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Wild and Free Book Club: 28 Activities to Make Books Come Alive ― A Book of Activities for Reading Together
From Wild + Free, a wonderful collection of creative activities for parents, educators, and caregivers filled with engaging and fun ideas to help kids fall in love with literature and reading.
Foster a love of reading in your child with Wild + Free Book Club. An invaluable educational resource curated by Wild + Free families around the world, this full-color illustrated book offers imaginative suggestions for creating themed book clubs for kids. Here are hands-on activities, games, food, and decoration ideas inspired by a carefully chosen list of beloved classic novels, as well as discussion questions about plots and themes that engage kids minds and sparks their curiosity.
Wild + Free Book Club is filled with fun ideas for each book, including:
Anne of Green Gables—host a picnic tea party
The Secret Garden—craft a terrarium, a secret garden of your own
Charlotte’s Web—host an old-time country fair
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe—turn your front door into a magical portal to Narnia
With step-by-step instructions, lush photography, and family-tested and kid-approved activities, Wild + Free Book Club will help parents and educators inspire children and instill a lifelong passion for literature and the joy of books.
The Wild + Free Book Club reading list:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Anne of Green Gables
Around the World in 80 Days
Black Beauty
Charlotte’s Web
The Crossover
Esperanza Rising
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Farmer Boy
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Green Ember
Heidi
The Hobbit
Island of the Blue Dolphins
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Little House in the Big Woods
A Little Princess
Little Women
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
My Side of the Mountain
Peter Pan
Pippi Longstocking
Robin Hood
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
The Secret Garden
The Swiss Family Robinson
Treasure Island
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
Foster a love of reading in your child with Wild + Free Book Club. An invaluable educational resource curated by Wild + Free families around the world, this full-color illustrated book offers imaginative suggestions for creating themed book clubs for kids. Here are hands-on activities, games, food, and decoration ideas inspired by a carefully chosen list of beloved classic novels, as well as discussion questions about plots and themes that engage kids minds and sparks their curiosity.
Wild + Free Book Club is filled with fun ideas for each book, including:
Anne of Green Gables—host a picnic tea party
The Secret Garden—craft a terrarium, a secret garden of your own
Charlotte’s Web—host an old-time country fair
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe—turn your front door into a magical portal to Narnia
With step-by-step instructions, lush photography, and family-tested and kid-approved activities, Wild + Free Book Club will help parents and educators inspire children and instill a lifelong passion for literature and the joy of books.
The Wild + Free Book Club reading list:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Anne of Green Gables
Around the World in 80 Days
Black Beauty
Charlotte’s Web
The Crossover
Esperanza Rising
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Farmer Boy
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Green Ember
Heidi
The Hobbit
Island of the Blue Dolphins
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Little House in the Big Woods
A Little Princess
Little Women
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
My Side of the Mountain
Peter Pan
Pippi Longstocking
Robin Hood
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
The Secret Garden
The Swiss Family Robinson
Treasure Island
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
550 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2021
About the author
Ainsley Arment
14 books202 followersAinsley Arment is the founder of Wild + Free, co-founder of Wild Explorers Club and the Wild + Free Farm Village, and host of the weekly Wild + Free podcast. She and her husband Ben are raising their five children, Wyatt, Dylan, Cody, Annie, and Millie, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. | IG: @ainsl3y | bewildandfree.org
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 11, 2024
I mostly loved this book for the pictures - the parties look so delightful!
That’s not to say that I don’t think this book has anything else to offer. It does. There’s some nice, basic ideas here and the books they’ve selected are fairly familiar to most of us.
Each party has a “gathering” section, food ideas, discussion questions, activities/games, and party favors. There are twenty-eight book specific parties and three parties that are author themed or mother/daughter.
This book would be nice and helpful for someone who hasn’t read the book before and doesn’t have time to either read it ahead and/or plan the party. To the overly busy parent, this is your resource to whip up a successful event.
For me, this was a fun little borrow from the library (I don’t think it’s necessary to add to my home library though). I’ll probably use the homemade ice cream idea from the Farmer Boy Party, and I’ll keep in mind that kids love costumes and encourage attendees to dress like a character, and that you can put a literary twist on known games (like in the Hobbit Party, the person hiding in the game of sardines wears The Ring.)
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
That’s not to say that I don’t think this book has anything else to offer. It does. There’s some nice, basic ideas here and the books they’ve selected are fairly familiar to most of us.
Each party has a “gathering” section, food ideas, discussion questions, activities/games, and party favors. There are twenty-eight book specific parties and three parties that are author themed or mother/daughter.
This book would be nice and helpful for someone who hasn’t read the book before and doesn’t have time to either read it ahead and/or plan the party. To the overly busy parent, this is your resource to whip up a successful event.
