Local Writers Launch Beehive Book Club

Good things happen in book clubs. And two local writers, both of whom are active homeschooling parents, decided to explore that with their children and friends. Now comes the publication of the first two volumes of Beehive Book Club, Family Favorites and Read the World, in which authors Haley Bouffard and Hayley Croft share lists of suggested titles, discussion questions, crafts for kids, recipes related to the books, and tips for hosting memorable book club meetings.

On Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m., Haley and Hayley will celebrate their book launch at Moon Lake Library, where Hayley Croft is the secretary of the Municipal Library Board. The community is invited to attend and to hear from the authors about their work on the book and their path to publication via Goldberry Press.

A longtime fan of the Close Reads podcast, Hayley Croft became friends with the podcasters, one of whom, David Kern, is the owner of Goldberry Books, an independent local bookseller in Concord, North Carolina. As she and her good friend Haley Bouffard became more excited about book clubs and how they work, they began developing ideas for using book clubs with children and in communities. Goldberry Press, an independent publishing house launched by the bookstore team, was the logical place to pitch their idea, and before long their project was underway.

“When we started homeschooling, we did book clubs to go along with history,” Hayley explained. “When my girls were younger, we did American Girl book clubs. Then I did a book club for my son with his friends. We went through all of the wars — French and Indian War, American Revolution, and Civil War — and would read historical fiction and get together and discuss it. The boys would re-enact battles as a way to complement the history.

“When I moved here, I met Haley, and she joined the homeschool co-op that I started. One of her first questions was, could we do book clubs? I told her, yes, I was hoping we would do that! Haley had moved around a lot, just like our family, and she felt book clubs were a great way to find community. She had started a book club for adults as soon as she moved here. Then when we met, we started the book club for the co-op.

“I feel like we both have a similar vision for how to make magical experiences for kids. We want all kids to have an affection for stories and to have positive associations with reading. For our kids, a big thing is the community part of it. They read stories with their friends and it’s really neat to see how they have this common archive of language around these stories. Whenever they’re playing on the playground, they’re acting out these stories that they’ve all read together. It’s been a great way for them to bond and have a community,” Hayley said.

The first volume of Beehive Book Club is Family Favorites, which focuses on classic American and British children’s books: Anne of Green Gables, The Wind in the Willows, My Side of the Mountain, Wizard of Oz, and The Hobbit. The second volume is Read the World, and it includes Esperanza Rising, Cow Switch Tail, Heidi, Rickshaw Girl, and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

We hope you’ll join us at Moon Lake Library on Sunday, August 24, at 2 PM for the program and reception. Books will be available for sale and for signing.