Awesome Online Book Clubs Options for Kids
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Over the past few years there has been a surge in interest in online book clubs for kids. My kids have typically preferred to enjoy book club sitting around a table sipping tea with their friends, but sometimes that just isn’t possible.
Online book clubs can be a great way to encourage a love of reading. I have always found that my kids are more interested in a book when their friends are interested. Many times my kids have turned down a book that I recommended, but read and loved it when their friends suggested the same exact title. Sometimes it even pushes them out of their literary comfort zone a bit.
There are a few awesome online book club options available these days
Online Book Clubs Options for Kids
Literary Adventures for Kids
Literary Adventures for Kids offers online book clubs for kids as well as full language arts curriculum options. I am a big fan of Literary Adventures for Kids, but they are not quite what I think of when I think of book clubs.
In my mind, a book club is a group of people discussing a book. However, this is run as a solo activity.
If you want a book club so your kids can socialize, this isn’t the right option for you. However, if you are searching for a book club for educational purposes, Literary Adventures for Kids is a great choice.
These book clubs are designed to be done on your own time schedule. Start the book whenever you want and work at your own pace, although the suggested time frame is one month.
Throughout the book club, kids will read the story, follow educational rabbit trails to enhance the story, practice grammar, and learn new vocabulary. The end of each book is celebrated with a book party.
One of the things I love about the Literary Adventures for Kids online book clubs is the wide variety of books available. There are books for elementary school, middle school, and high school. There are even nature-themed and holiday book clubs.
It would be hard to list every book club, but here are a few great options:
Anne Frank: The Girl Heard Around the World
The online book clubs typically range from $10 – $20, but there are freebie options to make sure you like the format.
Make sure you sign up for the Literary Adventures for Kids email list to get access to the freebies.
Outschool
There are a variety of online book clubs for kids available on Outschool. Outschool is an educational platform that allows teachers to teach small groups online. Every teacher puts together their own lesson plans, so the format and quality will vary. If you find a teacher that you like, ask them if they have an email list so you are notified about upcoming new classes.
These online book clubs meet on specific days and times. The live video format allows kids to see other kids their own age. The amount of interaction allowed among students will depend on the teacher.
Individual Outschool teachers set their own prices, but the online book clubs tend to run about $5 – $15 for each session.
Host Your Own Online Book Clubs
If none of the above options work for you, you might want to consider hosting your own online book clubs for your kids.
The pros of hosting your own online book clubs include:
- Reading just the books that interest your kids
- You control the schedule and the format
- Your kids can see their ‘real-life’ friends online
- Hosting your own online book club is free
Of course, it isn’t all pros. There are cons too . . . mainly that it is a lot of work.
To host your own online book club you will need to:
Choose the book – One perk of hosting your own online book club is that you get to select the book. You could choose something off of a book list, something you personally enjoy or let the students (or your own kids) choose the book.
Find students – The easiest way to find students for your online book club is to ask your kid’s friends. They might want to join or they might be able to help spread the word. Homeschool co-ops are also a great place to find book club participants.
Arrange a date a time that works for everyone – Sometimes it feels like finding a time that works for everyone is like finding a needle in a haystack. In my experience, once you identify a schedule that works, keeping it consistent will help people attend on a regular basis.
Plan the actual book club – The book club format will likely depend on the age of the participants. Younger children will likely enjoy a craft or two (send the supply list to the parents ahead of time) while older kids might enjoy a longer discussion. Discussion questions are frequently available online. You might even be able to find other book club resources too. Definitely check out the author’s or publisher’s websites.
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