Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool
The idea came to me a few days after the election. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
Because no matter how we voted, one thing we likely agree on is that this past election season hurt on some level. Another thing we agree on?
Our world needs hope and healing. And we want a better world for our children.
I want my kids to love others, even those who differ from them. I want them to want to make the world a better place, to want to serve others–just because it’s right to do so.
Most of all, I want them to know that they can start doing all of the above NOW, making a difference before they’ve even reached adulthood. I want them to feel empowered, not disenfranchised or apathetic.
And I believe books can help.
That’s why I wrote Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time.
And it’s why I want to invite you and yours to join our new Heal the World Book Club!
Just take a peek:
The Goal:
To help our children fall more in love with reading, more in love with the world (including those in it!), and to understand they have a unique role to play in healing it, a role that began the day they were born.
The Gist:
For the next three months (February, March, April) I’ll pick one title for us to read as an online community. Read it aloud to your children or have them read it themselves, whatever works best.
I will select inspiring titles that highlight kids making a difference, healing the world or overcoming significant life challenges.
I’d love this to be a truly global book club, with readers from all over the world taking part. (And no, you don’t need to homeschool to be able to participate–anyone is welcome!)
Specially designed printables will allow your kids to track not only their reading each month, but also the many ways they make the world a better place. And suggested activities will help you take your learning off the mere page and get the most out of each story.
A book club for kids, BY kids!
Since children also get inspired by others just like them, allow me to introduce you to my team of book club co-hosts and their roles (from left to right):
- Trishna Martin (13), Word Master
- Jonathan Martin (12), Kid Coordinator
- Elijah Martin (11), Justice Tracker
Let me tell you: These kiddos are NOT short on ideas; I can’t wait for you to see all they have up their sleeves for you and yours!
How We’ll Make a Difference:
Not only will we read and learn as a community, we’ll contribute as one!
Over these three months, we’ll also help heal the world by raising money for Love146, an organization helping to free and restore children who have been trafficked and exploited.
My husband Steve serves as CEO of Love146, and in 2013 we traveled as a family to the Philippines as part of our involvement. Back then our Simple Homeschool community generously donated over $10,000 to give the girls in the beautiful Love146 therapeutic Round Home a library of living books and to support their education for a year.
Our donations will go toward their educational needs this year as well–and guess what? One of the girls who lives in the Round Home will be joining our book club, too!
The Love146 therapeutic Round Home in the Philippines
Here’s how it will work:
You’ve heard of people gathering charity pledges to do marathons and other sporting events, right? How about pledges to encourage your kids to read more? (What grandparent wouldn’t be up for that?!)
Readers and parents can ask grandparents, other relatives, and friends to participate by donating 1, 5, or 10 cents per page read (or just a flat rate per book if that’s easier!).
You can track only the selected title or go beyond it and track pledges for other titles you read that month as well.
At the end of each month we’ll donate what we’ve read! As a community we’ll watch all the dollars and cents add up, knowing that we’ve made a difference, and modeling for our kids the joy of giving.
The Downloads/Printables:
Everyone who signs up to participate in the book club will receive:
- a printable reading log where you can keep track of titles read, pledges, and the ways your child has helped heal the world that month. This could include everything from taking dinner to a neighbor to speaking kindly to a sibling in a tense moment. The goal is for our kids to see that being faithful in small things is a BIG thing that matters!
- a beautiful certificate to fill out at the end of the month that you can give to your child and/or keep in their homeschooling portfolio/file, acknowledging their participation
I can’t get over how lovely these turned out, and they will be delivered via email immediately after you register. (Check your spam/junk/promotions folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.)
The Book Club Titles
Here are our book club titles:
February 2017 – The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
March 2017 – Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
April 2017 – Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins
Even if you can just join us for one or two months of the club you’re more than welcome to take part! Sign up and jump in when you can–or just save the materials to use at a time that’s better for you.
What if these books won’t work for me? What if your kids are too young or too old for this title? Or what if you just can’t get the book where you live? Or they don’t sound like a good fit for your family?
No problem! Each month we’ll provide members with alternative titles to choose from for other ages. We’d love to still have you join us.
