ASPCA Henry’s Book Club
Let’s start a book club! Wouldn’t it be fun to read and discuss books about animals and animal issues? We’ve got some great books for you—read on to find out what to do next.
Getting started
You may have seen book clubs in your school or at your neighborhood library. You may have even been a member of one of these clubs. Maybe your parents belong to a book club, and you hear them discussing their favorite books, favorite chapters and favorite characters. Now it’s your turn to form your own book club!
Decide how many kids to have in your club. Any amount can work, but about 10 to 15 members are usually best. Lots of members mean lots of questions and fun discussions. Now, to get kids to join…!
You can ask a group of friends or classmates to join your club. Ask your teachers if you can put up signs in school or at the library. A scouting group can be a fun place to start your book club.
Meetings
Where and when can you meet? You will probably need your parents’ help in getting to and from the meetings. Next, pick a day and time for the meeting. We think it’s a good idea to have a meeting once a month—that gives everyone enough time to read the book and think about what to discuss. Make sure you check with your parents and keep them informed of club activities.
The Discussion Group
At your first group meeting, or when your group is just starting out, a teacher, librarian or one of your parents can help lead the book discussion until you get the hang of it. Eventually, members of your book club will take turns leading the monthly group discussion.
The group discussion leader is called a facilitator. A facilitator (fa-sil-i-tate-or) makes sure everyone in the group is introduced to one another. The facilitator also sets up the rules of the meetings. For example, no calling out, no interrupting, respect each other’s opinions, etc. The facilitator will also bring information about the author of the month, and a review of the book of the month. The facilitator leads the discussion, gets everyone involved and helps make the meetings fun for everyone!
Tracker
The tracker sends out reminders to all the group members about the time and place of the next meeting and also tells you what book you’ll be reading that month.
What To Bring to Your Meetings
Your book, but just as important—SNACKS!
Snacks are as important to bring as the book of the month! It’s fun to have a couple of different members bring snacks for the group each month. You can assign next month’s snacks during your meeting. Make sure everyone takes a turn bringing snacks. It’s no fun if the same person brings snacks all the time to your meetings.
Sample Discussion Questions
- What did you like about the book?
- Who were your favorite characters?
- What are some of the major themes of the book?
- What problems did the characters face?
- What scene do you remember most?
- What do you think the author was trying to say in the book? Did he or she get that point across?
- What did the main character believe in? What did he or she have to fight for?
- Did you have any problems with the book?
- Can you relate to any of the characters?
- Are there any events in the book that are like your own life?
- Were the animal characters treated appropriately in the book?
- What are some of the animal issues in the book?
- Does the book include factual information about animals?
- Are the needs of animals discussed?
- Is compassion toward all animals (including humans) shown?
- Are animals given human qualities (can they speak, dance, sing?) or are they shown the way they really are?
