During lunch, students meet in book clubs
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WHEN adults discuss children’s reading habits, conversation often focuses on strategies for hooking reluctant readers. But what support can we offer students who are already addicted to the thrill of plowing through the library stacks?
One way to connect with avid readers is through book clubs. A joint adult-student club is an opportunity for students to see adults’ authentic reading lives — reading for pleasure as well as other purposes — and for adults to introduce literature that students might not have discovered through their peers alone. Book clubs also provide opportunities for adults to tune in to what young people are reading, who they are at the moment, and ways to support them. WISS librarians offer clubs to students with the intention of connecting readers face-to-face as well as book-to-book.
Lunch time book clubs have been popular with the avid-reader crowd at WISS. Clubs meet in the library once a week to discuss their reading. Some clubs decide to read the same book simultaneously, setting weekly reading goals and discussing plot lines and characters as they unfold. Readers develop the self-discipline to stick with meatier reads from the positive reinforcement of their reading allies. They also exercise self-control when they resist racing from cover to cover in order to honor their agreed-upon reading schedule. Dystopian novels such as “City of Ember” and humorous fiction like the perennial favorite “Bunnicula” have been successful selections among primary book clubbers. Secondary groups often elect to read from a pool of books, such as this year’s Panda Book Award winners. Readers check in weekly to share the progress they’ve made in getting through the list of titles and decide whether to recommend books to fellow readers.
WISS librarians also promote digital spaces for readers to connect, including our online catalog where readers can rate books, write reviews, send recommendations to each other, and even upload their own book trailers. For older students, GoodReads is a rich platform they can easily adopt as part of their digital lives. Regardless of the interface, readers continually report that recommendations from readers with similar interests are invaluable.
A successful book club will be responsive to readers’ interests and needs; enable readers to choose their own reading fare; and focus on fun.
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