Welcome to Omaha Mom Bookshelf! A series where we share books tips, recommend books, and share how we encourage our family to pick up books and read! Join us every month and share with us what you’ve been reading!
Here’s a Quick Review:
We started the year in January with a printable 21 Books for 2021 and then in February, I gave tips on how to find time to read. March was all about where to buy books in the Omaha area.
Today, I’m sharing about family book clubs and some questions you can ask regardless of what book your family reads.
Start a Family Book Club
If my children grow-up reading books and having favorite characters they remember, I will be a happy woman.
“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” –Charles Scribner, Jr.
One of the many ways I have tried to cultivate an enjoyable reading environment in our home is through a family book club and reading aloud to my children, even as they become independent readers.
I believe, like literary giant Emmilie Buchwald, that “children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” Reading aloud to all of my children (ages 4, 7, and 9) is really important to me. It gives us time together, and we’re reading, which in my opinion is the best thing ever! A fun way to talk about the books we’re reading is by having family book club. There are two ways you can do this.
- Each person read a book and they come to family book club and share about the book they read.
- Have everyone in the family read or listen to the same book and discuss.
I like to plan a family book club night. It is super simple! I will send an invite to my kids to “join us for family book club.” We will plan for a special take-out or homemade dinner. During dinner, we can discuss the book, and for an added bonus, if there is a movie, we’ll watch the movie and compare the two.
Questions you can ask for any book:
- How many stars would you rate this book out of 5?
- Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
- How was the book the same/different from the movie?
- What was your favorite part of the story?
- Was there anything that happened in the story that was surprising to you?
- If you could invite one character over for dinner, who would it be and why?
There are just too many GREAT options for family book clubs. Be sure to check out our Omaha Mom recommendations and share with us what some of your favorite family read-aloud books are.
