All my life, I’ve believed that reading should be a solitary pursuit. As a child, I often read alone, disappearing into stories for hours on end, never really getting a chance to talk to anyone about what I was reading. Instead I channeled all I was learning into writing my own stories.
As an adult reading in the age of the internet, I suddenly had more bookish people that I’d ever known in my real life reading the same books, providing ample opportunity to talk about plots, characters, and storytelling. So when some parents started asking me if I’d ever like to work with their kids one on one or host author Q&As where kids could talk directly to authors, a book club naturally came to mind!
In June 2025, I hosted my first ever online kids book club with readers in the 8-12 age range. By that fall, I was also running a teen book club with readers ages 12-14. This summer, six of our nine book clubs sold out, and three went slightly over our 15-slot cap.
More than half our readers came back for a second month, and in the Junior club, every single kid who signed up in June was still with us in August. A good number of summer parents have already picked up our fall bundles.
Best of all, though, are the messages that have been rolling in.
Many parents balk at the idea of an online book club (More screens? No thanks!) but the messages I’ve received from parents over the last two years about the impact of book club on their kids has shown me how valuable these clubs are.
At the end of our June book club, a parent whose reader joined us from Morocco(!) this summer sent me this message:
“So busy with the end of year, I didn’t have a chance to connect with you regarding the last one. My daughter really enjoyed it. These books are not what she normally would she would have chosen and it’s great to see her expanding her reading!”
Kids know what they hate and it might be hard for a parent to get them to read outside their zone of interest, but for a stranger, many kids are willing to try. As a professional kids’ book recommender, I’m also getting really good at choosing stories that aren’t just engaging but also spark conversation. And on the rare occasion that a kid starts a book and finds they hate it or it's too scary, they can move to another group's book for that month. It happened twice this summer and both readers stayed with us.
This summer, our Intermediate book clubbers read their first multi-format story and the responses were wildly varied. Some kids loved it, while others raged about the format and wished it was prose as usual. All of that made for excellent conversation and also showed some readers something new to love or hate. Because our Intermediate group is mostly female, I also heard from several female readers who complained about reading a book with a male lead this summer.
Our Juniors read not one, but two books in which a beloved character dies and they survived! One kid even asked an author why a character had to die and when he explained that he too had experienced loss as a kid, she understood.
Here’s what another reader said about Benny on the Case:
“Benny overcomes a lot in this book. It was very sad when Mr Tom passed away. It showed me that friendships can come in many different forms. This book is really fun and cool to read because the mystery made me want to keep reading. I liked that it showed unique characters with Mosaic Down Syndrome and a girl who I can relate to culturally. It shows true friendship and that what is on the inside is what truly matters. I would recommend it to all my friends!!!” — an 11-year-old book clubber
Our Seniors read a mystery-thriller, heart-wrenching historical fiction, and a snarky speculative novel about identity—all in one summer! If you’ve been wanting to nudge your kids into reading outside their comfort zone, book club might be the answer.
One of the concerns I get most often from parents is that their kids are shy or don’t really want to meet with strangers. Honestly, that’s fair. I personally am not great at group things with strangers—online or IRL.
But I can tell you this about book club: shy kids really thrive with us.
As a former shy kid myself, it’s sooo important that everyone gets a chance to speak. I make a concerted effort to draw them out without being pushy. One kid has never joined icebreakers but will always put his hand up to answer book related questions. The first five minutes are always the hardest but then the kids get to know each other and it’s just a great time!
Here’s what two parents shared about their shy kids in book club:
“My daughter is quite shy but it was so lovely to see her become comfortable and thoroughly enjoy and participate in the discussion! She mentioned how much she loved your questions, and how all of the participants were respectful and gave everyone a chance to speak and be heard. She was smiling ear to ear once the meeting was over! Thank you for encouraging thoughtful discussion and organizing such an excellent book club! ❤️”
“My shy little boy loves book club. Still working on getting him to participate in the icebreakers though but baby steps.”
After hosting book clubs for over a year, I’m learning that the perfect book club book is not a perfect book. It’s one that makes readers feel strongly. Whether they’re irritated, unhappy, elated, sad, or even frustrated, it’s a win—as long as they’re willing to discuss the how and why.
This summer our kids got to experience catharsis as we agonized over alternate endings for Liz Kessler’s When the World Was Ours. We dug into why many girls would rather we read books with female leads instead of our June Intermediate book club pick, and why some of us disliked the multi-format style of Where Ella Went. They love our meetings so much that someone asked if we could meet more often:
What I wish we could change is having more meetings discussing the book. this would allow us to focus on a few chapters (like three) in that meeting. So that we can talk about the topics from those three chapters not just the first half. Sometimes when we talk just about the first half we don't have enough time to listen to every part we want to talk about. — a 14-year-old book clubber
I think kids love book club because no one’s grading them on their responses and they’re getting the opportunity to think through authors’ craft choices, plot twists, and character development in a low-pressure environment.
