As we rush into the start of another school year, our focus at school tends to be on new teachers and subjects, but the start of the year often signals the start of many activities outside the classroom as well. With many clubs and activities running on the school-year schedule, the start of the year brings many new experiences after school. These books explore the dynamics and adventures in after-school clubs, from forging new friendships, finding community, fighting for a cause, learning new things and, most importantly, having fun.
Picture Books
“The Great Pollinator Count”
by Susan Edwards Richmond, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
It’s time for the Science Club to do their annual Great Pollinator Count. Mellie and the other members are hoping the school’s community garden has attracted more pollinators this year than last year. Mellie invites a new student, Jason, to join the club but is disappointed when he comes but isn’t interested in counting “icky” bugs. When they are partnered up for the project, Mellie’s knowledge and enthusiasm starts to change his mind. In this fun story about teamwork and citizen science, readers will learn a lot about pollinating insects!
“Just One Girl: A Fight for Equal Rights”
by Trinka Hakes Noble, illustrated by Amanda Calatzis
Jillian loves math and is excited to join her school’s math club. However, there aren’t any girls in math club, and when Jillian signs up, the boys all laugh at her, telling her she’s not smart enough and girls should be in the cooking club. It’s the 1970s, and after crying in the bathroom, Jillian takes her name off the sign-up list. But after talking to important women in her life — an elderly neighbor, her mother and her math teacher — she regains her confidence and signs back up, realizing sometimes it might just take one girl to step forward.
“Over Scheduled Andrew”
written and illustrated by Ashley Spires
Andrew loves performing and drama club. He also loves playing with his best friend, Eddie. To improve his public speaking, he joins the debate club. To improve his dancing, he joins karate and ballet. Things continue to spiral, and he’s added chess club, bagpipe lessons, the school paper, the French film club and more. Andrew is soon so busy he no longer has time to play with Eddie, is dancing in debate club, playing the bagpipe in tennis and worst of all, he’s so tired he sleeps through his cue in the school play! It’s time for Andrew (with Eddie’s help) to take a look at all of his activities, drop more than a few and come up with a new schedule that includes a lot of free time.
Early Elementary
“It’s a Sign”
by Jarrett Pumphrey, illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey
In this humorous early reader, four friends decide to make a sign for their new club. Everyone has a lot of ideas and talents, but they still need to figure out some critical information, such as what their club does and what it’s called.
“Dinosaur Club: The T-Rex Attack”
by Rex Stone, illustrated by Louise Forshaw
The Dinosaur Club is a worldwide organization of kids who love dinosaurs. Jamie and Tess are both members and are excited to meet when exploring Ammonite Bay. When they’re looking at a cave whose walls are full of fossils, they see a strange tunnel, and when they go through, they come face-to-face with living dinosaurs. Full of dinosaur facts, this is the first in an action-packed adventure series.
“Nugget and Dog: All Ketchup, No Mustard!”
written and illustrated by Jason Tharp
In the town of Gastropolis, Nugget and Dog are best friends. When spicy Dijon Mustard launches project G.R.U.M.P.S. (Giant Real Ugly Monsters with Perfect Scowls), Nugget and Dog start a K.E.T.C.H.U.P club (Kind, Empathetic, Thoughtful, Courageous, Helpful, Unique, Powerful) to fight back. This is a fun, high-energy graphic novel full of food puns.
Middle Grade
“Table Titans Club”
by Scott R. Kurtz
Val hasn’t always had an easy time at school. Her quick temper and overactive imagination tend to land her in trouble, but a new school is a chance to start over. When she’s invited to join the Dungeons & Dragons club, she quickly learns the game and finds a great outlet for her imagination and emotions. But when the club needs a new faculty advisor, the only available teacher will only do it if one of them also joins the wrestling team. Val makes the team, finding another outlet for her energy. A great exploration of friendship and being true to oneself, this graphic novel is the first in a series.
“Join the Club Maggie Diaz”
by Nina Moreno, illustrated by Courney Lovett
Maggie has high hopes for seventh grade — mostly having fun with her friends and proving to her mom she’s responsible and mature enough to get a cell phone. But when school starts, everyone’s busy with their after-school activities. Everyone but Maggie seems to have found their true passion. To see what her true passion is, Maggie joins every club she can, hoping to find one that will stick, but juggling all of her clubs with her friends and homework is harder than it looks in this upbeat series opener.
“Isabel in Bloom”
by Mae Respicio
Isabel has just moved to the U.S. from the Philippines. Her mother is always working and she misses her grandparents. Her grandfather told her to look for things that feel familiar, so she starts working in her school’s neglected garden. She then joins the culinary club and as the year goes on, she starts to find her new community and a new sense of home. This heartfelt and moving story is told in many forms of poetry.
Teen
“We Don’t Have Time for This”
by Brianna Craft
Co-presidents of their high school’s environmental justice club, Isa and Darius constantly clash over which actions the club should take. While Isa wants direct action to fight against the issues that are currently affecting their daily lives, Darius would rather do more passive actions that will look good on college resumes. When a new gas pipeline threatens their town’s climate, employment and the health of their neighbors, they have to find a way to work together if they want to actually stop it in this upbeat and inspiring read.
“Banned Book Club”
by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada, illustrated by Ko Hyung-Ju
In 1983, college freshman Kim Hyun Sook learns that all art is political, even her traditional dance group and reading Shakespeare. She joins a club that reads book banned by South Korea’s repressive military dictatorship, which has life-and-death consequences for her and her classmates. This moving graphic memoir still resonates today.
“The Ping-Pong Queen of Chinatown”
by Andrew Yang
In order to beef up his college applications and prove to his parents he’s not a quitter, Felix Ma starts a film club at his high school. When the club (which is just Felix and one other member) decide to make a movie, Felix thinks Cassie Chow should star. Cassie is the one who beat Felix at everything, from piano to ping-pong, when he was younger. The film is supposed to be a mockumentary, but Felix’s college admissions coach thinks it should be more serious and soon the film starts cutting very close to home for Felix and Cassie as they get to actually know each other and the painful truths they don’t want to reveal in this compelling read.
