It’s the third year of Mommy, Daddy and Me book club. I’ve led the book club the first four months of the year since my daughter was in 1st grade. Now she’s a 3rd grader and I wondered about it being our swan song year with all of the other Saturday activities both she and my fifth grade son have on the books.
A talk with a good friend reminded me about the significance of book club to our community. The books chosen target grades 1-3 and we often get siblings around those grades K-5. I choose books that feature people of color as the protagonist (usually a child).
The first meeting the book(s) are chosen by me. Subsequent meetings the children vote from two books that I’ve researched. I count two picture books like one chapter book for the month. Our wonderful George Washington Carver Museum provides us the space, snacks and marketing on their site. Love!
This month we’re discussing
I’ll post discussion points after our January 28th meeting.
Update- We had a nice turn out for our January meeting with kids ranging from 5-12 years old. It takes some skill and family involvement to navigate that age range. Love how on involved the parents are and major shout out to my husband for asking more probing questions.
Book club flow
- Icebreaker- Ask the kids the difference between fiction and non-fiction. Have guardians and kids take turns giving examples, then go around the circle and ask was the last book you read or had read to you fiction or non-fiction.
- Icebreaker- Pick the word change or invent. Imagine you can change or invent anything in the world. What would that be?
A few discussion points (some of the questions worked for either book):
- Have you read other books about Rosa Parks? If so, how does it compare to this one?
- There are many books about Rosa Parks. Why do you think Nikki Giovanni write this book?
- Ask the families how many had ridden on a bus, train, subway or car. What would you do if someone told you to move from your seat? Why?
- Have kids define consequences. What types of consequences could happen if you didn’t move from your seat in 2017 (with your parents present)?
- What types of consequences did Rosa Parks face?
- Have you ever invented or created something?
- After reading Rosa or Whoosh has your interest been piqued about the being a scientist or an activists (choose one book to discuss on this topic)
- Was there something especially surprising about this person’s story? What was it and why?
Happy readings,
Yolanda
