The American Library Association says that children/teens need three things to be successful (and avid) readers; time, choice, and support. The creation of a book club can promote all of these key ingredients. There are several ongoing book clubs in our school libraries during lunch times, giving students the chance to discuss, share their reading and grow as readers.
Melisa Paulino, LMS at Amigos, has been leading her BOOKed 4 Lunch book groups for Grade 6 and Grades 7 & 8th for several years. Students are invited once a week to bring their lunch and chat about a book the group is jointly reading. Seventeen 6th graders are currently finishing
Prisoner 88 by Leah Pileggi. Melisa is planning a future Skype visit with the author. Her 11 7th & 8th graders are reading
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.
The Tobin Montessori librarian, Jessica Gillis, has organized four different clubs this year. Once a month she is meeting with Upper Elementary (4th & 5th) students to talk about the Mass. Children’s Book Award (MCBA) nominated books. She also meets with Upper Elementary once a month for a New Book Book Club, a “Mock” Newbery Award group, looking at the newest books out, reviewing and promoting the best in preparation for the Newbery Award announcement in January, 2015. Jessica will be meeting with LE (Lower Elementary- Grades 1-3) once a month for lunch and an open forum for students to discuss their favorite books. Finally, Jessica is leading a choice course, Afterschool Teacher Book Club, to look at some of the best new children’s/YA books and books about reading.
Sarah Novogrodsky, LMS at Haggerty, in an effort to draw more students into reading the MCBA titles, she uses the nominated titles as her book club reads. This year 19 4th graders choose to eat lunch in the library and read
When Life Gives You OJ every Tuesday. Sarah has a Skype visit planned with author Erica Perl in December. The fifth grade book club is reading
The Lions of Little Rock and has a Skype visit planned for December, as well. The fifth grade book club also discusses questions and thoughts about their reading on a shared Google Doc.
Ellen Chu, LMS at M.L. King School, has 44 of her 4th and 5th graders reading,
Fly the Dragon by Natalie Dias Lorenzi, one of the Mass. Children’s Book Award books. Because of the size of the group, she and retired LMS, Laurie Cleveland, will form three groups, meeting once a week at lunch for a read aloud of the book, leaving time for questions and discussion at the end of the literary lunch. Ellen has made preliminary plans to skype with Ms. Lorenzi, as a culminating activity for the lunchtime club.
The Teen Advisory Group at the Cambridge Public Library will be participating in the “Somewhat Virtual Book Club” on Nov. 5 at 6pm. The “SVBC” meets virtually once a month to connect students from various parts of the country (CA, MA, CT, etc) to discuss a pre-selected book. The different groups take turns hosting the discussion. In November, the CPL group will lead a discussion on the book
We Were Liars by Emily Lockhart. The CRLS library has purchased copies of the book and are send out tweets and posting reminders to our students to encourage participation. Thanks to Jessica Gillis for bringing this opportunity to Cambridge from a conference she attended.