Great Stories Club
The Great Stories Club is a literature-based library outreach program that gives underserved youth the opportunity to read, reflect, and share ideas on topics that resonate with them.
New to the Great Stories Club?
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.