Reader’s Club is a place for student book enthusiasts to find and befriend peers with similar interests. Librarian Marianne Keith started the Reader’s Club in 2006. When she came to the school, there was no Reader’s Club for the middle or high school, so she decided to start a club for both at the same time.
“We have a lot of clubs for a lot of interests, and we certainly have a lot of kids who like to read; you see that every day, because we have some really avid readers in this school,” Keith said. “This is no surprise with the size of our school, and so there has to be a place where they can meet and make friends and find other students who have the same interest.”
The club meets on the first Thursday of every month, giving students approximately four weeks to read each given book. Most of the books read are fiction, with a few non-fiction selections. Examples of books read in the past include “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” and “Tuesday with Morrie.” Students are not obligated to come to every single meeting; they can choose when they are able to do so.
At the beginning of the year, Keith brings in a small selection of about 20 books for students to choose from. They talk about the books, then rate what they would like to read first, second, third and so on. Keith tallies up the books that had the most votes for first, and the winner becomes the first book they read; this process is repeated each time a new book is chosen.
“It might not necessarily be everybody’s first choice, but that way it’s most fair, and I will always have the most copies of that book,” Keith said.
During each meeting the students have in-depth book discussions on the theme, moral, plot and characters of the book. Discussions are relaxed and open, with no restrictions on topic.
“Since I was young, I always liked to read books and it was also a great opportunity for me to be involved in extracurricular activities at school, so I decided to join,” said junior Julia Kim, President of the Reader’s Club. This club really can help you in speaking like in discussions, such as Socratic Seminars in English classes. And this club really helped me in speaking English, since this is my third language and I have been improving since,” said Junior Julia Kim, President of Reader’s Club.
At the end of the year, the club ends with prize draws and book discussions. Students say farewell to the graduating seniors and have fun, as they conclude their year of school, but certainly not their year of literature.