About "Matters of the Heart" Book Clubs

Would you like to start a book club for teen girls? Or maybe you’d like to create a mother-daughter book club?

Matters of the Heart is your perfect choice!

“This is a must read book for teenage girls. Readers get to know themselves better as they work through “ten matters” (such as “You Matter,” “Words Matter,” and so on) to help them become better individuals. This book will affect everyone differently, but is helpful to all. It has the potential to be life-changing for all readers. It also provides an excellent avenue for communication between teenagers and adults. It gives girls tools that may help them through and/or get out of difficult situations. Highly recommended for book clubs for girls (especially middle school clubs, but high school ones work very well too). This book was well received by my high school book club.”

Valerie D., Naugatuck High School Media Specialist, CT

Matters of the Heart: A guide to living and loving your teen years provides a phenomenal avenue for communication, among teenagers and between teenagers and adults, and is a powerful tool to be used for any book club.

Matters of the Heart presents simple and straightforward guidance, offered in a loving and supportive tone, to help teen girls overcome negative influences and reach their full potential. It’s a life-affirming book that takes the reader through an uplifting and empowering journey of self-discovery. Each section, organized around one of the Ten Matters, offers sound, practical advice from the author, followed by personal insights from Nicki – a sixteen-year-old girl whose journal entries illustrate that the challenges and insecurities of teen life are all part of a natural process. The book includes writing prompts – questions that encourage girls to think about the choices they make, the goals they have, and the untapped power that lies within.

Matters of the Heart can be most beneficial for middle school students, although high school students find it a valuable book, as well. Students as young as 11 years old, and as old as 17 years old, have been found to benefit from participating in Matters of the Heart book clubs.

The following is a list of recommended and available tools for organizing and running a Matters of the Heart Book Club:

  • AuthorVisionforClubs.mp3
  • ReflectionsfromaMattersClub.mp3
  • Posters
  • Book marks
  • Sample Invitations
  • Sample press releases
  • Sample questions and activities

Benefits to Participating Members and/or Curriculum Connections:

  • First, a Matters of the Heart Book Club presents an engaging, interactive, and fun way to increase literacy among teenagers.
  • Matters of the Heart serves as a natural avenue to present numerous Information and Technology Literacy standards to students. The American Library Association’s Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning can be purchased at: http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/resourceguides/standardsguidelines.cfm Information Power contains “Information Literacy Standards [9 standards] for Student Learning,” prepared by American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Many school libraries already own a copy of Information Power and most media specialists are well aware of these nine standards.
  • Matters of the Heart Book Clubs encourage and teach excellent goal-setting habits and techniques. These book clubs can increase self-esteem by helping members identify what they like, what they want, and what their dreams and goals are.
  • Matters of the Heart Book Clubs foster friendships and help teen girls understand that they are not alone when it comes to facing the challenging issues of adolescence.

For more information on how to start your own Matters of the Heart Book Club, please send email to info@mymattersoftheheart.com