Family Edition Book Club: A Wrinkle in Time

Holding a family book club is a fun, engaging way to bring everyone together to discuss something you all have in common: a good book! A family book club is a flexible activity that can adapt to meet everyone's needs, no matter their interests.

Why Start a Family Book Club?

The book club books available are almost endless, which means that you're sure to find plenty of titles that everyone can take an interest in.

Book clubs set the stage for a lifelong passion for reading in children. They can rekindle a love of books and spark new interests for adults, too.

Helping your family members discover or reaffirm their interest in reading is a fun way to explore new and used books across multiple authors and genres. A bonus benefit is that you learn more when you read!

How to Start a Book Club

One of the best features of a family book club is its versatility; it can accommodate members of all ages and even include family members who are far away. Before you get started, consider the following questions:

What Kinds of Books Will You Read?

The type of book could be a picture book, a chapter book, a mystery novel, a graphic novel, a short story, or anything else.

Many families with children of different ages change the type of book each time. They may often include picture books, which are attention-grabbing, educational, and excellent conversation starters.

Pairing young children's books for little ones with books for older children and other members is a great idea too. This way, young children won't ever be left out, and older members won't get bored.

Read Together or Independently?

This can change each time depending on the type of book that you are reading, or it can remain consistent. When older members read to younger ones, they become great reading role models. Reading aloud with children as they grow is beneficial to the development of literacy skills.

Consider including extended family members or those who live far away in the book club meetings. Thanks to video calling and similar technologies, anyone can join.

When Will You Hold Discussions?

Another great thing about a family book club is setting a schedule that works best for your family members. Decide together what will work best and plan to keep that schedule as much as possible.

Many families make it a point to make the meeting a special time with book-themed snacks, treats, or special drinks like hot chocolate, too.

A Book to Read: A Wrinkle in Time

One of the most-loved books for family book clubs is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. This science fantasy book tells the story of Meg Murry, a teenager who is transported through time with her friend and her brother. They must rescue their father, a scientist, from evil enemies who hold him captive on another planet.

A woman named Mrs. Whatsit arrives at Meg's house one night. Although Mrs. Whatsit looks like nothing more than an unusual lady, things aren't always as they seem! This woman knows of a wrinkle in space and time. The group will use this wrinkle to travel to rescue, Mr. Murry… And that's just the beginning of the fascinating journey.

The Discussion at the Club Meeting

One of the most effective ways to get everyone active in the discussion is to have a list of book discussion questions drawn up ahead of time to encourage conversation. For A Wrinkle in Time, some questions for your meeting might be:

• How do you think Meg feels about her father and what he does for work?
• If you could travel through time, would you?
• What time period would you travel to?
• What are some of Meg's faults that end up helping her in the end?
• Who do you think is the most courageous character in the book?
• Is there a character you think is most like you? Why?
• Do you believe Mr. Murry is a good father?
• This book is a story about good vs. evil. Which characters are good? Which are evil?
• Do you think Charles Wallace is like Meg? Is he different in some ways?
• What is tesseract? Would you ever want to try it?
• Did you like the book? Why or why not? Do you have a favorite part?
• Would you recommend the book to your friends?

With so many incredible benefits to be gained from starting a family book club, there's no better time to get one going for your own family! With the ReadingRewards program from ThriftBooks, you can earn points with every purchase, then redeem them for a free book. The more book club books your family orders, the more free books you can earn.

Get started by joining the program and picking up A Wrinkle in Time from ThriftBooks for your family book club.

Read more by ThriftBooks Team