Girl & Grown-Up Book Club Selections for 2017-18

Welcome to the third year of Girls Leadership Girl & Grown-Up Book Club! We are so excited to be launching into another year of reading and sharing together. Each year, we’ve changed and grown our program in response to your feedback. This year, in addition to giving ourselves a new name and expanding the grade levels of our participants, we’ve decided to announce all the book titles for the whole year… right now!

To jump down to the entire year’s list, click on the grade level:

Grades 2 & 3

Grades 4 & 5

Grades 6, 7 & 8 


Not a member yet? Sign up for our Girl & Grown-up Book Club. It’s FREE! Get toolkits with meeting guides and discussion questions for all previous years delivered right to your inbox, instantly. Toolkits for this year’s books will be emailed each month.

Take me to the Book Club Sign Up!


 

Books for 2017-2018

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Grades 2 & 3

October – Meeting #1

  • For our first meeting, clubs will read books that explore ideas of inclusion and empathy – both important to have in mind at the beginning of the school year.
  • Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng – 4th grader Anna finds it easier to connect with characters in books than with real-life friends. As she pushes herself to think of others, she finds her sense empathy and connections deepening.

November – Meeting #2

  • We all need to feel a sense of deep belonging. This month, clubs will read stories in which characters discover their true friends and communities.
  • Babymouse by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm – A graphic novel about a glamour-loving mouse who is eager to be invited to the popular girl’s slumber party.

January – Meeting #3

  • At the start of this new year, Book Club will focus on stories about characters whose resilience helps them weather life’s changes and challenges.
  • Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes – Dyamonde Daniel approaches her new school with unsinkable optimism and confidence.

February – Meeting #4

  • In this month’s books, characters take action to control the course of their own stories.
  • The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith – When a classmate is accused of stealing, Precious Ramotswe senses that something isn’t right, and concocts a plan to find the real thief.

March – Meeting #5

  • The characters in this month’s books show us that being true to oneself is more important than being liked or pleasing others.
  • Lola Levine Is Not Mean! by Monica Brown – When Lola accidentally kicks her friend during a soccer game, she gets a reputation for being mean. She makes amends, but she also shows that being competitive is not the same thing as being mean.

April – Meeting #6

  • In these books, characters take risks to realize their ambitions.
  • Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Showdown by Crystal Allen – Mya can’t wait for Spirit Week, but things go wrong when she’s partnered with the school bully instead of her best friend.

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Grades 4 & 5

October – Meeting #1

  • For our first meeting, clubs will read books that explore ideas of inclusion and empathy – both important to have in mind at the beginning of the school year.
  • Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan – Amina wants things to stay the same – in her family, and in her friendships. She certainly doesn’t want her friend to take on an American name and invite new girls into their comfortable routine.

November – Meeting #2

  • We all need to feel a sense of deep belonging. This month, clubs will read stories in which characters discover their true friends and communities.
  • Gaby Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes – When Gaby’s mother is deported to Honduras, the 11-year-old has never felt more alone. Through a service project  at an animal shelter, Gaby learns about finding home and family.

January – Meeting #3

  • At the start of this new year, Book Club will focus on stories about characters whose resilience helps them weather life’s changes and challenges.
  • The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich – Through many changes and struggles, Omakayas finds comfort and constancy in nature. This character has a lovely balance between self-sufficiency and connectedness with those around her.

February – Meeting #4

  • In this month’s books, characters take action to control the course of their own stories.
  • The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods – Bi-racial Violet always took after her dad but, after he passed away, she doesn’t quite know where she belongs. She conspires to meet her father’s family, hoping to discover herself by getting to know her relations.

March – Meeting #5

  • The characters in this month’s books show us that being true to oneself is more important than being liked or pleasing others.
  • First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez – 12-year-old Malù is trying to figure out where she belongs, whether it’s with her Mexican mom, or the kids at her new middle school. As she tries to figure it out, she follows the first rule of punk: Always be yourself.

April – Meeting #6

  • In these books, characters take risks to realize their ambitions.
  • Stella By Starlight by Sharon Draper – This historical novel follows Stella, a young girl who discovers KKK activity in her segregated Southern town. Her community defends itself while continuing to fight for equality and, all the while, Stella works toward her ambition of becoming a writer.

