Top 10 book club questions that work for any book
The ten, in order
- What is one thing you liked, and one thing you didn't?. The opener: everyone can answer it, and it tells the leader where the group is.
- Who would you most like to meet from the book, and why?. Children talk about characters before they talk about plots.
- What did the main character want, and what got in the way?. The question under every story, at every age.
- Was there a moment you were surprised?. Ask for the page: finding it is part of the answer.
- Did anyone change from the beginning to the end?. From about 8 up: the first step towards talking about theme.
- If you were the author, what would you change?. Gives every reader permission to disagree with the book.
- Where does the story happen, and could it happen anywhere else?. Setting, without the word.
- Is the story fair to everyone in it?. Older readers enjoy arguing about villains and endings.
- Who would you give this book to?. A reader who can name the right person has understood what the book is like.
- What should we read next?. The closer: it hands the club back to the children.
How this list is made
Not a ranking: the order of a meeting, opener first.