About
For Preschoolers—Elementary Students—Pre-teens—Young Adults—
“Live” and Recorded Online Book Clubs
The True North Book Club is an online meeting place for stories and reading books—a place of fun and education for young booklovers everywhere…
About True North Book Clubs…
Your preschooler, elementary student, and teen can join an online Book Club to learn with the best authors and Literary Guides, have oodles of fun, and become a lifelong reader!
Skilled Literary Guides and the actual books’ authors lead you through famous and powerful stories that can positively shape our lives—helping us to grow smarter, become more aware, and increase our emotional intelligence—so we can not only “do better in school” but also gain a stronger understanding of ourselves, our community, and our world.
Join in one of the many online Book Clubs—with a one-time preschool story time or a series of meetings—where your child reads a chapter book and learns how to think powerfully about the story. Young adult readers can take an educational deep-dive into a classic, to help prepare for college—or students can simply join in for the excitement and thrill of meeting, spending time with, and discussing a book with its author.
And for those aspiring to be writers, the Young Writers Club is a place where they can “sit at the feet” of published authors and skilled Master of Fine Arts (MFA) teachers, to read, study, and discuss the most esteemed how-to-write books available today. When you meet regularly with your Master Teacher and other like-minded youth across the nation and world, you get to move ahead now—to become the writer that you dream to be.
There’s a club for everyone! Check out the clubs now here.
About your Book Club Leaders and Guides…
Your Book Club Guides are the book’s authors and illustrators; literary and English specialists; teachers with degrees in literature, writing, and English; professional and published writers and editors; and those with a passion for story who are devoted to storytelling, learning and education, and developing intelligent, caring youth.
Authors
What makes the True North Book Club truly special is being able to meet and spend time with the actual author of your favorite book. In a way that no one else can, your Author Guide helps you learn and connect with the story’s deepest secrets, learn critical thinking about story, and get excited about reading!
Literary Guides
Club Literary Guides are leaders who have degrees and teaching experience in Literature, English, and Writing (often with advanced terminal degrees, such as MFAs, EdDs, and PhDs) who help bring your child and teen special ways to think about what their learning, to learn how to learn and focus on what’s important in story, to remember and comprehend deeper, and to think clearly about what’s being read. So you can get a sound educational experience—and can learn to enjoy reading more!
About How We Came to Be…
In the midst of the 2020 pandemic, bookstores and schools shut down and many authors lost their personal connection to readers through on-site readings, book signings, school visits, and Comic Cons.
Likewise, during this time, celebrities, teachers, and literary experts began to use Zoom to connect children, youth, and families with story. Jennifer Garner (chief brand officer of “Once Upon a Farm” organics, board member of Save the Children, and actor in Pearl Harbor, 13 Going on 30, Alias, and more) brought us celebrities telling stories. Taika Waititi (actor and director of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, The Mandalorian, and more) and others began gathering people online to read story and use the Internet to connect families and children in fun, powerful ways.
Driven by a passion to create social connecting places online of fun and learning, the 30-year educational leader and curriculum developer Erin M. Brown, MA/MFA, Creator and Director of True North Reading, an online how-to-read program for kids ages 2-15 (and an author herself), realized the power of being able to connect online with story—and True North Book Clubs were born.
About the Director and Staff…
Bring your child and teen the experience of educational learning and a love of story—with support by professionals who care.
Your Support
Your Clubs are led behind the scenes by a support staff that helps keep you informed and connected. If you have any questions, you can reach out to truenorthreading@gmail.com for fast answers.
Your Leaders
True North Book Clubs are a division of Celtic Cross Communications—a web of online educational resources to help your child learn to read, spell, write, and communicate with excellence.
The Director
Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA (aka author EB Conroy/Erin Brown Conroy), is a speaker, curriculum leader, online program developer, and educational director with a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s degree in a special education field, and a terminal degree in Creative Writing, Genre Fiction. She has been teaching for over 45 years and creating, coaching, and speaking worldwide for over 25 years on teaching and learning, reading, spelling, and writing—and works with authors, screenwriters, and celebrities on developing their stories.
Erin’s the author of nine books; thousands of articles, content pages, and web pieces; and over 70 online courses and curricula on reading, writing, leadership, and communication. A former two-time university professor and lead communications curriculum designer for a university, Erin is the Creator and Director of True North Reading, the hands-on, multi-sensory, sound-based online reading program that helps parents across the world teach their children to read and spell. She also developed and leads Aquinas Writing Advantage, an online learn-to-write program for middle and high school students.
With a passion for developing young writers, Erin loves leading some of the Young Writers Clubs and connecting one-on-one with young authors here at the True North Book Club.
To get more information about Erin, visit this page.
To learn more about how your child can learn to read (and spell) with excellence, visit True North Reading.
To check out all the Book Clubs on the calendar, go here.
About Your Team
Robin Conley, MFA
Membership Specialist/Publications Editor,True North Reading
After working in Hollywood as a writing consultant and editor, Robin brings 10+ years experience as a professional educator and editor on the ground and on the web to True North Reading as she travels the world teaching, consulting as a writing coach, and writing her own projects for publication.
Emma Conner, BA
Webmaster/Creative Technical DirectorEmma Conner is a web developer and designer living in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. As well as her work with True North Reading, she’s helped develop the web presence of artists, entrepreneurs, authors, and nonprofits. In her spare time, she creates independent tabletop and video games.
Joel K. Brown
Publications Assistant,True North Reading
Joel K. Brown brings a love of detail and layout to his work creating program pages and documents for students and families. Joel is an avid reader of Tolkien and Shakespeare, is a fan of all things historical, and enjoys gaming in his spare time.
Cait Bertch, OT
Publications Specialist,True North Reading
Cait has a Masters in Occupational Therapy from Wayne State University (MI) and a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan. In addition to enjoying working with patients and families in OT, Cait enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and mini goldendoodle.
Anna Schuett, MFA
Membership Specialist/Communications,True North Book Club
Anna Schuett has an English and Creative Writing degree and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. She enjoys working with families, teaching children, and helping students understand literature and how to become strong writers with Aquinas Writing Advantage program. Anna enjoys spending time with family and speaking all about books and stories on her podcast.
Dave Stricklen
Author Liason,True North Book Club
David Stricklen is a published author and school-visit speaker who has held many leadership roles in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in Michigan. In addition to working directly with authors and students, he is an award winning artist who enjoys painting, biking, keeping up with former officers from his police chief days, and spending time with his grandchildren.