Besides talking to each other, meeting authors has been a definite high point for our kids this summer! We’re set to chat with a total of seven out of nine middle grade and YA authors. In the fall season, all the authors have agreed to visit, making it even more exciting.
My favorite thing about book club is the author visit and asking the author questions. I also love hearing other people's answers and questions. — one of our 8-year-old readers
When our readers meet with authors, I don’t speak for them. They get to ask the author questions directly, and it’s so heartwarming to see how impactful it is for them whether they’re getting writing advice (our Juniors loved asking Wesley King, who was so generous with his encouragement), girl talk (author Dusti Bowling was so open with our readers about her childhood and life as an author and parent), or just the life of a writer (Laurie Morrison shared her struggles with writing a multi-format book).
The most surprising gift of book club for me has been building a community. Several of our kid reviewers are book club members and it has been amazing to connect with them in this way. I’ve loved hanging out with the same crew of kids month after month and building a rapport with them.
But even more beautiful is watching them build a rapport with each other. When we talk, I love hearing them say, “I agree with [another book clubber’s name]” and seeing them find kids who share common hobbies and interests. They’ve bonded so much that one reader asked if I would host a holiday party in person!
My favorite thing about book club is discussing the book with other people. — a 9-year-old reader
Getting to hang out with other kids who are like me and enjoy reading! It’s fun to hear their opinions about the books. The books are also very interesting and have good characters and storylines. I like how Afoma lets everyone talk and asks interesting questions that make us think. The best part is meeting and asking the authors questions! It is so cool! — an 11-year-old reader
If your kids are homeschoolers or don’t have too many people to talk about books with in real life, joining our book club just might be the missing piece in their reading life.
This fall, we’re reading some amazing books. Here they are in order of Junior, Intermediate and Senior:
September: The Shrew Detective by Margi Preus, Each and Every Spark by Claire Swinarski , and Blue Beach by Karyn Parsons
October: The Sweet Spot by Elaine Vickers, Some of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi, and This Could All Go Bad by Spencer Hall
November: Starting Now by Janae Marks, Sneaks by Amy Tern, and The Drowning Game by Dusti Bowling
Every author has agreed to visit this season, which is a first for us.
We meet in three groups. Junior is for readers ages 8-10, Intermediate for 10-12, and Senior for 12-14. There's overlap between the groups on purpose, and kids don't have to stay in the one that matches their age. Some of our older readers read down when a Junior premise appeals to them more than the Intermediate pick that month, or when they'd rather read a book with a female lead. We encourage it.
Each group reads one book a month and meets on every second and fourth Wednesday (Junior), Thursday (Senior), and Saturday (Saturday) of the month. We spend the first meeting discussing the book together and the second part with the author, who takes questions directly from the kids. Sessions are capped at 15 readers so everyone gets to talk.
Tickets cost $30 per month per child and the season pass or bundle costs $80 per kid.
I ask for feedback at the end of every season and I read every response. Here’s what our summer readers asked for and what I’m doing about it.
One reader wanted more time on the book itself. When we only cover the first half, she wrote, “we don’t have enough time to listen to every part we want to talk about,” and she suggested we break it into a few chapters at a time across more meetings. I’m not adding meetings because I know how time tight is with school and extracurriculars, but I am happy to give up more of the floor. This fall, kids can bring the moments they want to dig into instead of us only working through my questions in order.
A reader in the GTA asked whether we could ever meet up in person, and I loved that idea more than I expected to. I’m looking at a winter meetup for local families. Nothing is booked and I don’t want to promise a date I can’t keep, but it’s on my list and I’ll share more once I know.
One reader told me she was running out of fun facts, and she's right that it's a lot to ask month after month. The icebreakers are staying, because some of our quieter readers use them as their way into the conversation, but I'm retiring the fun fact. This fall we'll start with something reading-related instead, so nobody has to arrive with a new piece of personal trivia every time.
As I gear up for another season of reading with kids, I’m eagerly watching what lands and doesn’t. I learn so much from these readers and will be bringing my insights to you, too.
If you’d like your kid to read with us this summer, we’d love to have them. Feel free to DM or email me with any questions or concerns. I’m happy to answer them in the comments too.
Would you like to try book club this summer? And if you’re a book club parent with us, please chime in with your favorite thing about it!
The advanced 4th grader looking for stories with only children.
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