FAQs
Check out some of the most common questions and get answers — so you can have all you need to feel good about joining a book club today…
How it Works
Children as young as two and teens up to age 18 are welcome!
We believe that you know your child best for maturity and where he or she will fit in a club – and here are the age categories that we suggest:
Early Readers: Ages 3-5 (and possibly 2-6); parents attend, too!
Elementary Readers: Ages 5-8 (and possibly 4-10); parents attend, too!
Middle Grade: Ages 8-12 (and possibly 7-13); parents attend, too!
Young Adult: Ages 13-18
Science Fiction & Fantasy: Ages 13-18
Classics: Ages 13-18
Young Writers Club: Ages 14-18 (and possibly 13)
If you have any questions about your child’s age and attending a club, feel free to send a message here.
You can sign up on each individual Club page. Visit the How it Works page here for more.
Clubs can meet once or up to six times.
Picture book and younger children’s meetings are usually 40-45 minutes long. Clubs are never more than 50 minutes.
Picture book story time Clubs have activities and crafts. Be sure to check your Club page, to know what to have ready to enjoy the fun!
All other Book Clubs have a reading schedule listed on the Club page (at the bottom, left). Students read their chapters BEFORE the Club meets. So be sure to print the page and write down the reading schedule, so you’re prepared for each Club meeting!
So the “homework” for chapter books is reading pages ahead of time, to prepare for the Club discussion time together.
During the Club
Your privacy and safety is important to us!
In the Zoom room, for privacy, we ask students to enter the room with their screen only showing a first name and last initial (no last names). In the discussions, only first names are used. And as much as possible, we plan to keep students’ video views off the recorded video.
However, sometimes students’ view is video captured in a discussion – we cannot 100% guarantee that a child’s video will not be a part of a recording. When you register for the club, you will be asked to acknowledge that you give permission for your student’s camera view to be on a recording (again, just in case it happens). We ensure the best safety and security policies, with everyone on the same page together.
If the book’s author is your Club Guide, you’ll spend time LIVE with the author. You’ll get to ask questions, too!
Club meetings are recorded. If you miss a meeting, simply contact the Guide, to get a recording of your session.
Parents
Parents are asked to attend with all children 12 and under. Parents don’t have to be on camera, but you can be! Many kids and parents sit together and enjoy the club together.
We also recommend that early teens have a parent nearby and in the room. Thanks for helping us give all club members a fun, safe, and enjoyable experience by following these guidelines.
Though parents are to be “in” the Club, parents don’t have to be on camera. But you can be!
We recommend being a part of the Club in whatever way is best for your child. Whether your child sits on your lap or you’re off-camera but still at the table – we’re glad you’re here!
Books
Books can be purchased from any bookseller, and you can also get your book from the library. However – we do encourage you to support authors and purchase the book! All books can be purchased directly from the Club page.
Also – here at True North Book Clubs, we believe it’s important to support our local booksellers – so we’ve teamed up with Bookshop.org to do just that. When you buy your Book Club book here, you’re supporting small shops and those who are in your own community. When you click on the link, you’ll be taken directly to the True North Book Clubs page where all of the Book Club books are listed. Scroll down to your Club type, to easily find your book.
And for the Young Writers Club, we highly encourage members to buy the book so the student can annotate and learn at the highest level possible!
If you have any questions about books and book purchases, contact us here.
Here at True North Book Clubs, we believe it’s important to support our local booksellers – so we’ve teamed up with Bookshop.org to do just that.
When you buy your Book Club book here, you’re supporting small shops and those who are in your own community. When you click on the link, you’ll be taken directly to the True North Book Clubs page where all of the Book Club books are listed. Scroll down to your Club type, to easily find your book.
If you have any questions about books and book purchases, contact us here.
Sign Up
Club prices vary, depending on how many times the Club meets (1-6 times) the length of a Club (40-50 minutes), the content provided for you (activities and educational pages), and the presenter/author. A single club may be $4.97, and a six-week club with educational pages and learning that lasts six weeks will be higher.
Yes—the price listed is for as many immediate family members as you’d like to attend (one price, many family members). Siblings can share a screen and count as one, but if your family wants to use separate log-ins or have friends who want to attend, then each student is an individual payment to join.
You’ll receive an email within 48 hours of signing up with all kinds of details! Visit the How it Works page for more.
Technical Help
The True North Book Clubs use Zoom. For privacy information, please visit the Privacy, Safety, and Respect page.
The first time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to download what’s needed to run Zoom. You’ll want working video and audio on your computer, to enter into the discussions.
If you have a clear microphone and camera with your computer, a headset isn’t necessary.
However, especially for teens in the more advanced Clubs (and the Young Writers Club), if there are any outside noises in your home that could distract your teen from being fully involved, we recommend using any quality headset with a microphone.
Get Recorded Book Clubs
Once a LIVE Club is finished, it’s placed into recording. Anyone can purchase the recording.
You can get any “past” Book Club here.
Prices of recorded Clubs vary, based on the length of the Club and the Guide leading the Club – but in general, recorded Clubs are a lower price than a LIVE club.
Young Writers Club
The Young Writers Club is, quite literally, professional fiction writing coaching for your teen!
In the Young Writers Club, your teen gets how-to-write secrets and instruction by Master of Fine Arts instructors who are published authors, professional editors, and Hollywood screenwriters (the MFA is the highest degree that a writing professional can achieve!).
Your Guides are international writing coaches and speakers, university fiction writing faculty, international writing contest judges, Hollywood writers, and consultants to published authors.
So your learning and Club discussions are the highest level of learning that any teen can get, for writing fiction.
Check out and join the Young Writers Club here.
The Young Authors Club is a special ongoing Club that meets most every week, with breaks at holidays.
Each how-to-write book that we study and discuss is covered in a four- to six-week meeting – and clubs are, for the most part, back to back – so that your student consistently learns and grows in writing skills!
Special guest best-selling authors and Hollywood screenwriters join in, too. See the Young Writers Club page for details!
Because the Club is ongoing, and because the recordings are posted weekly, you can jump in as a Young Writers Book Club member at any time in a Club’s schedule (even if a Club has started, you can join now).
Students must be between the ages of 14 and 18, to join the Young Writers Club. Special permission may be given to a 13-year student. Contact us with questions!
Reading Help
The True North Book Club supports all readers and students from all walks of life and areas of the world. The Book Clubs are affiliated with True North Reading—but you don’t have to be a member of True North Reading to enjoy the Book Clubs. If you’re learning to read with True North Reading, then the Book Clubs make your learn-to-read experience complete in a way that perfectly matches!
Yes! The True North Reading: The Complete Mastery Reading & Spelling Program for students ages 2-15 is here for you!
As he companion how-to-read program to True North Book Clubs, True North Reading is the phoneme-based, research-based, hands-on, done-for-you learn-to-read program with easy online access where you can get one-on-one help, too. If your student struggles with reading or spelling in any way, check it out now.
More…
No. Beyond the affiliation with True North Reading, we are not connected with any other organization, religion, creed, or the like. All are welcome and all are celebrated!
Yes! Visit the Privacy, Safety, and Respect page for more.
Though there’s no accreditation or affiliation with a school, parents who school from home can use the Club time and content as part of the student’s Language Arts credit.