“American Girl celebrates a girl’s inner star – that little whisper inside that encourages her to stand tall, reach high and dream big.” This inspirational message, found on the back of “The Book Club Kit,” is apparent through the enriching activities and supplies found in this hot pink and purple box that encourages young girls to express their creativity and share their love of reading with their friends and classmates.
The kit includes a 56-page handbook, eight postcard invitations, eight club calendars, three handouts, eight bookmarks, 20 theme cards and 40 question cards.
“The Book Club Book,” found inside the kit, takes girls through a step-by-step process of establishing and maintaining their very own book club. According to the book, a typical book club has five to seven members that read the same book and meet once a month to discuss it. Group members take turns hosting the meetings and it is up to the group to decide if every parent should attend every meeting, or if only the parent of the girl hosting the meeting should attend.
The first section of the book helps girls set up and start their book club. This includes sending invitations that do not pressure people to join, but rather suggest a fun opportunity to get to know people and read a lot of cool books. There is also the establishment of the book club’s name, what books will be read, when the meetings will be held and who will hold which meeting. These types of decisions are voted on by each group member.
This section also gives girls different approaches to talking about the books they read with their group. For example, the discussion questions in the kit help spur on conversation with questions, such as, “What will you remember about this book a year from now?”
The second section of the book talks about what it means to be a good group member and suggests different ways to get along with the other members of the group. There is even a quiz that lets girls see if they are a good member or not.
The last section of the book is full of fun activities club members can do along with book discussions. Some activities include, creating a book club scrapbook, holding a book drive, inviting a family member to a club meeting and having a bedtime book party.
“The Book Club Kit,” is full of exciting ideas and different ways for girls to start an organization, strengthen their relationships with others and further enhance their love of literature.
For more information, visit Fun for Girls at www.americangirl.com .