For me, this was a fun little borrow from the library (I don’t think it’s necessary to add to my home library though). I’ll probably use the homemade ice cream idea from the Farmer Boy Party, and I’ll keep in mind that kids love costumes and encourage attendees to dress like a character, and that you can put a literary twist on known games (like in the Hobbit Party, the person hiding in the game of sardines wears The Ring.)
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
November 14, 2021
This is filled with inspiring pictures and practical recommendations for how parents can encourage the love of reading, play, and nature exploration through book club activities. The books range from classics like Little Women to recent publications like The Crossover, and reflect a diverse range of genres and interests.
Every chapter includes snack, craft, and activity ideas associated with the book. Most of these are very creative, and the pictures in the book help visualize the experience that kids can have. The chapters also include sample book club questions, but most of them didn't appeal to me. In most cases, the majority of the questions focus on comprehension and trivia, and only a few engage with larger themes or the reader's experience.
This can be appropriate for very young children, if they aren't ready for the level of abstract thought necessary to reflect on a book's deeper themes, but I found many of the questions off-putting, because they seemed like a test instead of chance to genuinely discuss the book and personal experiences with it. For example, I could answer every single trivia question for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Charlotte's Web, but there were other books, like Farmer's Boy, where I didn't remember the very specific details the questions referred to, but could still describe vivid memories of the book and how it impacted me.
This book inspired me to reread some childhood classics, but I would encourage parents who are using this book to consider changing the questions to fit their audience, if the kids don't automatically engage with and enjoy trivia-oriented discussion. Not every story detail will make an impression on every child, and focusing on granular, trivial details can make a kid feel like they weren't paying attention or benefiting from the book, when they really were.
Still, despite my critique in that area, this is a great book with wonderful advice and inspiration for parents who are interested in creating book clubs for their kids. The contributors, who have bylines after each section and bios in the back, are mostly homeschool parents, and the book focuses on the homeschool community, but parents, grandparents, babysitters, teachers, and friends can all draw from this book's resources and apply it to their own settings.
Every chapter includes snack, craft, and activity ideas associated with the book. Most of these are very creative, and the pictures in the book help visualize the experience that kids can have. The chapters also include sample book club questions, but most of them didn't appeal to me. In most cases, the majority of the questions focus on comprehension and trivia, and only a few engage with larger themes or the reader's experience.
This can be appropriate for very young children, if they aren't ready for the level of abstract thought necessary to reflect on a book's deeper themes, but I found many of the questions off-putting, because they seemed like a test instead of chance to genuinely discuss the book and personal experiences with it. For example, I could answer every single trivia question for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Charlotte's Web, but there were other books, like Farmer's Boy, where I didn't remember the very specific details the questions referred to, but could still describe vivid memories of the book and how it impacted me.
This book inspired me to reread some childhood classics, but I would encourage parents who are using this book to consider changing the questions to fit their audience, if the kids don't automatically engage with and enjoy trivia-oriented discussion. Not every story detail will make an impression on every child, and focusing on granular, trivial details can make a kid feel like they weren't paying attention or benefiting from the book, when they really were.
Still, despite my critique in that area, this is a great book with wonderful advice and inspiration for parents who are interested in creating book clubs for their kids. The contributors, who have bylines after each section and bios in the back, are mostly homeschool parents, and the book focuses on the homeschool community, but parents, grandparents, babysitters, teachers, and friends can all draw from this book's resources and apply it to their own settings.
February 7, 2024
I REALLY liked this book. I put holds on many of the books listed inside, and can't wait to have my kids read them.
Both of my oldest kids want to host kids book clubs this summer, and this book is a great resource and inspiration for that endeavor.
Both of my oldest kids want to host kids book clubs this summer, and this book is a great resource and inspiration for that endeavor.
June 25, 2021
This book makes me so excited for my boy to be older so we can start a bookclub together!!
July 30, 2022
I loved the format of this book! I loved it for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncle, teachers, babysitters, nannies - basically anyone who loved to spend time with kids. The book contains suggestions for beginning a book club, including a mother-book club, and how to learn more about authors and their works.
The book includes book club ideas for 28 different books, including activities like games, crafts, refreshments, and even a list of suggested discussion questions for each book. A good variety of books are included, from classics like Treasure Island and Little Women, to more modern literature like The Crossover and The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.
Maybe someday I can host a grandma Book Club, but for now I will be getting a copy to inspire book celebrations in my classroom.
The book includes book club ideas for 28 different books, including activities like games, crafts, refreshments, and even a list of suggested discussion questions for each book. A good variety of books are included, from classics like Treasure Island and Little Women, to more modern literature like The Crossover and The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.
Maybe someday I can host a grandma Book Club, but for now I will be getting a copy to inspire book celebrations in my classroom.
