The book club met in one half of the library while the "Recovery" students, an after-school program designed to help students who are falling behind, worked on computers behind the heavy curtain partition. The black chairs and bright orange couch on our side made the unusual arrangement quite comfortable.
I was excited to learn that the 20-girl and 3-boy club had read the decades-old classic, The Maltese Falcon. With the inundation of crime shows on Netflix and real-life situations constantly heard about on the news, it is no wonder why the students chose this detective novel. The picture on the front cover looked interesting, and there were plenty of copies to go around. That title and others were donated to the library as part of a Columbia College and The National Endowment For The Arts collaboration called The Big Read program. (Other public and state university libraries were given different titles including In the Time Of Butterflies and The Things They Carried.)
Even on short notice, it was easy for me to try to join in on the discussion. I could do what I did for the one at Resurrection--identify the main characters, concerns and themes of the book and create a list of essential questions and enduring understandings that would help facilitate the discussion. Unfortunately, Dashiell Hammett's work probably should not have been the book club's monthly choice. I noticed some of the same concerns at Von Steuben that I saw at Resurrection--students want to be a member of the book club, but they do not necessarily want to read.
Some of the Von Steuben members joined because their friends did. (They would pretty much have a school-sanctioned time to hang out.) Others joined because they wanted to interact with their classmates to improve their English speaking skills. I applaud them for their efforts, but it is clear that a book club that reads literature with more complex vocabulary and themes would not be the most appropriate setting for them. Because it has been a while since I have read the book, I happily accepted a copy of the book and a study guide, too! Since Rita also received several hundred Young Adult books from the Molina Foundation, a non profit organization committed to reducing disparities in access to education and health, she was generous with other titles as well. (I actually passed them along to a friend/former teacher at my school because the content was too advanced for my elementary students.)
All in all, observing the book club was a nice experience. The hour ended on a high note when, "Johnny", a sophomore who is new to Von Steuben and a member of the book club and the track team, came by the library to get the newest and last title for the club. (He was unable to attend the discussion because he was preparing for an after school track meet.) Originally from Central America, I learned that he is an avid reader and an overall bright and curious child. The light in his eyes dimmed only briefly, though, and then he chuckled when he was handed the two choices for their May 24th meeting. With 20 girls in the group, it is no surprise that they were romance novels.
When "Johnny" left, Rita talked about what a good sport and an eager learner he is. I think all of the book club members are in many ways. I am glad to know that there are still students who value learning and fellowship with their friends centered around something so small but incredibly powerful--a book!
I was excited to learn that the 20-girl and 3-boy club had read the decades-old classic, The Maltese Falcon. With the inundation of crime shows on Netflix and real-life situations constantly heard about on the news, it is no wonder why the students chose this detective novel. The picture on the front cover looked interesting, and there were plenty of copies to go around. That title and others were donated to the library as part of a Columbia College and The National Endowment For The Arts collaboration called The Big Read program. (Other public and state university libraries were given different titles including In the Time Of Butterflies and The Things They Carried.)
Even on short notice, it was easy for me to try to join in on the discussion. I could do what I did for the one at Resurrection--identify the main characters, concerns and themes of the book and create a list of essential questions and enduring understandings that would help facilitate the discussion. Unfortunately, Dashiell Hammett's work probably should not have been the book club's monthly choice. I noticed some of the same concerns at Von Steuben that I saw at Resurrection--students want to be a member of the book club, but they do not necessarily want to read.
Some of the Von Steuben members joined because their friends did. (They would pretty much have a school-sanctioned time to hang out.) Others joined because they wanted to interact with their classmates to improve their English speaking skills. I applaud them for their efforts, but it is clear that a book club that reads literature with more complex vocabulary and themes would not be the most appropriate setting for them. Because it has been a while since I have read the book, I happily accepted a copy of the book and a study guide, too! Since Rita also received several hundred Young Adult books from the Molina Foundation, a non profit organization committed to reducing disparities in access to education and health, she was generous with other titles as well. (I actually passed them along to a friend/former teacher at my school because the content was too advanced for my elementary students.)
All in all, observing the book club was a nice experience. The hour ended on a high note when, "Johnny", a sophomore who is new to Von Steuben and a member of the book club and the track team, came by the library to get the newest and last title for the club. (He was unable to attend the discussion because he was preparing for an after school track meet.) Originally from Central America, I learned that he is an avid reader and an overall bright and curious child. The light in his eyes dimmed only briefly, though, and then he chuckled when he was handed the two choices for their May 24th meeting. With 20 girls in the group, it is no surprise that they were romance novels.
When "Johnny" left, Rita talked about what a good sport and an eager learner he is. I think all of the book club members are in many ways. I am glad to know that there are still students who value learning and fellowship with their friends centered around something so small but incredibly powerful--a book!
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