I am a co-host for the 2016-17 Virtual Book Club for Kids season. This post is your reference for all of the books (along with suggested alternates if you can’t find the featured book) and activities for this season’s book club.

2016-17 VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB FOR KIDS BOOKS

Do you want to get ready for future weeks? Here are the books for the rest of September and October! All of these books should be available at your local library, but you can also pick a different picture book that works for that week’s theme. I’ve included one alternate that my family loves for each week.

September 12th

Themes: Apples
Featured book: Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss (under the pen name of Theo LeSieg). Here is the apples themed learning activities post that go with this book and theme.

September 19th

Theme: Friendship

Featured Book: Should I Share my Ice Cream? by Mo Willems. We LOVE this Elephant and Piggie series, and any of the books would work for the friendship theme! Here are friendship activities that go with this book and theme.

SEPTEMBER 26th

Theme: Leaves

Featured Book: Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. Leaves ! Leaves! Leaves! makes a great alternate pick for this theme. This post has wonderful leaf-themed learning activities to go along with either one of these books.

OCTOBER 3rd

Theme: Pumpkins

Featured Book: 5 Little Pumpkins by Dan Yaccarino. There is a fun new Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins book out that would also be fun for this week! Here are this week’s pumpkin themed learning activities for preschoolers!

OCTOBER 10th

Theme: Farms

Featured Book: Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle. Big Red Barn is a sweet alternate read. My co-hosts came up with wonderful farm-themed learning activities for this unit!

OCTOBER 17th

Theme: Spiders

Featured Book: The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. Miss Spider’s Tea Party is a cute book you could substitute for this week. It seems to be out of print, but used copies are very inexpensive and it is still likely to be available in libraries. My co-hosts shared fun activities for this spider themed unit!

OCTOBER 24th

Theme: Night

Featured Book: Time for Bed by Mem Fox. Kitten’s First Full Moon is a lovely night-themed book that could work as an alternative for this week. Check out all of our night-themed learning activities!

OCTOBER 31st

Theme: Owls

Featured Book: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell. We ADORE Waddell’s book. In My Tree is an adorable interactive owl-themed picture book. My co-hosts shared adorable owl activities for this book!

November 7th

Theme: Gratitude
Featured Book: Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson. Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland and The Thankful Book by Todd Parr are great alternates for this week’s theme. Here are some wonderful gratitude activities for kids from this week.

November 14th

Theme: Dinosaurs
Featured Book: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems. When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach is a family favorite that would work beautifully with this theme. Here are this week’s dinosaur-themed learning activities.

November 28th

Theme: Construction
Featured Book: Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker. Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming and B Is for Bulldozer: A Construction ABC by June Sobel are great alternatives for this theme. Here are this week’s construction themed learning activities.

December 5th

Theme: Gingerbread
Featured Book: The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth. Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett and Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun are two fun alternatives for this theme. Here are this week’s gingerbread themed learning activities.

December 12th

Theme: Trains
Featured Book: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story is a touching alternative choice for this theme, based on a true story. Check out this week’s train themed learning activities.

January 2nd

Theme: Winter
Featured Book: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Red Sled by Lita Judge is a great alternative for this week’s theme. Check out everyone’s snow-themed learning activities.

January 9th

Theme: Bears
Featured Book: Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming. Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear is a fun alternate read for this week’s theme. Here are this week’s bear themed learning activities.

January 16th

Theme: Kindness
Featured Book: The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney. The Invisible Boy by Patrice Barton would also work well for this theme. Explore kindness themed activities.

January 23rd

Theme: Penguins
Featured Book: Penguin and the Pinecone by Salina Yoon. Penguin Problems by Jory John is a fun book that also works for this theme. Here are this week’s penguin learning activities for kids.

January 30th

Theme: Baking
Featured Book: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann is another popular picture book featuring baking. Check out this week’s Baking Activities for Kids.

February 6th

Theme: Love
Featured Book: The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond. The Kiss Box by Bonnie Verburg is another wonderful book for this theme. Here are some fun heart-themed learning activities to go along with this book!

February 13th

Theme: Weather
Featured Book: Little Cloud by Eric Carle. Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld is another cute weather-themed picture book. Here are this week’s weather themed activities.

February 20th

Theme: Forest
Featured Book: The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward is another lovely forest themed picture book. My co-hosts shared wonderful forest themed learning activities for this week!

February 27th

Theme: Dr. Seuss
Featured Book: Pick your favorite Dr. Seuss book! Go here for Dr. Seuss themed learning activities.

March 6th

Theme: Rainbows
Featured Book: A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman. The Rainbow Book by Kate Ohrt is a great emotional intelligence themed alternate read for this theme. There are lots of fun rainbow themed learning activities for this week!

March 13

Theme: Garden
Featured Book: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. The Curious Garden is another wonderful picture book for this theme. Enjoy this week’s garden themed learning activities.

March 20

Theme: Boats
Featured Book: Toy Boat by Randall de Sève. You can also read Boats by Byron Barton for this week’s theme. Check out the wide variety of boat themed learning activities for this week!

March 27

Theme: Bunnies
Featured Book: Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems. Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown is a very sweet picture book you can also read for this theme. Give our eraser-stamped bunnies and other bunny themed learning activities a try!

April 3

Theme: Easter/Eggs/Chicks
Featured Book: Peep and Egg: I’m Not Hatching by Laura Gehl. Jan Brett’s The Easter Egg is another fun read for this theme. This week inspired some great Easter, eggs, and chick themed activities!

April 10

Theme: Airplanes
Featured Book: The Noisy Airplane Ride by Mike Downs. The Little Airplane by Lois Lenski is another fun book for this theme. Here are this week’s airplane themed learning activities.

April 17

Theme: Earth
Featured Book: The Earth Book by Todd Parr. You can also read What Does It Mean to Be Green for this week. This week’s earth themed learning activities are perfect for celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd.

April 24

Theme: Nursery Rhymes
Featured Book: Pick your favorite! We love Over in the Meadow. We also love Clare Beaton’s Farmyard Rhymes. Here is the Five Little Ducks activity we shared for this week, along with other fun nursery rhyme activities for kids.

May 1

Theme: Butterflies
Featured Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This caterpillar to butterfly craft is the perfect companion for this book!

May 8

Theme: Space
Featured Book: How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers. I shared some great space activities for kids this week!

May 15

Theme: Pond
Featured Book: In the Small Small Pond by Denise Fleming. We made a duck matching game printable for this week.

May 22

Theme: Ocean
Featured Book: A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. Check out our homemade chocolate sea shells, as well as other ocean themed crafts from this week.

May 29

Theme: Shapes
Featured Book: Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert is another fun book for exploring shapes with kids. Here are this week’s shape activities for preschoolers.

And that’s it for the 2016-17 session of the Virtual Book Club for Kids! I hope you discovered some great books and fun activities!