May 9, 2023
This is a resource for book-loving families who want to invite others to share the joy of literature in the form of a book club, a co-op class, or even a book-themed party. The activities and snack ideas are worth the read on their own. The location, decor, and costume suggestions are for those who go bigger and want to be more immersive. Some might even say “extra.” The discussion questions vary dramatically in their usefulness.
It is evident very quickly that chapters are written by different people, because some include excellent discussion starters with thoughtful, open-ended question while others give a truly awful list of what are nothing more than quiz questions that all have a “right” answer. Compare the quality of these l questions from the book:
👍 The Little Princess:
“What makes Sara a likable character?”
“Why do you think Lavinia is so mean to Sara?”
“The lady at the bakery is moved to show kindness herself when she sees what Sara does. Have you ever been in a situation where one person’s kindness caused someone else to act kindly?”
👎 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer:
“What is Tom’s reward for doing such a good job on the fence?”
“What kind of critter does Tom release in church?”
“Who does Tom run into in the cave?”
“Who adopts Huck at the end of the book?”
See what I mean? A question that can be answered in a single word is quite obviously not a discussion question, nor does it offer readers a chance to exercise critical thinking skills, offer opinions and insights, or dig deeper. Isn’t that the point of a book club?
While Ms. Arment has me to thank for my library’s acquisition of this book, I won’t be purchasing my own copy.
It is evident very quickly that chapters are written by different people, because some include excellent discussion starters with thoughtful, open-ended question while others give a truly awful list of what are nothing more than quiz questions that all have a “right” answer. Compare the quality of these l questions from the book:
👍 The Little Princess:
“What makes Sara a likable character?”
“Why do you think Lavinia is so mean to Sara?”
“The lady at the bakery is moved to show kindness herself when she sees what Sara does. Have you ever been in a situation where one person’s kindness caused someone else to act kindly?”
👎 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer:
“What is Tom’s reward for doing such a good job on the fence?”
“What kind of critter does Tom release in church?”
“Who does Tom run into in the cave?”
“Who adopts Huck at the end of the book?”
See what I mean? A question that can be answered in a single word is quite obviously not a discussion question, nor does it offer readers a chance to exercise critical thinking skills, offer opinions and insights, or dig deeper. Isn’t that the point of a book club?
While Ms. Arment has me to thank for my library’s acquisition of this book, I won’t be purchasing my own copy.
July 24, 2022
I was so keen to read this book so I requested my local library purchase it. But I borrowed it and loved it so much I decided to buy my own copy so I could use it for years and write notes and quotes in the margins.
This book has so many fantastic ideas of how to theme and celebrate 28 different children’s literary texts- most of which are classics. Some of my very favourite stories are included so I was excited to use this book.
The pages are beautifully illustrated with photos from the contributors hosting their own book clubs.
Each title has really great ideas for setting the scenes, locations to host literary parties, activities to do, food to enjoy and a really great selection of discussion questions.
I was so inspired reading this book to start my own book club in our homeschool community. This book was made by homeschooling families but would be so easy to use with a small group of children in any setting.
My only criticism of this book is that there are no blank or note taking pages included as I would very much have liked to include a few of my own texts and ideas in this book too.
This book has so many fantastic ideas of how to theme and celebrate 28 different children’s literary texts- most of which are classics. Some of my very favourite stories are included so I was excited to use this book.
The pages are beautifully illustrated with photos from the contributors hosting their own book clubs.
Each title has really great ideas for setting the scenes, locations to host literary parties, activities to do, food to enjoy and a really great selection of discussion questions.
I was so inspired reading this book to start my own book club in our homeschool community. This book was made by homeschooling families but would be so easy to use with a small group of children in any setting.
My only criticism of this book is that there are no blank or note taking pages included as I would very much have liked to include a few of my own texts and ideas in this book too.
September 11, 2021
I bought this book on a trial basis, thinking that I would return it if I didn't like it. Well, it isn't going back! It didn't take me long to see that this book about bookclubs, specifically middle grade fiction, would become a permanent part of ny library.
The ideas and discussion questions are all laid out..some are particularly good, and others will require a bit of additional research and preparation before implementing. Overall I feel this is a wonderful tool for parents, teachers, and mentors.
The physical layout of the book is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The pages are full color. I highly recommend it!
The ideas and discussion questions are all laid out..some are particularly good, and others will require a bit of additional research and preparation before implementing. Overall I feel this is a wonderful tool for parents, teachers, and mentors.
The physical layout of the book is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The pages are full color. I highly recommend it!
June 27, 2021
This is a great guide for parents starting a children’s book club.
There is a list of books titles, each book has serving food suggestions and crafts that match the books theme, and questions pertaining to the book.
