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Author Augusten Burroughs (left) pictured at the 2006 Novello Festival of Reading. Check out our book club resources featuring other great authors! |
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Girls' Night
Out
(Mother/
Daughter)
Book
Club
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Book Club Spotlight - Girls' Night Out (Mother/ Daughter) Book Club
Reading Group Spotlight Questions
If you would like to have your Book Club considered for our Book Club Spotlight, please give us a contact name and email address. Give us a description of your club and include the books that have provided the best discussions and some of the group’s favorite books.
1: What kind of books does your group read?
Girls’ Night Out has been meeting for 2 years.
We read mostly fiction (although we’re reading our first nonfiction title in September).
2: How big is your group?
We have a core group of 5-6 mothers/daughters who come regularly, and others drop in and out from there. We try to limit the book club to 10 sets of mothers/daughters – we recently had 9 sets.
3: How often do you meet and where do you meet?
We meet in the community room of our library (we started out in a conference room, which was a nicer setting, but we’ve become too big for that space). We meet on the first Thursday evening of the month
4: Do you have refreshments?
We always offer some kind of treat. Sometimes it’s as elaborate as cookies, popcorn, or chips with soft drinks. On other occasions we might simply bring in some candy. Occasionally a Mom will volunteer to bring something in, but for the most part we provide the snacks.
5: Who leads the discussion?
Christine and Staci lead each discussion. We look for book discussion guides on the Internet first, but if they are not available we create our own questions.
6: How do you select the books?
We select books for 6 months of reading at a time. Twice a year, each mother and daughter suggest 1-2 titles, a list is compiled, and the following month the group votes on their reading selections for the following 6 months. Staci and Christine often suggest titles but do not vote.
7: What books have provided the best discussions?
Some of the groups’ favorites have included:
Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choblenko
Stravaganza : city of masks by Mary Hoffman
8: How do you keep your group fun?
Since we have a nice group of core members, the book club has become a little more informal. However, if we know that new members are attending, we organize some kind of ice breaker or game so that everyone can get to know each other.
9: What advice would you give to other reading groups?
If you’re starting a book club for teens, give them the opportunity to have a voice in selecting what they read. Be flexible, have a sense of humor, and offer snacks.
10: Do you have any stories you would like to share with us about your book club?
We have a couple of girls who rarely spoke when they first started coming to the book club. We always encouraged them, but never pushed anyone who didn’t feel comfortable talking. Today, two years later, it’s amazing how they jump right into the conversation. It’s been fun to see their confidence grow as they’ve gotten comfortable with the other group members and us.
11: Is there anything else noteworthy about the group that you would like to tell us?
It’s extremely rewarding to watch these young girls grow both intellectually and personally. It’s also an excellent setting in which to observe the unique mother-daughter relationship as it evolves over time. The book club discussions strengthen that bond by fostering good communication. It is encouraging to see mothers and daughters pursuing a common interest in today’s busy world.
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