Girls Leadership Book Club Selections for 2018-2019

Welcome to the fourth 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.

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

Grades 2 & 3

Grades 4 & 5

Grades 6, 7 & 8 

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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.

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Books for 2018-2019

 

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Grades 2 & 3

October – Meeting #1

• For our first meeting, clubs will read books that explore ideas of athleticism and sports fiction.
• Izzy Barr, Running Star by Claudia Mills

November – Meeting #2

• This month, clubs will read stories in which characters discover their appreciation for nature and the outdoors.
• Jada Jones: Rock Star by Kelly Starling Lyons

January – Meeting #3

• At the start of this new year, Book Club will focus on stories about strength, power, and activism.
• Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel

February – Meeting #4

• This month we’ll read fantasy books, expressing important ideas through light-hearted and imaginative stories.
• Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon

March – Meeting #5

• The characters in this month’s books transcend the limits placed on them by others or society.
• Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan

April – Meeting #6

• In these books, characters live life on their own terms.
• Ruby and the Booker Boys by Derrick Barnes

 

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Grades 4 & 5

October – Meeting #1

• For our first meeting, clubs will read books that explore ideas of athleticism and sports fiction.
• Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook by Iva-Marie Palmer

November – Meeting #2

• This month, clubs will read stories in which characters discover their appreciation for nature and the outdoors.
• Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

January – Meeting #3

• At the start of this new year, Book Club will focus on stories about strength, power, and activism.
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia

February – Meeting #4

• This month we’ll read fantasy books, expressing important ideas through light-hearted and imaginative stories.
• Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano

March – Meeting #5

• The characters in this month’s books transcend the limits placed on them by others or society.
• Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

April – Meeting #6

• In these books, characters live life on their own terms.
• Front Desk by Kelly Yang

 

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Grades 6, 7 & 8

October – Meeting #1

• For our first meeting, clubs will read books that explore ideas of athleticism and sports fiction.
• Patina by Jason Reynolds

November – Meeting #2

• This month, clubs will read stories in which characters discover their appreciation for nature and the outdoors.
• Lumberjanes Vol. 1 by Nate Stevenson and Grace Ellis

January – Meeting #3

• At the start of this new year, Book Club will focus on stories about strength, power, and activism.
• Marley Dias Gets it Done: And So Can You! by Marley Dias

February – Meeting #4

• This month we’ll read fantasy books, expressing important ideas through light-hearted and imaginative stories.
• The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani Dasgupta

March – Meeting #5

• The characters in this month’s books transcend the limits placed on them by others or society.
• Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

April – Meeting #6

• In these books, characters live life on their own terms.
• Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

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*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. We’ll also provide alternate books suggestions each month. 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, 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. A few years ago, 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.

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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!