So I haven’t started a book club, but I used this a a guide to ask my child questions about the book we read. I picked a few stories, made some of the food and asked the questions pertaining to the story, and did some of the crafts. Then we find the movie or cartoon, watch and compare to the book. Fun summer activity for us!
There is a list of books titles, each book has serving food suggestions and crafts that match the books theme, and questions pertaining to the book.
So I haven’t started a book club, but I used this a a guide to ask my child questions about the book we read. I picked a few stories, made some of the food and asked the questions pertaining to the story, and did some of the crafts. Then we find the movie or cartoon, watch and compare to the book. Fun summer activity for us!
August 20, 2021
I picked this book up because I was intrigued by the cover. I would recommend this title to families (or grandparents) who want to make a book come alive. There are 28 books featured, and you'll find customizable guides for hosting your own book club with ideas for activities, games, food and decorations, and engaging discussion questions. I wish I had known about this book when I had young children at home. There are some amazing ideas in there for throwing an outstanding birthday party using books for a theme. Thumbs up for the creativity of this book.
July 27, 2022
This book is exactly what I was looking for (thanks to a friend's recommendation) to help me organize a book club for my homeschooling community. It's a good balance of snack and activity ideas to get the reader started. I was excited to find 5 of the books on my radar included in the guide. My only issue was the absence of synopses for the books included - even though most of the books are classics, it shouldn't be assumed that everyone is familiar with them!
March 29, 2023
Great food, activity, and craft ideas...but I found the actual discussion questions a little lacking in substance (ie. primarily recall rather than critical thinking questions). I did love the diversity of books, and the large span of classics to contemporary novels. Could be a cool resource if coupled with other books and a little bit of your own imagination.
March 29, 2023
I bought this for the new parenting shelf in my library and it is so wonderful. I love how there is a mix of classics and newer titles and how well each book is represented with the food choices and activities. This is a great resource for homeschool parents!
October 29, 2024
Great Book, But Not In E-Book Form
This is such a great quick read kind of book. It has a lot of good ideas and fun suggestions. But get the physical book, not the e-book. It is difficult to read and drives my Kindle crazy with the graphics.
This is such a great quick read kind of book. It has a lot of good ideas and fun suggestions. But get the physical book, not the e-book. It is difficult to read and drives my Kindle crazy with the graphics.
October 2, 2025
This is a 4.5 star. It would be 5 star if all the discussion questions were open ended. Some books have all one word answers to the “discussion” questions, and some of the books have great thought provoking discussion questions.
The book is beautiful and a great selection of books
The book is beautiful and a great selection of books
August 7, 2021
I just browsed through a few titles to see what they suggested. It looks like fun and even gave me a few ideas for good book club titles.
August 19, 2021
Cute ideas for some good classics.
August 30, 2021
Not a bad book for parents who want to form a book group for their kids. Includes activities, food suggestions, and discussion questions for a variety of titles.
October 16, 2021
The ideas in this book are spectacular jumping points to get you started on your own adventure. I want to read all of the featured books to my children and celebrate the things we learned together.
October 30, 2021
This was a fantastic resource for a book-loving parent who wants to raise book-loving kids.
November 12, 2021
Wish I’d had this book when doing mother/daughter book club!
April 20, 2022
Wonderful ideas and suggestions. .any thought provoking questions for each book.
May 9, 2022
Adorable ideas for fun kid book clubs! I’m inspired to get started this summer with my kids.
Want to Read
June 29, 2022There is literally one book in here for which I would use the activities.
November 1, 2022
This book is BEAUTIFUL! While I'm not planning on home schooling, I love the ideas this book has for making reading more fun and a whole experience and can't wait until my kiddos are old enough
January 18, 2023
So many fun ideas for bringing classic children’s literature alive. May buy it to have it to reference forever. Any one want to start a book club for our children??
June 3, 2023
A decent book selection with fun activities and guided discussion questions.
November 21, 2023
Little house on the prairie, green gables,
April 28, 2026
Lots of fun ideas paired with classic book choices.
July 9, 2022
Update: I enjoyed this book so much and wanted to plan our book club parties for the year, so I read it again and studied it more thoroughly. We're currently reading Anne of Green Gables and planning to read My Side of the Mountain when we're done.
LOVED. I was so sad when my daughter's book club dissolved and haven't been able to attend mine so... why not start my own? I adore the concept of a mother/daughter (family) book club, but needed help planning. This book is full of discussion, food, and activity ideas. I love that it focuses on books the whole family can enjoy so I can refer to it for many years to come.
LOVED. I was so sad when my daughter's book club dissolved and haven't been able to attend mine so... why not start my own? I adore the concept of a mother/daughter (family) book club, but needed help planning. This book is full of discussion, food, and activity ideas. I love that it focuses on books the whole family can enjoy so I can refer to it for many years to come.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews