Great Stories Club
Learn more about ALA's reading and discussion program for underserved youth.
Thanks to these librarians, humanities scholars, authors and other advisors to the Great Stories Club.
All libraries are invited to access free Great Stories Club materials, including book lists, discussion questions and more.
ALA has worked with external evaluators to assess the Great Stories Club's impact.
Learn how your library can be part of an upcoming round of the Great Stories Club.
Learn about the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Great Stories Club.
New to the Great Stories Club?
Download our free programming guide to get started!
5 Creative Ways to Build a Great Stories Club
Since Great Stories Club started in 2006, host libraries and organizations have implemented the program in various ways — in person and online, and with different groups of young people, including those in alternative schools, correctional facilities, juvenile detention centers, or those experiencing homelessness or other trauma.
Guidelines are available, but the program is flexible. Many librarians and community Great Stories Club leaders have shared how they tailored the book groups to their communities.
In the News
2025
- "From prisons to youth centers: Starting book clubs inside" (Jails to Jobs, March 11, 2025)
2024
- "The Great Stories Club inspires an enthusiasm for reading" (ABC Wisconsin, April 24, 2025)
2023
- "Education Matters: Students gain love for reading thanks to school’s book club" (Your Central Valley, December 11, 2023)
- "The Library Club Helping Teens Reflect, Read, and Heal" (Dallas Weekly, October 29, 2023)
- "Ypsilanti District Library to launch book club for underserved teens" (CBS Detroit, July 25, 2023)
The Great Stories Club is an initiative of the American Library Association's Public Programs Office.
