"a fun way of enhancing and
encouraging reading"

The Children's Book Group

For years I have fought off offers of joining a book group because I thought it would stop me reading books of my choice. However, when I became aware of a children's book group in Jerusalem that a friend of mine attends with her daughter, my book group resistance was overcome. The aim of this particular group is to encourage bilingual children (English/Hebrew) to read novels in English. It sounded refreshingly unique. So, I decided to set up a book group here in London, with my youngest and avid reader 8 year old son, Noah.

Bilingual needs were not a factor. Handpicking the participants was. I wanted a mixed group of about half a dozen children with parents who were going to be supportive. Not all the children knew each other, but they all knew Noah and perhaps one other child. My wish was that the group would be something that we as parents could share in as well as the children. In the never-ending cycle of self-improvement activities, there is little that both adults and children participate in together. Dropping off and collecting undoubtedly has its merits but the book group was designed to be different.

Its main objective was that it had to be a fun way of enhancing and encouraging reading, and not a group of children analysing Dickens vs Dostoevsky. Each meeting is held at someone's home and the hosts decide the book title and carry out activities relating to the book. To date we've had an assault course (Fergus Crane); charades based on the book's characters; making ghosts and bats (Araminta Spook:My Haunted House); a variety of quizzes and questionnaires; making scones/drinking hot chocolate and eating Florentines (The Amazing Tale of Adolphus Tips/Fergus Crane) and making a 'spy' notebook (Harriet the Spy).
We've deliberately chosen titles that contrast in style, content and genre. We also have to ensure that what's read will appeal to both the boys and the girls; a sometimes tricky balance.

Discussions were slightly awkward at the beginning as the children were unfamiliar with the format and shy with each other. Now, 7 months on, they freely give their opinions whilst munching their way through the array of food available. By not engineering a formal discussion it's beginning to happen naturally, through the relaxed dynamic we've created.

Observing one's child in such a setting makes for interesting viewing. N manages to behave so badly (maybe this is a by-product of him enjoying himself so much..?) that I despair and hiss for him to sit and listen to other people without him yelling out. Because of his incessant chatting, it seems impossible that he, and whoever ends up sitting next to him, is listening. But afterwards, when we give each other our book group debrief, he shows me that he's heard it all and loves it. He's just what's known as enthusiastic - very. Apparently none of the other parents seem to notice or perhaps they're just being polite.

Working in the publishing business is definitely an asset (I'm a freelance editor) but this is not work. I do however have access to publications that can give ideas for future titles and I have primed a friend, who is a highly experienced children's picture book editor, to talk to the kids about how a book is actually produced.

The first book we read was James King of England by Jonny Zucker. He came to talk to the children. Although at school there are sessions from visiting authors, this was different. Being in an informal setting, with a writer who spoke in such an enigmatic and entertaining manner, was a fantastic way to kick-start the group. As was the vast quantities of fruit, pizza and brownies consumed throughout.

Other titles read: Scribbleboy by Philip Ridley, Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, Araminta Spook:My Haunted House by Angie Sage, The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. The next book is Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner where I think there might be a challenging treasure hunt planned...