What You Need to Do to Sign Up:
There’s no cost to be a part of the book club–you just need your own copy of Give Your Child the World to use as a reference (as well as access to the selected book for that month) and you’re all set.
If you still need to order Give Your Child the World, you can find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Book Depository (which offers free delivery worldwide for international readers).
Register for the book club here and you’ll receive an email with immediate access to the printables and other needed info!
Are you part of a co-op?
The Heal the World Book Club would make an easy-to-organize, meaningful class to add to your spring schedule this semester with reading, discussion, and community service possibilities. So exciting!
Just have each participant sign up individually so every family will receive the materials they need to get started.
Ready, set, go–let’s heal the world together: one day and one page at a time.
“Little things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great thing.” ~ Mother Teresa
Weekend homeschool links
Thank you for such a wonderful idea! This will be the perfect activity for me and my six year old.
I’m so glad, Kimberly–I hope you both love it!
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Shining your light, as you do. Hugs to those three co-hosts!
Thank you, friend! It’s fun to have them join in… xo
Love this! Be sure to do an IG post so we IGers can share it and get more folks involved!
Yes I will, Amanda, thank you!
Done. We’ll have to offer a pledge of 1 or 5 cents per book, because my children need no incentive to read. They read constantly anyway – this will be a nice way to put that toward a good cause!
treen’s latest post: Mom’s 2016 reading list
There can never be too much reading, right, treen?!
Wonderdul! Jamie, we participated in the previous book club, the one you did with Sarah. Did you announce the winners? I completely missed it, and tried to check here and on Sarah’s fb page but couldn’t find out when and if you had announced. My son kept asking me and I don’t know why i didnt comment before to ask.
Yes, Samina, we sent emails to all winners way back in September. I hope you’ll join us again!
Ok thank you, i must have missed the announcement on the site!
So excited to participate! We will be traveling during the time of the book club. I’m wondering if the printables will have all the books or will they be announced as we go? I’d like to be able to plan ahead on finding library/kindle options.
I’m still working on choosing the other two titles, Katie, but I will announce them just as soon as I know for sure!
This is brilliant! Just signed up my 8-year-old and I think I’m just as excited as her 🙂
Yay, Stacy! That was my hope–that mamas, papas, AND kiddos will get something out of this experience.
Wonderful idea! We’re in! How should we collect our pledges from friends and family? Will there be a link to donate at the end or some other way? Sorry if you’ve provided this answer already. We’re in the middle of lessons and the kids are LOUD. ????
Glad to have you join us, Janet! Yes, more info to follow very soon for those who have signed up about how the pledges will work and how to donate them. For now you could just begin to get promised pledges and keep a record of them!
This is going to be lovely! Can’t wait to participate! Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Jen. Wonderful that you’ll be joining us.
Jamie,
I love this idea (and Simple Homeschool!) and am excited about joining the book club. Our oldest son (almost 9), along with the rest of our family, is currently raising funds to provide relief for refugees in Syria and Iraq. I’m wondering if we can still participate in the club if the money we raise from pledges goes to an organization that is helping refugees instead of Love146 (though we love what your family is doing through that organization)?
Of course, Emily! The idea behind this was to have something we could all do together as a community, but if you have another project currently going on and want to apply this to that I think that’s a beautiful idea!
I LOVE this! I can’t wait for out family to participate!
We are stationed in Germany and unfortunately shipping can take a long time. Do you know when the next books will be announced… so I can order them in time to participate with the rest of the group?
I am working on choosing those now, Jasmine, and will let those who have signed up know the other titles as soon as I can.
Have you checked out Book Depository though? They ship for free worldwide, directly from the UK so it probably wouldn’t take very long at all. My book is there: https://www.bookdepository.com/Give-Your-Child-the-World/9780310344131 and also The Unfinished Angel: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Unfinished-Angel-Sharon-Creech/9780061430978?ref=grid-view
My daughter, Isabella and I are so excited to participate in the club. Thank you for thinking of this! I love this idea! We are in Charleston, SC.
So excited to have you and Isabella joining us, Kelley.
I’m guessing pennies and pounds will be acceptable too from those of us in the UK?
Yes, of course, Tania! Sorry, you’re right, I should have phrased that more globally. 😉
Being half Italian, I am so excited to be reading something with an Italian link!
Oh, I bet you’ll love this even more then!
Did I miss something or will you be sending something out for easier way to ask for pledges from families and friends? Not sure how to go about that part. Very excited to start and was so happy that our library actually has the first book.
Hi Rebekah! More info on that will be coming, but on the log itself you can keep track of who is pledging what and then follow up with them at the end of each month to either collect the funds from them or pass the link on to them where they can give.
Jamie do you have a list of book that might be good for the 12 and up Group?
Hmmm, Kazimiera. I think this one might still work for 13/14 year-olds, for older than that something like The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom might be a good fit? Definitely intense in its references and details to World War II, but life-changing as well. I hope you’ll join us!
This is wonderful. Thank you for starting this. I am a former public school teacher, and I would like to start a book club with the kids in my community. Do you have any suspended books so that guides and children who can’t afford the book can have access?
Why don’t you send me an email with what you’re thinking of or hoping to do, Mara, and we could chat about it that way! jamie@simplehomeschool.net I’m not sure what you mean by “suspended” books, but we can certainly discuss it as that seems like a lovely idea…
Are we getting pledges to read the selected books each month or more than those? Also I’d love to hear what sorts of things others are doing to help heal the world, just to help give my kids an idea of what sorts of things they could be capable and get their creativity and ideas going 🙂
Look for all that information and more coming in the first email this Wednesday, Ali! Just make sure you’ve signed up so you’ll receive it.
Pledges requested (and hashtagged) on Facebook – I don’t do Instagram. Our family target is 300 books over the 3 months, at 10 cents a book. We’ll see what the response is.
Wonderful, treen!
Jaime, we did your last challenge and it was such an incredible experience. I would love to do this one as well, but our kids are 6,4 & 3. Do you have suggestions/favorites that would correspond well w the book/books you have in mind?
Yes, Wendy! If you go ahead and sign up we’ll be sending through a list of alternative book recommendations for other ages!
I am a private school teacher with a curriculum to follow, but this sounds wonderful! I could really only fit one book in with everything I am responsible for. Do you work with schools?
Definitely, Lisa! Anyone is more than welcome…and you could just adapt the timing to fit with all your other responsibilities. Please sign up and then feel free to get in touch if you have specific questions: jamie@simplehomeschool.net
I know I am several hours ahead of you because we live in Europe, but I have not received the email about the first book. I received the welcome email with the reading log and certificate. Maybe you’ll be sending it out later today….Looking forward!
Yes, Jill! It will be sent out at 8am Eastern Time–I love your enthusiasm!! 😉
Hi Jamie! This is our first year homeschooling and I was so excited to hear about your book club. We just ordered the book! I also love that it pledge money will go to Love146. I’m so passionate about helping children who have suffered through trafficking. I’m part of an organization called Trades of Hope and we also work alongside some victims, helping them develop businesses. Thank you for organizing this!!! Take care!
Hi Jamie! I have signed up for the bookclub several times and am not getting the emails with the printables or news about the club. We started reading The unfinished angel on our own, Feb 1st. But, we were hoping to follow along with you. I am not sure why my emails are not going through. I have subscribed to this blog for awhile now with no other problems. The blog comes to my email, just not the book club.
I will check on this and get back to you Shannon! Have you checked your spam/junk/promotions folders?
Okay, Shannon, I’ve just resent the two emails that you should have received thus far. Let me know if you don’t get them by emailing jamie@simplehomeschool.net – you may need to check your spam/promotions folder and mark it as not spam so they don’t get blocked!
Jamie, this sounds terrific. You may also want to check out the Heifer “Read to Feed”program. Lots of similarities and some resources you might want to incorporate. I used their resources in a co-op a few years ago.
This is amazing. Was touched by the Love146 story. My son is almost 4 and I’m catching on to this quite late, but would still like to join.
Hi Jaime,
I am starting this activity with my class at coop. We are starting a little late – tomorrow – but will backtrack and begin with the first book. This session of our coop runs for 10 weeks. I hope to work on each book for 3 weeks. We are a homeschool group in Newtown, CT; not too far from you. Thank you for this great idea.