We break down the reading and exercises into manageable timeframes for your team to meet up for discussion and skillsbuilding. Even if you use a list of standard questions, come up with questions specific to the book being discussed to add depth to the dialogue. If you are running the book club, you can volunteer to be the moderator, or have other members of the club take turns at the helm. The real question is how to lead a book discussion. Ive found that defining a leader for each discussion results in a higher quality discussion. Book club questions for the silent patient by alex michaelides. Appoint a club memberwhoever selected the book or the person who is hosting. Ask one employee to lead the discussion about the weeks assigned chapter or two. Teaching students how to lead and participate in productive book discussions eventually frees you to work with individuals, pairs, or small groups who require additional scaffolding.
Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Starting, running and choosing books for a reading group. Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and distribute. Much like our virtual socials, we like to give our members a way to participate if they arent physically present in a location.
Read the book thoroughly, but also find out what you can about the author and the era in which the book was written. You might plant seeds after reading a book about nature or try your hand at poetry after reading robert frost. Form an employee book club see success stories in which a group of employees voluntarily read the same book. Leading a bible study seems like an awesome task to the one who has never done it. While the concept of open book discussion at your book club is easy to grasp. If youre leading a book discussion choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. Using the guide this discussion includes plans for a series of three, 90minute sessions. How to lead a book club discussion pen and the pad. What are the benefits of being in a virtual book club instead of a physical one. Most book clubs are groups of friends or colleagues.
The lack of a discussion leader results in a wide variance of book discussion from meeting to meeting. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center. Pick out a specific passage from the book description, an idea, a line of dialogueand ask members to comment. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. General book club questions for study and discussion.
Dec 14, 2017 my current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. In it, diangelo introduces the ideas she explores more deeply in her book. For those who have the gift of leading and teaching, leading a bible study is a very rewarding experience and very valuable in the teachers life as well as in the life of every person who is a part of the study. Oprahs book club do you remember the first book she picked. Its your turn to moderatelead your book clubs discussion. May 09, 2017 7 tips for leading a lively book discussion group. The first article in this series explained how to plan a group discussion in this article, we describe best practices when leading a group discussion theres much more involved than simply getting people in a room, waving a magic wand, and declaring discuss now. Prompts, icebreakers, handouts and basic web research make leading book discussions easy and. You can choose from 4hour, 8hour, and 10hour options. Now that we have 750 associates, there are too many sessions for terry to lead personally, so he hosts a discussion for 20 or so leaders who then go on to lead the rest of the book club meetings. Fear not, here are a few tips to help you have an enjoyable and successful book club gathering.
Spend a few minutes looking at some of these suggestions. We provide approaches to professional development that bridge theory and practice to generate solutions that work for a multitude of schools. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa. How to conduct a great book club discussion youtube. Nonlibrarians are welcome to join the group as well. This workbook is a companion to the book the book has the teachings and the workbook has the exercises. Leading a bible study officers christian fellowship. Some groups might be very formal with an official moderator for example if your group is run by the local library it is quite likely that a. Ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book.
Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions that will lead to fruitful exchanges on your enjoyment or lack thereof of the book. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction. Take notes or mark passages that strike youpassages you find significant, funny, or insightful. They dont help move discussions forward and can put others on the defensive.
Ask members to come with 3 questions to generate thought and discussion, marked passages to read, or relevant articles. Book club central will be a repository of resources on book clubs from tools to start and maintain your club to recommendations on books, as well as fun ideas like food pairings for. Our 23 hour meetings are primarily a social gathering with a mere 10 minute discussion about the book snuck somewhere in the middle. For our very first book club, we are being joined by our friend ana, of the wellappointed desk, for this discussion. Mar 05, 20 oprahs book club do you remember the first book she picked. When you are asking questions, you want to facilitate discussion, not come off as a teacher. I decided to come up with a generic list of book club questions to compel us to dig deeper than did you like the book. Gather a group of friends, choose a book and start reading. Work book club success stories the balance careers.
Discuss the time period in history that each person in the group enjoys reading about most, and why. Here are some tips and insights about what has worked well for me. Go clubbing with book clubs for kids scholastic parents. Its your turn to moderate lead your book clubs discussion. Jun 17, 2018 the book discussion is the central part of book clubs, and sadly, often the most neglected. There are lots of book club ideas and resources that can make the whole process less painful in fact, you can actually come to enjoy taking the lead. How to lead a successful book club discussion bookbrowse. How to lead a book club discussion 7 great discussion tips. As promised, here are some questions to spark conversation. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential. Bookbrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfictionbooks that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. One evening her husband gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and alicia.
Why did their father lead a double life for all those years, and. Also, this workbook was developed for use by teams 3 or more and individuals working. Select a volunteer to lead the relevance discussion, too. They offer opportunity for intelligent conversation and lead to deeper understanding of an authors work. Does the author use any narrative devices like flashbacks or multiple voices in telling the story. Inside, youll find 40 individual resources covering every aspect of reading groups and book clubs, including starting a club, locating an existing club, or facilitating a literary discussion. Two mini book clubs meeting at the same time might make people happy. Some members may be shy, others might have a hard time openly disagreeing, and you. Does your book club need a little help in creating conversation. Sep 05, 2016 having great book discussion questions is essential to leading a successful book club, and now that i run an online moms book club i use this lesson to avoid awkward silences yes they can happen online and create a lively, engaging book club meeting each month. Important questions to ask at your first book discussion. First, the role of a moderator will vary from group to group. Choose a primary character and ask members to comment on him or her. During this time, you can also support groups who struggle with valuing diverse ideas, referring to their books for evidence, or focusing on the discussion.
