ABCs of starting a book club

If you're starting a mother-daughter book club, begin by inviting friends.

"This makes the book selection process run more smoothly," says author Shireen Dodson, noting that friends also tend to have shared values. Beyond that, she has just one rule: It takes a single objection to drop a book from the list.

To facilitate book selection, last autumn Dodson came out with "100 Books for Girls to Grow On," (HarperPerennial, $14). It includes both new and classic tales as well as discussion questions and book-themed activities.

Ms. Dodson, who has now created a second club with her younger daughter, observes that most clubs work best meeting once a month, and most usually rotate homes in order to give all the host-daughters the opportunity to lead the discussion. If over time, the girls grow bored with the format, try a variation. For example, read a script of a play, go see the play, then gather to talk about it.