Welcome to the Girls Leadership Girl & Grown-up Book Club!
To get your group going:
1. Gather 3-5 Girl & Grown-up pairs – we recommend no more than 6 pairs total so that everyone has time to participate. Use the sample Book Club Invitation below to get started.
2. Choose a location – your home, a library, or community center. Some clubs had picnics outside! For your first meeting, download Magical Mad Libs to choose your club’s name and design your club’s rules.
3. Choose a book and download the toolkit. Our book selections are designed to go in order, but you can read them in any order you’d like! If you’d like to read a book of your own, use the Open-Ended Discussion Questions for Any Book.
Sample Book Club invitation
Subject: Will you join me (and girl’s name) for a Girls Leadership Book Club?
Email:
(Girl’s name) & I are doing the Girls Leadership Book Club and their book choices and meeting guides are supposed to be amazing! You need to do this with us.
How – Sign up for the free Book Club emails from Girls Leadership. They provide the book list and a place to download their toolkits, with everything we need to hold the meetings.
Sign up here – girlsleadership.org/bookclub
What – Get together at one of our homes (or a library or community center) once a month or so, using the toolkits with meeting guides, activities, and discussion questions provided by Girls Leadership. For the first few books the grown-ups will lead the discussion, but by the end of the year, the girls can be in charge of the meetings.
When – (let’s pick an evening or weekend – meetings take 2hrs max)
Food – We need to figure out the food. Because what is a Book Club without eating?
Toolkits – listed by grade level & theme
Grades 2 & 3
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Yearly Theme: Identity + Self-awareness for Grades 2 & 3
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: El Deafo by Cece Bell
- Skill Focus: Celebrating individuality and uniqueness
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Drita, My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard
- Skill Focus: Allyship
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
- Skill Focus: Connection and Community
Download Book Uncle and Me Toolkit
Meeting 4
Download toolkit for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Meeting 5
Download toolkit for The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
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Yearly Theme: Advocacy + Action for Grades 2 & 3
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Izzy Barr, Running Star by Claudia Mills
- Skill Focus: Sports and Play
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Jada Jones: Rock Star by Kelly Starling Lyons
- Skill Focus: Nature and the Outdoors
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
- Skill Focus: Activism
Meeting 4:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon
- Skill Focus: Proving Yourself
Download Hamster Princess Toolkit
Meeting 5:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Skill Focus: Transcending Societal Roles
Download Riding Freedom Toolkit
Meeting 6:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Ruby and the Booker Boys by Derrick Barnes
- Skill Focus: Taking Risks to Change Their Lives for the Better
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Yearly Theme: Mindfulness + Self-compassion for Grades 2 & 3
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng
- Skill Focus: Empathy and Inclusion
Download Year of the Book Toolkit
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Babymouse: Queen of the World! by Jennifer Holm & Matthew Holm
- Skill Focus: True friendship and True belonging
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes
- Skill Focus: Resilience
Download Dyamonde Daniel Toolkit
Meeting 4:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith
- Skill Focus: Taking Action
Download The Great Cake Mystery Toolkit
Meeting 5:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Lola Levine Is Not Mean by Monica Brown
- Skill Focus: Being True to Yourself
Download the Lola Levine Toolkit
Meeting 6:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Showdown by Crystal Allen
- Skill Focus: Taking a Healthy Risk
Download the Mya Tibbs Toolkit
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Yearly Theme: The power of voice for Grades 2 & 3
Meeting 1:
- Skill Focus: Speaking to a crowd/ in public
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han.
Meeting 2:
- Skill Focus: Brave conversations/ apologizing
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Keena Ford and the 2nd Grade Mix-Up by Melissa Thomson.
Meeting 3:
- Skill Focus: Speaking up in a relationship
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Upside Down Magic by Sarah Mlynoswski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins.
Download Upside Down Magic Toolkit
Meeting 4:
- Skill Focus: Speaking up for those who need help (activism)
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Who is Malala Yousafzai? by Dinah Brown.
Download Malala Yousafzai Toolkit
Meeting 5:
- Skill Focus: Speaking up when the stakes are high/ “speaking up” through our actions
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
Download Number the Stars Toolkit
Meeting 6:
- Skill Focus: Speaking up as self-expression/ finding one’s voice
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai.
Download Inside Out and Back Again Toolkit
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Yearly Theme: Community + Relationship skills for Grades 2 & 3
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review: Year of the Dog by Grace Lin.
- Skill Focus: Building Community
Download Year of the Dog Toolkit
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review: Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins.
- Skill Focus: Curiosity, Getting Past First Impressions
Download Rickshaw Girl Toolkit
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review: My Name is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada.
- Skill Focus: Growing Ideas Through Sharing
Download My Name is Maria Isabel Toolkit
Meeting 4:
- Click here for a book review: The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz.
