book club for kids: mary poppins.

This year a friend of mine organized a little book-and-field-trip group. We meet the first Friday of every month during the school year for a field trip and three times we’ll read a book and have a “book club party” to discuss and celebrate it.

Today was the first book club meeting. It was scheduled for tomorrow but we decided to move it a day forward due to all the hurricane craziness around here; we showed up at a local park but discovered all government building/organizations are closed for the coming storm.

So our friend Kristin offered to host us last-minute in her backyard, and it turned out to be perfect. Perfect weather. Perfect grassy space for us all to spread out and eat and play.

We plan to read classic children’s books, and this year’s first was Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers. I’ve never read the book, and Judah, Amie, and I loved it (Gabe and Noah listened in from time to time but mostly we read it after they went to bed at night). Several moms looked after the younger kids during the 30-minute book discussion, then we ate a potluck “tea party” picnic lunch, and the kids made art with sidewalk chalk, just like Bert. Kelly led the discussion this time and said she was so impressed with how engaged and chatty all the kids were. They loved the book and loved having a group of friends to talk about it with.

My kids have yet to see the movie, and I can’t wait to show it to them tonight! It’s one of my all-time faves, and the Broadway show is pretty fantastic too. I also highly recommend the movie Saving Mr. Banks, about P.L. Travers’ childhood.

We love our new group!