Schools

The Canadian Children’s Book Club Program understands every school is unique in its approach to literacy and that literacy is important in all.  Our program is designed to be flexible, cost effective and helpful to teachers and librarians.

Librarians: Open your library one lunch hour a week for book club members. Invite anyone interested to join and watch your numbers increase.

Classroom Teachers:  Incorporate student directed book clubs in your classroom during silent reading. See how well the students can put into practice all the skills you’ve taught.

Watch for author events taking place at your local book store or invite an author to come to your school.  

What Does the Program Provide?

To initiate the program in your school, the Canadian Children’s Book Club Program provides the following:

• A booklet called How to Start Your Own Book Club for each member
• A list of Canadian titles selected annually by professionals
• One free book from the list for each new club member starting the program
• Option to purchase books listed at a discount off the retail price
• Free book delivery to schools and;
• Exclusive author visits at local book stores

Is there a Cost? 

• The Canadian Children’s Book Club Program operates as a not-for-profit
• The program is currently being offered at no cost to schools beyond the purchase of books used for the program
• Organized author visits at book stores are funded by the program and free to     schools and book clubs
  
• We can facilitate author visits at individual schools upon request. School visits are    subject to fees set by the author
• Participating schools are expected to purchase a junior, intermediate or combined     set of books currently listed for the program

About the Books     

• By Canadian authors
• Appropriate for grades 4-8 students
• Recent publications
• Selected yearly
• Pre-read and assessed
• Discussion questions provided

Expectations

• Schools are expected to have one complete set of the titles (junior, intermediate or     combined) listed available to the children participating in the program
• Students attending author visits at book stores are expected to read the assigned     book prior to the visit

How to get the Program in my School 

• Identify who will champion the program: This can be a teacher librarian, staff member or parent volunteer
• Contact Tessa Griffin
  
  

Students

Anyone can join a book club. However, the Canadian Children’s Book Club Program is designed for students in the junior and intermediate grades.

• If you are a student in grade 4-8 at an elementary or middle school in Toronto and are interested in starting your own book club, ask your teacher or Librarian to contact Tessa Griffin.
• We can start the program immediately.
  
  

 

Authors

Each year a committee selects a list of recently published titles by Canadian authors to be used in the Canadian Children’s Book Club Program. The Program is responsible for organizing a number of events at local book stores in the Toronto area and can facilitate school visits.  

All submissions must be made by publishers not by individual authors. If your book has been selected for this year’s Book Club Program you will be notified by your publisher. At which point, you will be asked if you are willing to participate in book store and school events during the school year.

About the Author Events

• Students are invited with the expectation they have read the book. *
• A minimum of 15 students per visit guaranteed.
• Authors are paid an honorarium per book store visit.
• All events take place during school hours and are one hour in length.
• Other books by the author are displayed and available for sale.
• Time is allotted for book signing and a snack.

* As a result of this expectation the meetings lend themselves to meaningful discussion. Authors welcome the feedback from the students and appreciate the thoughtful questions. Questions are fielded about the book and the writing process in general.  Discussions include personal writing habits, character and plot development and aspects of how to get published. 

If you would like one of your books to be considered for the Canadian Children’s Book Club Program please notify your publisher and have them contact Tessa Griffin.

 

 

Publishers

A goal of the Canadian Children’s Book Club Program is to raise awareness, educate and impact the demand for quality Canadian fiction. Publishers have the opportunity to introduce new works into participating schools. The titles selected for the program are distributed and delivered on behalf of the publishers. As this demand increases, so too will the benefits to participating publishers.

At least one copy of each title is purchased by participating schools as they begin the program each year.  Schools may order multiple copies of one or more titles at any point in the year. Publisher donations are called upon to support the program benefit of one free book to new members. The number of books donated yearly by participating publishers is subject to the following factors. 1. The number of titles selected from each publisher for the program that year; 2. Student demand (what books are chosen from the list by new club members) and 3. The individual budgets of participating publishers.

This model remains fluid to suit the nature of the program and the industry as a whole. The focus is to encourage participation from select publishers in order to raise awareness of quality Canadian books and place them in the hands of children.   

About the Submissions

All submissions must be:

• By Canadian authors
• Ready for distribution by the first week in September of any given year
• Recent publications
• Age specific 9-14 years (grades 4-8)
• Appropriate for use in TDSB and Catholic Schools
  

The Canadian Children’s Book Club Program purchases books from publishers at the wholesale price. Margins generated through the sale of books goes to support the costs of program delivery.

Author Awareness   

All authors (local and out of town) must be informed they are on the CCBCP list and made aware they may be invited to participate in book store events in Toronto.  

 

 

 

Book Sellers

Bookstores with the proper venue are invited to host author visits. They generate sales on books purchased by visiting students and by the accompanying teachers and parents. Hosting author visits increases traffic through the store, stimulating sales and helping to connect their local community. Relationships between the store and the schools are fostered as well as between the schools who attend. 

To qualify your store must have a space large enough to hold a minimum of 15 students aged 9-14. 

About the Author Events

All events take place during school hours and are one hour in length.

What We Do

• Book the authors
• Guarantee an audience
• Run the event

What the Bookstore Does

• Provide a space free of noise by competing activities, overhead music and announcements.
• Set up a display of books written by visiting author.
• Have copies of these books available for students to purchase.
• Provide a small table for snack.  
  

If you are interested in hosting author visits at your store for children taking part in the Canadian Children’s Book Club Program, please contact Tessa Griffin.