Table of Contents Book Club Members are jazzed about reading their own books. From left, Sandy Rost, Amy Albright, Jordan Jefferson, and Adia Dolanhold up their copies of Toby Alone. In background is Axel Greening, inside Darvill's Bookstore
When Public Librarian Nita Couchman told the kids in the Table of Contents Book Club that they’d have to disband for the summer, they protested vociferously. “It was so rewarding to see the kids so excited about reading,” said Couchman.
And when an anonymous donor came it to Darvill’s Bookstore, intent on “getting books into kids’ hands,” a bridge was built in Jean Spalti’s mind.
The fourth- fifth- and sixth-graders in the Book Club kids in Table of Contents have met monthly over the last school year, reading books such as House of Power, Green Glass Sea, Captain’s Dog, White Giraffe and Bone. The Friends of the Library donated the books to be read by Table of Contents members.
It was the first year for the book club, but Couchman said, “Somehow we came up with a plan of involving them with the selection, giving them ownership and still directing their choices.”
Couchman was unable to continue the program during the summer due to scheduling conflicts with the Summer Reading Program at the library.
Jenny Pederson, Darvill’s owner, gave employees Spalti and Al Bentley the go-ahead to run the book club meetings from 10 to 11 a.m. on the last Thursday of the month.
With the infusion of funds to buy books for the club members, Spalti went ahead and the kids first summer meeting was on June 25 to discuss Toby Alone.
The kids are totally jazzed, says Spalti. They all nominate books to read, and (with a little politicking from Spalti) they vote on the nominations.
They will read Summerland for their meeting on July 23, and revisit Toby when they read Toby and the Secrets of the Tree for their August meeting.
Bently and Spalti run the group, and find it’s great fun to catch the energy and enthusiasm of the club. “Their observations and eye for details are amazing,” said Spalti.
The group meets monthly, but the buzz is 24/7, as Spalti learned when she was at Island Hardware’s birthday celebration a few weeks ago. There, over the popcorn machine, she and one of the Table of Contents kids discussed Toby Alone and commiserated on how “we both felt we were hung out to dry by the ending,” Spalti said.
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