Steps to Starting Your Own Book Club

1) Decide who is in your club
a. Friends, neighbors, relatives?
b. No more than 12 people in your club
c. Do you want boys and girls in the club?

2) Have a pre-Book Club meeting.
a. What is your Book Club name?
b. Who is the club leader? (will you rotate or is the same person every time?)
c. How often, when and where do you want to meet?
d. Will you have snacks and who is responsible for the snacks?
e. How will everyone get a copy of the book? Will everyone get the book from the library or will they have to buy the book?

3) Decide how you are going to choose your books.
a. What kinds of books does everyone want to read?
i. Ask a teacher, librarian, friend, or look online for recommendations
b. Everyone should come to the first meeting with a few book suggestions
c. Create a big list at your first meeting and everyone can vote on their choices to read
d. Who will the come up with discussion questions to ask during the meeting?
e. How will everyone get a copy of the book? Will everyone get the book from the library or will they have to buy the book?

4) Follow basic book club etiquette during meetings.
a. Make sure you read the book before the meeting
b. Prepare your answers to Book Club questions before you arrive, providing interesting answers, thoughts and comments.
c. Allow everyone to have a chance to speak
d. Be a good listener
e. Avoid arguments (although healthy debates aren’t bad)
f. Be open to other thoughts and opinions different from your own.
g. If you don’t like the book, offer though-provoking criticism instead of simply complaining.