Club members find reasons to read

by Dahneja Jackson

After a seven-hour day at school and an hour bus ride on the specialty center bus, senior Olivia Stanford arrives at her West End home a little after 5 p.m. After a brief break, she begins her homework, which could take several hours. But no matter how much homework Olivia may have, she always saves time at the end of her day to read.

“You can enter a new world just by opening the pages of a book,” Olivia said.              

Olivia loves to read, so she also reads during directed study. For her, reading is not an assignment or a hassle but a fun way to pass the time.

Olivia is one of the 15 members in the Book Club.

“I have read books that I probably would have never read on my own,” Olivia said.

Librarians Brooke Davis and Virginia Brown are Book Club sponsors. They said the club’s purpose is to promote reading throughout our school. Ms. Brown started the Book Club 11 years ago because she knew there were always going to be kids who love to read.

The club meets twice a month. To decide on a book to read, the group gives suggestions and chooses a book that seems interesting to the majority.

“By joining the Book Club, you could gain friendship, appreciation for books and reading, knowledge of authors and philosophical and ethical points of view,” Ms. Brown said.

“Our goal is for all the kids in the book club to enjoy the books we read,” Mrs. Davis said.

The first book that the group read this year was “Boot Camp” by Todd Strasser, which was a hit with all group members. Senior Book Club member Ruthie Rose described it as one of the best books she has ever read. “Plainsong” by Kent Haruf, one of the more challenging books the club has read, was a rare miss. The club is currently giving a thumbs up to “Across the Universe” by Beth Revis, a science fiction book about colonization.

Ruthie, who usually selects a horror book, said the club has opened the door to reading other genres.

Olivia said that she knows she has found a good book when she puts it down without having realized how much time has passed.

“You have to make sure you read something you like; then you will keep reading,” Ms. Brown said.

At club meetings, members discuss the book and if needed, they discuss plans for any upcoming events that they sponsor, such as the annual Dr. Seuss birthday celebration or poetry readings, where students volunteer to read poetry they like, read or write themselves.

Senior Book Club member Sullivan Webber, a new student at Varina, said he joined the book club to meet new people that shared his passion for reading.

“I’ve actually met some cool people and had some really good conversations from our meetings,” Sullivan said.

Although some students are reluctant to join the Book Club because they do not want extra work, Sullivan said that it’s not really work when you enjoy what you are doing.