EVVMS media specialist, Amy Williams, had to get creative with her grade-level book club this year, but nonetheless, students flocked to all the same. For the 2020-21school year, nearly 30 students are coming together to read and discuss books with their peers.
According to Ms. Williams, books read during the first semester of the school year focused on the current Golden Sower list, but for the second semester, students were given more of a say in their chosen reads as they voted on different options presented. Each grade level went a different genre route, with 6th graders diving into historical fiction. 7th grade students chose to align their pick with their current curriculum and are reading a fantasy novel, and 8th graders decided on a sci-fi novel.
Once the books were chosen, students got started by reading a few chapters every week, and they continue to meet weekly to discuss the assigned chapters. Students are encouraged to come to the meetings with questions or specific quotes from the book that they would like to discuss which gets them engaged in what they are reading.
“Sometimes our meetings get a little off-topic, but as long as students are feeling encouraged to pursue reading and are exciting about what they are reading, then I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be,” says Ms. Williams.
