Talking about books, for most of us, is not easy. It requires critical language, the self-confidence to hazard opinions that others may not agree with, the mental tenacity to develop a line of thought, and the flexibility to revise it. But the proliferation of adult book clubs in recent years is testimony to the pleasures to be gained from sharing insights, disputing the finer points, and recommending further reading.

If it works for adults, why not for children? In a climate where educationists are forever seeking new initiatives to make reading “fun”, the idea seems obvious. Some children’s book clubs already exist, in an ad hoc sort of way. But Chatterbooks, launched last autumn and sponsored by Orange and Launchpad, is an initiative aiming to extend them to public libraries throughout the country.

The scheme has been piloted in libraries in three areas, Manchester, Plymouth, and Kensington and Chelsea. This year, it will be implemented by a further 50 authorities.

The clubs, meeting monthly, are intended for children aged six to 12, but their structure - whether, for instance, they recruit from regular library users, or target non-users - is a matter for individual authorities and libraries.

“There is a perception that reading is a solitary activity, but that is something we need to blast apart,” says Jerry Hurst, Chatterbooks co-ordinator. He adds that the clubs will encourage parents to take more interest in their children’s choice of reading matter.

At Plymstock library, outside Plymouth, a group of 18 animated six to nine-year-olds (only four of them boys) gather to discuss the Jacqueline Wilson novels that they took away from the last session, have a go at crosswords and Harry Potter puzzles, and browse through the library’s Christmas books. They also get fruit and biscuits. “My mum goes to a book club, so I decided I’d go as well,” JJJsays Rebecca, six. “I’ve read JJJJan exciting book called Mark Spark in the Dark.”

The aims of this club, says Sally Walsh, Plymouth libraries co-ordinator, are “to promote reading as something enjoyable and to give children the confidence to talk about books. Children will readily talk about a video or a film, and we are trying to raise the status of reading and take the stigma away.”

How the books are chosen is up to the club’s organiser. At Plymstock, the librarian chooses the theme for each meeting, and schedules in a free-choice session.

At this age, children tend to see achievement in terms of number of pages (“Do you know how many pages of Harry Potter I’ve read?” I was asked more than once). They’re more likely to embark on a long garbled account of a plot than to tell you why they liked or disliked a book.

“Questions need to be carefully constructed; ‘This is your book, what do you like about it?’, rather than ‘What is this book about?’,” says Sally Walsh. “It’s to do with freedom of choice and validating their views as an independent reader. It’s about giving them the sense that they’re entitled to their own response to a book - laughing, crying - even if other people don’t react in the same way.”

When some of the older children sit round a table to talk about the Jacqueline Wilson books, the idea begins to dawn - with careful guidance from Sally - that it doesn’t matter if they don’t all agree. Most of the girls hold up smiley face cards (props like this can help to get discussion going), but Emily, nine, holds up a blank face and admits to being “puzzled” by certain aspects of My Brother Bernadette, which she then spells out. Sally suggests that what the others have to say may help to “unpuzzle” her, and Emily resolves to read it again. Jacob, also nine, says he didn’t enjoy Twin Trouble, “because it was boring, and mostly about girls - it was hard to get stuck into”. Then a mini-discussion ensues about Dick King Smith, and the “moral” that Becky identifies in his stories.

One strength of the public library, says Jerry Hurst, is that it is not school. “But the two can work in partnership.” In the key stage 2 national literacy strategy, children begin to acquire the critical tools for these sorts of conversations about books. They look at authorship and genre, and guided reading sessions start them on critical discussion of how texts work. But busy primary teachers, with curriculum objectives to keep to, are unlikely to find very much time for children to talk to each other in this exploratory and informal way about what they have been reading. The extracurricular book club is an ideal way to enhance and supplement classroom work.

Literacy consultant and regular TESPrimary contributor Sue Palmer, would like to see school book clubs in the lunch hour or after school. She says:

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for children to use all that they have learnt in their lessons, but to do it for love, to do it for fun. What makes it fun is the extent to which their own opinions and attitudes are valued, and the way in which they are allowed to set the pace.”

For more details of the Chatterbooks scheme, contact your local library service