Created in 2021 with the guidance of Librarian Patricia Jimenez, Book Club has quickly gained popularity among students from all grades who enjoy reading and connecting with others, according to Jimenez.
Jimenez said she had tried to start book clubs before, but they never worked before.
“After the pandemic, a student named Abriana really wanted to have one,” Jimenez said: “She kept after me until we finally got it started, and it’s just grown every year since then.”
Now, the club has about 22 members who meet once a week in the library.
Every quarter, the students vote on which books to read, which they receive from a nonprofit called First Book Marketplace, which makes it affordable to get sets for everyone.
“We usually pick from a few options,” Jimenez said. “Sometimes everyone’s happy with the choice, and sometimes they’re not.”
Thrillers and mysteries are among the students’ favorites, like Dig Two Graves by Gretchen McNeil and There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins.
Not every book is a hit, though, like The Summer of Broken Rules which didn’t go over well because members said it was harder to relate to.
A typical meeting starts with snacks and then moves into discussion.
The club also has a class pet, in the form of a stuffed penguin, that’s passed around so everyone gets a chance to talk without people talking over each other.
Even if someone hasn’t finished the reading, they’re still encouraged to join the conversation.
It’s because of this relaxed leniency that Jimenez called the club special: “We don’t do book reports or anything like that. It’s just about sharing what you liked or didn’t like.”
Unlike English class, the club is just about students and their love for reading, so no grades, forced writing, or busy work.
For Jimenez, the best part of the club is the community it has created.
“It’s a safe space for people who like to read or just want to be around nice people. It’s one of the best groups of students I’ve ever had,” she said.
The club also has benefits such as helping students improve reading and communication skills.
“The more you read, the better your vocabulary and fluency,” Jimenez said: “We also read books by diverse authors, which leads to great conversations about different experiences.”
While Sunnyslope’s book club hopes they will continue to grow, they support the idea that they’ll always welcome anyone who wants to read, discuss, or just hang out.