Members of the Jonathan Alder Junior High book club helped Library Media Specialist Shelley Conley create the “Get Wrapped Up with a Great Book” display in the school’s library. The students wrapped books with brown paper and wrote a short description on the front. Examples of their descriptions include “A novel in verse! Heartbreaking and hopeful story! Setting: Haiti, Theme: Overcoming obstacles and not giving up” and “Do you like books about animals? If you answered yes, this is the book for you!”
(Photo submitted)
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Students in Jonathan Alder Junior High’s book club are helping their classmates find “the ultimate mystery book.”
Shelley Conley, library media specialist for JA, said the club recently created the “Get Wrapped Up With a Great Book” display. Members chose a favorite book, wrapped it in brown paper and wrote a short description on the front.
Conley said she has witnessed the excitement students feel when taking the risk to pick up a book to read, even when they don’t know what is underneath the wrapping paper.
“It really is that bit of magic,” she said.
Conley said seeing that “spark to read” generated by the display is especially rewarding because it began with other students.
“It really was with the help and the effort of my amazing book club kids,” Conley said.
The junior high book club began this year as part of an effort by library staff to create clubs that would meet during lunchtime, Conley said. The group meets every Wednesday and consists of about seven regular members, along with some students who attend occasionally.
She noted that many students are involved in a number of extracurricular activities, which can make it difficult for them to commit to a book club that meets after school as well.
While the lunch period meeting time may open the door for busy students to attend, Conley said the 30-minute timeframe also poses its own challenges.
She said the club initially voted on the genre and specific book they chose to read.
With only half an hour to get their lunches, eat and facilitate book club, Conley said voting ate up much of their time.
The book club members quickly found a solution.
Conley said it was “all their idea” to create an online, digital spinner with 14 genres.
Once a book lands on a genre – for instance, historical fiction – Conley said each student chooses their own book to read. Instead of seven students reading the same book simultaneously, they read different books, together.
When the timeframe for that genre ends, each member gives a “mini presentation” including their own book review, Conley said.
She said it not only maximizes their time together, but helps students to be exposed to even more books.
“I love watching that moment when a student says, ‘I didn’t like to read until I read blank book,’” she said.
The book club members are currently working on another project to share their love of reading beyond their school walls.
Conley said the students are working with the Plain City Public Library to create QR codes that will be placed in the cover of their favorite books. When the code is scanned by a cell phone or tablet, it will pull up a short review of the book written by that student.
Conley noted that the reviews will be credited to a “Jonathan Alder Junior High book club member” in order to protect individual students’ privacy.
She said the hope is to add the QR codes to books in the school library too.
Projects like Wrapped Up and the QR codes are part of efforts to “create a culture of leading,” Conley said. She said the work of librarians like her is even more effective when students themselves get involved.
“They have a passion for (reading) too,” she said.
Conley said she feels “very fortunate” to work in a district that she feels is “very supportive” of the library’s efforts to create enriching and immersive programs.
She said she knows that a lifelong love of learning – and the skills brought about by it – often begin in a school classroom or library.
“Watching a student find joy in reading is what gets me up every day,” Conley said.