AFT Book Club: A Monthly Series

An online community featuring author talks and conversations on education, democracy and culture.

About this Community

What Is the AFT Book Club?

The AFT Book Club is a free, monthly virtual series presented by the AFT, Share My Lesson, and the Albert Shanker Institute. Each conversation brings together educators, paraprofessionals, school support staff, parents and caregivers, higher education faculty, health care workers, public employees, and the broader public to explore books and ideas that shape our classrooms, communities, and democracy.

Featuring live discussions with leading authors, scholars, journalists, and advocates, the AFT Book Club examines timely issues such as education, history, civic engagement, social justice, and culture. Past guests include Amanda Gorman, Heather Cox Richardson, Jason Reynolds, Diane Ravitch, Jonathan Haidt, Edwidge Danticat, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Charles M. Blow, Ali Velshi, and Randi Weingarten, among many others.

Watch Book Club Highlights

Missed a live event? You can catch up two ways: watch full AFT Book Club conversations on demand, or start with the AFT Book Club highlights playlist on YouTube for standout moments from recent author talks.

What You'll Find in This Community

On-demand recordings of past author talks and keynote conversations
Companion blogs and author interviews tied to featured books
Classroom lessons built around Book Club titles and authors
Literacy resources for building a reading culture at school and at home
A free monthly live event to join, plus discussion threads with fellow readers

Whether you're an educator looking for classroom-relevant insights, a lifelong reader, or someone interested in thoughtful dialogue about today's most pressing topics, the AFT Book Club offers meaningful conversations that extend learning beyond the page.

Featured Resources

#3 Webinar 2025

Webinar

A Conversation with Jason Reynolds

October 19, 2025 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT

Share My Lesson Webinars

Webinar

AFT Book Club: A Conversation with Heather Cox Richardson

October 20, 2024 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT

Share My Lesson Webinars

Blog

Fighting the Addiction: How Smartphones Threaten Children’s Mental Health

September 02, 2025

AFT

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the AFT Book Club free? Yes. The AFT Book Club is completely free. Anyone can register for the live monthly sessions or watch past conversations on demand — no membership or fee required.

Who is the AFT Book Club for? The AFT Book Club is for educators, school staff, parents and caregivers, higher education faculty, and any lifelong reader interested in books on education, democracy, history, and culture. Sessions are designed to be relevant whether you're teaching, reading for yourself, or looking for classroom connections.

Do I need to read the book before attending? No. You're welcome to join any AFT Book Club conversation whether or not you've read the book. Many attendees use the discussions to decide what to read next.

Can I watch past AFT Book Club events? Yes. Recordings of past author talks are available on demand in this community, and you can watch standout moments in the AFT Book Club highlights playlist on YouTube.

Who has appeared on the AFT Book Club? Guests have included Amanda Gorman, Heather Cox Richardson, Jason Reynolds, Diane Ravitch, Edwidge Danticat, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Charles M. Blow, and Ali Velshi, among many other authors, scholars, and journalists.