The Benefits of a Children’s Book Club

The love for reading as a form of learning is instilled from a young age. More often than not, a child’s first Book Club is Mom or Dad reading to them from children’s books. Being exposed to reading from an early age supports a child’s imagination and shows them that there is a path to learning paved by books.

Making Friends at the Book Club

For many people, whether they are children or adults, the best benefit of joining a Book Club is the chance for making new friends. The situation in which people, and very young people, read the same book and afterward talk about it, is a good way of making friends. Sharing your thoughts to people who want to listen to them is a very rewarding experience. Shy people, especially children, can step out of their shell of shyness when sharing something wonderful like their favorite parts of the book they have all just read.

Reading Together Means Finishing Together

Being part of a Book Club easily inspires children to finish reading the current book being read by its members. The excitement of finishing a book in order to share it with the other kids is a great motivator for them to keep on reading. It is natural to share the excitement of reading a book since discussing it afterward, sharing what you like or don’t like about the book, sharing guesses about plot lines and plot twists, is a great way to bond. There is a subtle camaraderie born from sharing the same private journey such as reading the same book.

Sharing a Safe Space of Learning and Growing

Book clubs, especially those for children, are generally informal and light-hearted. The aim of coming together is the simple one of sharing thoughts and opinions about the same book or story. There is no right answer and every opinion deserves to be heard. In this context, children can grow into confident individuals who love to read. According to the founder of Literati, a Book Club for Children of different age groups, “the best way to learn is to follow whatever passion rises organically.” Book clubs can plant the seed of reading as a passionate and exciting activity from a young age. As the children of the book club grow older, the books that they read may get thicker and heavier but their passion for reading can only keep growing.

Exchanging Ideas and Dynamic Points-of-View

A Book Club exposes its members to other points-of-view. Things that one person can not see may be crystal clear for another. The friendly and fun environment of Book Club creates a great atmosphere for people and especially children to exchange ideas. This exchange of ideas is a dynamic process that supports the children and allows them to grow as individuals who have their own thoughts and opinions. 

A bonus benefit of Children’s Book Clubs is not just for the kids themselves but for the parents too. The Club gives parents some free time, but also a chance to meet other parents. The children have their peer group and so do the parents. Who knows? The Children’s Book Club would inspire a parallel Parent’s Book Club which could make everybody happy!