Our Book Clubs may be a little different from what you’re used to. We read the books out loud together. This format means that attending book club requires no preparation and no homework! Attendees are not required to read anything ahead of time, the library provides copies of the book at each meeting, and tweens and teens can participate as much or as little as they wish. You can discuss or debate the book with other book club members, or just listen as the story is read aloud. It’s completely up to you! Some time during each meeting is dedicated to completing projects, making crafts, or playing games. These are often, but not always, based around the month’s book.

Here’s how it works:

• Each book club spends two weeks with a book.
• The book is read aloud at each meeting. The Teen Librarian does most of the reading, but any attendee is welcome to read aloud as well. Reading is not at all required, of course.
• Tweens and Teens are welcome to follow along as the book is read, read ahead, or just sit and listen. Coloring books, Legos, and other passive activities are made available for those who’d like to use them while listening to the story. You can enjoy book club however you wish as long as you don’t interfere with anyone else’s enjoyment of the experience.
• The first week, we’ll start reading at the beginning of the book and then continue reading until we run out of time, with periodic breaks to allow for commentary, discussion, and other activities. At the end of the first meeting, everyone leaves their books at the library.
• At the second meeting, we continue reading where we left off. At the end of this second meeting, each person attending can take a copy of the book home FREE of charge to finish at his or her own pace! These books then belong to the book club members and do not need to be returned to the library.

The ‘beyond’ part of our Book Club & Beyond program includes movies nights and other special programs on the weeks of the month not dedicated to book club. These are usually connected to the month’s book selection, but not always.

BPL views book clubs as an important tool in fostering teen community and love of books. It is a priority of the library to be a means of allowing teens to not only have access to quality reading material, but to also build their home libraries.