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. To connect with other members near you, join the Book Club Facebook Group and introduce yourself.
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 by Uma Krishnaswami
- Skill Focus: Connection and Community
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 bySayantani 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
