Family Dinner Book Club: Where the Sidewalk Ends

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Family Dinner Book Club is celebrating National Poetry Month!   This month we are featuring  Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.

We invite you to get a copy of the book and begin reading it with your family.

Then, use the great ideas below to plan your menu, make table decoration crafts, talk about the book and complete a family service project.  We have everything you need!

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Just to review a bit… Family Dinner Book Club is a monthly book club for your family.  On the 15th of each month, we share the title of the book that is being featured.  Then, on the 1st of each month we provide all the details for your special club dinner.  Sarah from Daisy at Home shares a special menu to compliment the book.  And, I will share conversation starters and a service project for your family.  Sarah and I will take turns showcasing table decoration crafts to make with the kids.

We invite you to share a picture from your dinner with us anytime during the month on our Family Dinner Book Club Facebook page.

Now, on to preparing for book club this month!

Family Dinner Book Club: Where the Sidewalk Ends

The Book

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

A fun collection of poems and drawings are awaiting you in this book!

Table Topics

Here are six conversation starters to get your dinner book club rolling.  Just click on this link (Where the Sidewalk Ends conversation starters) for a one page PDF file that you can print and then cut apart.  Use the cards on your chosen dinner night.  You, of course, don’t have to use all of them or you may even have some other discussion points that developed while you were reading.  These are just meant to be a guide.  Happy talking!

• Do you think poetry is easy or challenging to read?  Why?
• Do you think the pictures added to the poetry? Do you think that the poems would be as funny without the illustrations?
• What similarities did you notice amongst the poems?
• Which poem was your absolute most favorite?  Why?
• Pick a number between 10-170.  Now, lets turn to that page and reread the poem we find.
• Let’s read “Snowman” again together.  Now, let’s each illustrate the poem on our dinner table paper.

Family Service Project

Reread the following poems: Hug o’War, Listen to the Mustn’ts, No Difference and Love.  Talk about each poem together.  As a family decide which one speaks to your family the most.  Ask your kids, “Can you think of a service project we could do this month inspired by one of these poems?”

Plan your project and set a deadline to complete it.

Table Decorations

We are all about simple for table decorations!

Cover the dinner table with white craft paper.  Set out pens or pencils for each person to sketch before, during or after dinner.

Following the theme of “Band-Aids” poem, create place cards with band-aids.

Next to each place setting write a list of polite words from the poem, “I’m Making a List.”  During dinner each person can cross off polite words they say during dinner.

For a centerpiece have each child decorate a box with things they have collected.  This is inspired from “Two Boxes” and “Hector the Collector”.

 Menu

Head over to Daisy at Home to get your Where the Sidewalk Ends Dinner Menu!

We hope you are inspired to create a fun and meaningful Family Dinner Book Club with your own family. Remember that we want to see pictures of your dinner.  Please share them our special Family Dinner Book Club Facebook page.

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