Sharon Marcus is a New York mom and founder of The Book Blossoms, a book club for kids where children can discover a love of reading by using their creativity.
What is The Book Blossoms? It’s a children’s book club, but it’s so much more. It’s really a reading adventure workshop where children have a real experience. We incorporate drama, art, music, movement, reading, and writing. We like to focus on the whole child rather than one aspect. For instance, a traditional book club might have a child read a book then come back and discuss it. Whereas here, we are connecting everything in the book to their own lives and we’re doing it in a multi-modal type of way. It’s a very laid-back, creative place. It’s a place where they can really let their imaginations soar and their creativity go as far as they can without any judgments.
What was the inspiration for The Book Blossoms? Last summer my daughter was going to be in camp all day and I thought to myself, “How is she going to read without me having to nag her?” I knew she was very social, so I emailed some of her friends and asked them to come over after camp once a week. We ordered pizza and I picked a book and we talked about it. But it became so much more. I bought them tote bags, I bought them notebooks, we started doing art projects, and these girls really started blossoming—hence the name—into these amazing readers.
Any tips for parents to encourage a love of reading in their child? Parents know their children. They know what they like. When they are not reading, are they playing with trains? Are they interested in maps? Are they interested in different characters from a game that they like? Use that information and help children pick out a book they would like to read. Take them to the bookstore; let them pick out their own books. Let them feel independent and feel like they own that part of the process. At the book club kids are so excited to have their own book and their own notebooks and their own pens. We give everything to them so they really feel a sense of ownership and it makes them excited. They model a lot of grown-up behavior and this is kind of their way to feel like they have a voice and an opinion in what they’re choosing. Also, make it fun!
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