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Grades 6, 7 & 8

October – Meeting #1

  • For our first meeting, clubs will read books that explore ideas of inclusion and empathy – both important to have in mind at the beginning of the school year.
  • Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova – A graphic novel about a girl trying to make friends at a new school.

November – Meeting #2

  • We all need to feel a sense of deep belonging. This month, clubs will read stories in which characters discover their true friends and communities.
  • Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton – This historical novel in verse tells the story of middle-schooler Mimi. Half-Japanese, half-black, and obsessed with going to the moon, Mimi struggles to find acceptance at her new school.

January – Meeting #3

  • At the start of this new year, Book Club will focus on stories about characters whose resilience helps them weather life’s changes and challenges.
  • Habibi by Naomi Shibab Nye – Liyana isn’t terribly excited to move to Palestine, but her father is determined that his wife and children get to know his culture. She deals with culture shock, having to figure out how she can belong in her new home and stay true to herself.

February – Meeting #4

  • In this month’s books, characters take action to control the course of their own stories.
  • Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson – A young slave named Isabel is sold to a New York couple, despite having been promised her freedom by her deceased master. She becomes a spy for the American Revolution.

March – Meeting #5

  • The characters in this month’s books show us that being true to oneself is more important than being liked or pleasing others.
  • The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz – Joan escapes grueling life on a farm to find work with a wealthy Jewish family in Baltimore. Life at the Rosenbachs’ opens the naive, romantic Joan’s eyes to new experiences. The reader gets to know Joan’s passions and fears through the diary format of this historical novel.

April – Meeting #6

  • In these books, characters take risks to realize their ambitions.
  • Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith – This historical novel tells the story of Ida Mae Jones, a young black woman who uses her light skin to pass for white, in order to be a pilot in World War II.

*A note about book levels and book choice:

We select books based on our experience with readers of many ages, and on the expert opinions of publishing and education specialists. Even so, we know that some of these books will not feel like a match for your child’s level or interests. If this happens, one option is always to swap out the book for another. You could opt for one of the selections for another age group, or you could pick a title from our previous years (sign up to instantly get access to all of them). Alternatively, your club could pick another book entirely, maybe a title that caught someone’s eye on the shelf or was recommended by a friend. The websites A Mighty Girl and We Need Diverse Books are two great resources for book ideas.

If you find your club swapping out books because the ones we’ve recommended don’t sound like your cup of tea, I encourage you to be open-minded. True, books on this list might not be books you would have chosen for yourself. I know some readers who exclusively read fantasy books, and now read realistic fiction because of this list. To me, that’s a positive because it expands the reader’s exposure to different books, and might result in a happy surprise. Last year, many families expressed doubts about reading the novel in verse Brown Girl Dreaming. That book turned out to be one of the most popular titles of the program last year. Consider this list an opportunity for you and your girls to grow and experiment as readers.

Happy reading! We can’t wait to hear what you think.


Sign up for our Girl & Grown-up Book Club. It’s FREE! Get toolkits with meeting guides and discussion questions for all previous years delivered right to your inbox, instantly. Toolkits for this year’s books will be emailed each month.

Take me to the Book Club Sign Up!

  1. Stephanie

    Hi; if it is possible can you send me the book-club questions for Awkward? I sigend up and haven’t seen the email with the resources. Thanks! This is such a wonderful resource!

    Reply
    • Dorothy Ponton, Digital Marketing Manager

      Hi Stephanie, There’s a new way to get your toolkits – everything is on a single web page! Check your inbox for an email I just sent with instructions on how to log in and download what you need.

      Reply
  2. Sanjana poddar

    I need questions for 6th 7th 8th grade books. I just signed up to start a book club .

    Reply
  3. Carolyn Wang

    Hello!

    I signed up for the 2nd/3rd grade book club and I will be hosting it in two weeks. Can you please email me the book discussion topics? Thank you!

    Carolyn

    Reply
    • Dorothy Ponton, Digital Marketing Manager

      Hi Carolyn,

      Welcome! I’ve emailed you directly with the link to download these materials.

      Reply

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