. For example, come dressed in period costumes, write to the book’s author, bring food from cultures represented in the book, keep a book club scrapbook or, as Maney’s club did, visit a site mentioned in a book.
· Independent book clubs tend to revolve from house to house. Allow the child-parent pair hosting the book club in a given month to choose the book.
· Parents should decide up front which types of books and topics they are not comfortable reading/discussing in a book club setting. Reassess your list of “absolutely not” topics every six months and be open to your child’s evolving development.
· Keep it small. Most book club experts agree that keeping an independent or neighborhood group to four to six kids and their parents is optimal.
· Meet monthly, even if you decide to read one book every two months. Meeting consistently is key to creating a cohesive group and keeping reading a priority throughout the month.
· Kids love to eat, especially when gathering with friends, so make snacks part of the club.
· Think about two-hour meetings to ensure time for deep discussion, snacking and play.
· Don’t forget the boys! While the majority of existing groups are mother-daughter or general parent-child, consider starting a father-son or mother-son group. Start them early since boys’ interests in an organized club may fade after age 12 because of added activities and peer pressure.
RESOURCES
Books and Magazines
Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason by Nancy Pearl, Sasquatch Books, 2003. Pearl is director of the Washington Center for the Book at Seattle Public Library and really knows how to get people excited about reading. Her book includes wonderful reading lists for parent-child clubs.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club: How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh and Learn Through Their Love of Reading by Shireen Dobson, Harper Perennial, 1996. The book is “the Bible” on starting your own club.
Great Books for Girls (2003) or Great Books for Boys (1998) by Kathleen Odean, Ballantine.
Beyond Reading Aloud: Learning to Read Through Listening to and Reflecting on Literature by Dorothy Hennings, Phi Delta Kappan, 1992.
Eyeopeners: How to Choose and Use Children’s Books about Real People, Places and Things by Beverly Kobrin, Penguin, 1988.
Children’s Literature: An Issues Approach by Masha Rudman, Longman, 1984.
Award Winners
To obtain current and past lists of books that have won one of the following prestigious children’s book awards, go to the American Library Association’s Web site at www.ala.org.
The Newbery Award is named for 18th-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
The Coretta Scott King Book Award is presented annually by the Coretta Scott King Task Force of the American Library Association’s Ethnic Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table. Recipients are authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the “American Dream.”
The John Steptoe Award for New Talent is chosen by a seven-member national Coretta Scott King Award Jury. These books affirm new talent and offer visibility to excellence in writing or illustration at the beginning of a career as a published book creator.
The Caldecott Award is named in honor of 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
Local Bookstores and Libraries with Book Clubs Seattle Public Library System, www.spl.lib.wa.us Many branches host parent-child book groups and activities. Call your local branch to learn about clubs near you or for tips on getting a club started.
King County Library System, www.kcls.org Many branches of King County Library host parent-child book groups and activities. The Web site also offers great tips on starting a book club and book club resources.
Elliott Bay Book Company, First Avenue S. and Main Street, Seattle; 206-682-6664; www.elliottbaybook.com.
Hullabaloo Books, 2350 California Ave. S.W., Seattle; 206-937-0599; www.hullabaloobooks.com.
Secret Garden Bookshop, 2214 N.W. Market St., Seattle; 206-789-5006; www.secretgardenbooks.com.
Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave. N.E., Seattle; 206-525-2347 and 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Lake Forest Park; 206-366-3333; www.thirdplacebooks.com.
Cheryl Murfin Bond is a freelance writer living in Seattle. | 
