Beginning a Beneficial Book Club

How's that for alliteration!

www.fromoldbooks.org

I have been thinking of starting a Mother-Daughter book club in which my Ladies, ages 8 and 11, could not only foster a love for reading classic literature through my guidance, but also connect with their friends outside of school. I love the idea that moms and daughters could potentially read aloud together. I also enjoy the idea this kind of club fosters, in that, girls get the opportunity to realize that they can talk with their mother's and that moms understand them.

We continuously teach our children the values and morals that are important to us; spiritually, politically, culturally. We take them to church, watch wholesome movies with them, have dinner with them and facilitate healthy eating and conversations. We meet their friends and their friends parents. We volunteer in classrooms, with church groups, and at sporting events where they spend their energy and time. But have you ever had your child take a Mother's Day quiz about you and NOT rolled your eyes when the answer to the question reads something like this:

Q: My Mom's favorite thing to do on the weekend is...

A: Fold Laundry

*Cringe*

Does your daughter know that you used to dream of being a princess?

Or that you hated math class and wished you could go to a science camp instead?

Does she know that you made dolls from rag mops and cornstalks because you thought Laura Ingalls had the perfect life?

I was recently sorting through a website for ebooks here and it occurred to me that so many of the classics that I read as a student are not being given to our children. What a pity. We have lost the meaning of literature when it comes to our children. Steve Baranick, author of best-childrens-books.com says this about children's literature:

"The phrase children's literature means something different to me than simply children's books. To me literature is the good stuff, the children's books that have stood the test of time."

"These children's books - by definition - aren't "current," but I think you'll find many of them timeless. And how nice it'll be to share with your children literature that you yourself read as a child!"

This is exactly why I want to begin a book club for my daughters. I want to share with them the love of children's literature and see the joy they feel as they excel in their understanding of classic writing styles. I want them to come to me after a high school Lit. class and comment, as I did at 15; "I don't understand why they have such a hard time with Shakespeare. It's just the same as reading the Bible." and "Do you KNOW how many kids in my class have read Poe? Three... two boys and me!"

And so... Now I start to bring my dreams to fruition by beginning this timeless journey of literary exploration with my Ladies!

Here are a few great sites if you are considering starting a children's book club of your own:

• PBS Reading and Language - Book Clubs
• American Girl - Book Club Kit 
• Kidsreads.com 
• LitLovers - Starting a book club grades 3-6
• The Children's Literature Book Club
• Bookclub for Third to Fifth Grades

I am linking to these parties: