In various cities across the nation, and in the county in which I live, there are programs that encourage the citizens to all read the same book during the same period of time. Of course, not literally ALL the residents participate, but a goodly number do.
In some cases there are related programs or other activities that follow this read-a-thon, such as discussion groups held at public libraries, or follow-up activities at schools.
If your family includes kids who are of reading age—reading beyond “See Spot run,” that is—you can do something similar. Depending on the ages and interests of your kids, you may choose a classic like ROBINSON CRUSOE, THE JUNGLE BOOK, TOM SAWYER, or THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. You can choose a Harry Potter book or something by Judy Blume. You can choose something less well known, that no one in the family has read already. (Ask your local librarian for suggestions—and it helps if it’s a book that the library has several copies of, or can procure several copies of through inter-library loan, so that all the family members can read it at the same time.)
And by “all the family members” I am including you parents. If you’ve chosen a classic like HUCKLEBERRY FINN, chances are you haven’t read it since you were a kid. And if you’ve chosen a “modern classic,” you may not have read it at all. You may have bought your child every kids’ book Judy Blume ever wrote without having read any of them yourself.
What are some of the activities you can engage in when you’ve all finished reading your chosen book? Don’t ask the kids to write book reports. That’ll feel too much like homework. But you can challenge them to write book REVIEWS, adult-style. (If they’ve never read a book review, give them several examples to study.) You certainly want to have a family discussion of the book: its good points, what lesson it teaches, if any, why the book has become a classic, everyone’s favorite parts, and such. If your kids are on the younger side, not teens, you can also encourage them to do art or crafts projects related to the book, such as drawing pictures to illustrate it, or creating dioramas. If they’re teens and musically oriented, suggest they write one or more songs about or inspired by the book or one of the characters in it.
If this experiment is a success, you can repeat it in three or six months.
Happy reading!