- Skill Focus: Apologies and Forgiveness
Download The Night Fairy Toolkit
Meeting 5:
- Click here for a book review: El Deafo by Cece Bell.
- Skill Focus: Growing Ideas Through Disagreements
Meeting 6:
- Click here for a book review: Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke.
- Skill Focus: Taking on the Role of Leadership
Download Zita the Spacegirl Toolkit
Grades 4 & 5
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Yearly Theme: Identity + Self-awareness for Grades 4 & 5
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Blended by Sharon Draper
- Skill Focus: Celebrating individuality and uniqueness
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: George by Alex Gino
- Skill Focus: Allyship
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
- Skill Focus: Connection and Community
Download Planet Earth is Blue Toolkit
Meeting 4
Download toolkit for Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
Meeting 5
Download toolkit for Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender
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Yearly Theme: Advocacy + Action for Grades 4 & 5
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook by Iva-Marie Palmer
- Skill Focus: Sports and Play
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: BE PREPARED by Vera Brosgol
- Skill Focus: Nature and the Outdoors
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia
- Skill Focus: Activism
Download One Crazy Summer Toolkit
Meeting 4:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
- Skill Focus: Proving Yourself
Download Love Sugar Magic Toolkit
Meeting 5:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
- Skill Focus: Transcending Societal Roles
Download The Breadwinner Toolkit
Meeting 6:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Front Desk by Kelly Yang
- Skill Focus: Taking Risks to Change Their Lives for the Better
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Yearly Theme: Mindfulness + Self-compassion for Grades 4 & 5
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan
- Skill Focus: Empathy and Inclusion
Download Amina’s Voice Toolkit
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Gaby Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes
- Skill Focus: True friendship and True belonging
Download Gaby Lost and Found Toolkit
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
- Skill Focus: Resilience
Download The Birchbark House Toolkit
Meeting 4:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods
- Skill Focus: Taking Action
Download The Blossoming Universe Toolkit
Meeting 5:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez
- Skill Focus: Being True to Yourself
Download The First Rule of Punk Toolkit
Meeting 6:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
- Skill Focus: Taking a Healthy Risk
Download The Stella by Starlight Toolkit
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Yearly Theme: The power of voice for Grades 4 & 5
Meeting 1:
- Skill Focus: Speaking to a crowd/ in public
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.
Download One Crazy Summer Toolkit
Meeting 2:
- Skill Focus: Brave conversations/ apologizing
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston.
Download President of 5th Grade Toolkit
Meeting 3:
- Skill Focus: Speaking up in a relationship
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson.
Meeting 4:
- Skill Focus: Speaking up for those who need help (activism)
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: My Life with Chimpanzees by Jane Goodall.
Meeting 5:
- Skill Focus: Speaking up when the stakes are high/ “speaking up” through our actions
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
Download The War That Saved My Life Toolkit
Meeting 6:
- Skill Focus: Speaking up as self-expression/ finding one’s voice
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.
Download Brown Girl Dreaming Toolkit
Grades 6, 7 & 8
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Yearly Theme: Identity + Self-awareness for Grades 6, 7 & 8
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
- Skill Focus: Celebrating individuality and uniqueness
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
- Skill Focus: Allyship
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
- Skill Focus: Connection and Community
Download Other Words for Home Toolkit
Meeting 4
Download toolkit for Sanity and Talullah by Molly Brooks
Meeting 5
Download toolkit for Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly
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Yearly Theme: Advocacy + Action for Grades 6, 7 & 8
Meeting 1:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Patina by Jason Reynolds
- Skill Focus: Sports and Play
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Lumberjanes by Nate Stevenson and Grace Ellis
- Skill Focus: Nature and the Outdoors
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! by Marley Dias
- Skill Focus: Activism
Meeting 4:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani Dasgupta
- Skill Focus: Proving Yourself
Download Serpent’s Secret Toolkit
Meeting 5:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
- Skill Focus: Transcending Societal Roles
Download Out of My Mind Toolkit
Meeting 6:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson
- Skill Focus: Taking Risks to Change Their Lives for the Better
Download Piecing Me Together Toolkit
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Yearly Theme: Mindfulness + Self-compassion for Grades 6, 7 & 8
Meeting 1
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
- Skill Focus: Empathy and Inclusion
Meeting 2:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton
- Skill Focus: True friendship and True belonging
Download Full Cicada Moon Toolkit
Meeting 3:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
- Skill Focus: Resilience
Meeting 4:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Skill Focus: Taking Action
Meeting 5:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
- Skill Focus: Being True to Yourself
Download The Hired Girl Toolkit
Meeting 6:
- Click here for a book review and how to get it: Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
- Skill Focus: Taking a Healthy Risk
