Bao & Bun's Bilingual Journey

When we think about a typical adult book club, everyone reads the same book and spends the meeting discussing it. However, Little Chinese Book Club is more of a book-sharing family activity. I still call it a book club because it revolves around books, but the format is intentionally tailored to families. I loosely follow Guavarama’s reading club model, using her helpful book report template for structuring the activity. Here’s how it works:

Preparation:

Parents work with their kids at home to pick a book to share. They can follow Guavarama’s book report format or simply practice reading the book aloud together. Families are also encouraged to prepare snacks and drinks to bring to the book club. As the host, along with other parents, we also prepare some small gifts (like birthday party favors) for the raffle in the end.

The Day of the Book Club:

1. Settling In:
   When everyone arrives, we gather in a circle. To make it easier for everyone to address each other, I hand out name tags for participants to fill out.
2. Introductions:
   I begin by introducing myself and asking a simple, icebreaker question like, “What’s your favorite color?” or “What’s your favorite ice cream?” This helps kids and parents feel comfortable. Then, we go around the circle and have everyone introduce themselves.
3. Book Sharing:
   Each child takes turns sharing their chosen books. Over the past three book clubs, we’ve had kids present their chosen books in different ways. Some kids read directly from the book report they’ve prepared in advance, while younger kids often rely on a Q&A format with their parents. In these cases, parents ask questions to guide their child through discussing the story and its key points. I don’t enforce a strict format—my main goal is for kids to feel comfortable and confident sharing their books in their own way. No matter how they present, we always applaud their effort at the end, celebrating their participation and progress. Initially, I let kids who shared go grab snacks or drinks, but this caused distractions during the remaining presentations. Moving forward, snacks will only be available after all the books have been shared.
4. Raffle & Snack Time:
   After the sharing session, each child receives a raffle ticket. We then have a snack break, followed by a gift raffle, where everyone gets a chance to win something fun.

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Side Notes:

• Target Audience:
  This book club is best suited for families who either speak Chinese at home or have children in Chinese language programs (weekend schools, immersion, etc.)—and are invested in helping their kids develop Chinese reading skills. While some families may focus solely on conversational Chinese, as long as kids can understand the language and parents are willing to help prepare, they’re welcome to join.
• Snacks & Fun Are Key:
  Snacks and raffles are essential to making the book club feel fun and engaging. For my daughter, the book club is a chance to hang out with friends and enjoy treats, with just a little prep work beforehand. Keeping it light and enjoyable helps ensure kids want to come back!