Its your turn to moderate lead your book club s discussion. Book club central, or bcc, will bring a world of information to book lovers, book clubs, libraries, and anyone who wants to increase their enjoyment of reading. How to begin and lead a book discussion group iowa center for. While the concept of open book discussion at your book club is easy to grasp, it is a little harder to practice. You dont have to be in an english class to analyze books as a group. What made you suggest it to the group for discussion. Use specific passages from the book as evidence for your ideas. Choose one question at a time and toss it out to the group. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot.
Select a number of questions, write each on an index card, and pass them out. As we were finishing the book, brenes netflix special the call to courage came out, which is a must see if you dont have time to read the book. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions. When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most rewarding experience out of your club meeting. Non fiction book club questions westfield memorial library. A place where all goodreads members can work together to improve the goodreads book catalog. We have 7 tips to help you lead a great book club discussioneverything from book discussion questions, prompts, games, handouts, even index cards. Select a volunteer to lead the book discussion at this meeting. Discussion guide for white fragility 2018, unitarian. Let your child take the lead youll be amazed at what youll learn. Try to avoid words like awful or idioticeven like and dislike. Jul 06, 2019 the second book in our the leadership book club 2019 was dare to lead by brene brown. Invite an outside facilitator english teacher or librarian. Come back to check for new material and monthly download.
Students are introduced to the questionanswer relationship qar strategy through a readaloud and question sort. What did you learn about the time period in which the book is set that you did not previously know. Keeping nonfiction book club questions simple, but open ended, will allow for plenty of opinions and encourage discussion among members. A suggested way to lead the discussion is to ask one employee a week to lead a discussion about the portion of the book that participants read. Select a book readalong schedule that meets your teams needs. We made dare to lead as tactical and actionable as possible, and this readalong workbook will help you put language, skills, and tools into practice. We hope you enjoy this collection of resources for work, parenting, the classroom, and daily life. How to lead a book club how to run a book club meeting when its your turn to run the book club meeting, the pressure is on, and you want to do a good job. Adult programs will be starting up again soon, and this year will be my third year leading our small but dedicated book discussion group. Leading a book discussion doesnt have to feel like a root canal. Jul 12, 2009 leading a book club discussion can be a source of dread. By letting others in the book club answer first, you will promote conversation and help everyone feel like their opinions matter.
These 7 suggestions can help you become an excellent discussion leader and even enjoy the process. When you are ready to lead your first discussion, heed the following tips to get the most rewarding experience out of your club. Students then use the strategy to develop questions for a peerled book discussion. Whether you are discussing characters and their actions, setting, theme, or images, having a guide to questions. Women, work, and the will to lead by sheryl sandberg. Litcourse 3 has a good discussion of close reading. However, nonfiction books are not yet as popular as their fiction counterparts as. Prompts, icebreakers, handouts and basic web research make leading book discussions easy and fun. Character traits, motivations, how heshe affects the.
Asking the right questions can mean the difference between a dull, lackluster book club and an inspiring and engaging one. Thoughtfully planned book clubs position learning in the hands of the students and provide discussion tools students can use as they work out their responses to the book. Aug 21, 2017 ive been in a lot of book clubs, and i know its not always easy to get a conversation going on a book. Random house readers circle where readers can chat with fellow book lovers, find authors on tour, find book disucssion questions, and more reading. Each member or a team of 23 takes a card and answers the question. Here are some tips and ideas for starting a book or other club, and having it run without you having to do all of the work. This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. Has reading this book inspired you to do further research on the subject and the time period discussed. Combine the book reading with a regularly scheduled discussion meeting to double the impact of the book. Having great book discussion questions is essential to leading a successful book club, and now that i run an online moms book club i use this lesson to avoid awkward silences yes they can happen online and create a lively, engaging book club meeting each month. Instead, talk about your experiencehow you felt as you read the book.
No matter the genre, age, notoriety, or length of the book of the moment, book club questions can kickstart or enhance your group discussion. Need to lead your book club and want tips on how to promote a lively conversation. In most circumstances, as long as you follow some book club questions your group should be able to easily navigate yourself through a book club discussion without much intervention some book clubs choose to have a chair person at the meeting, someone to be in charge of leading a book club disc ussion. Guide to reading group and book club resources supersummary. What has been the impact of pinnacle sponsoring book clubs in. Some clubs have one member who enjoys leading all discussions. You and your fellow parent members are there to facilitate discussion, but mostly to listen. And remember to check out our other book resources. Rotate discussion leaders each monthmaybe its the person who selects the book or the one who hosts the meeting. A famous painter married to an indemand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of londons most desirable areas.
Visit our book club section for more book club picks. The second book in our the leadership book club 2019 was dare to lead by brene brown. This is a literary analysis technique called close reading. How to lead a book club discussion book club questions. Arrive at 7pm meet, chat, eat if food is on offer and discuss any book club issues such as what to read next. As a member or leader of a book club, you are likely to be reading books on a wide variety of topics, both fiction and nonfiction. Follow this guide to leading a successful and fun discussion. Leading a book club discussion can be a source of dread. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets.