Book clubs have gained
popularity in recent years. There are book clubs for all ages - even
preschoolers. Preschoolers come to the library for a story and craft time. This
can be a start for a lifelong love of reading. As children begin to read for
themselves, they can participate in book discussions for their age group.
There are many benefits of being in a book club for school aged
students:
·
Participants generally
have higher grades
·
Participants have better
language and literary skills
·
Participants use
conversation to increase reading and vocabulary comprehension
·
Conversation allows new
ideas to be presented and different perspectives to be formed.
·
Participants can make
new friends
·
Participants can develop
critical thinking through questions and answers.
·
Discussion fosters
creative thinking and writing skills
·
Book Clubs expose
students to a variety of genres
Adult books groups are also growing in popularity. According to the Good Read website
approximately 5 million people are involved in a book group. Some are purely
for social reasons and others are for discussion. Regardless of the reason,
there is a love of reading, whether it is the latest best seller or a
nonfiction book. There are three things
that a book group does for people:
·
Book groups push
participants outside of their comfort zone. Participants may read a book that
they would not normally pick up.
·
Book groups promote
discussion and analysis. Every person
has a different opinion and it can be expressed in a non-threatening situation.
·
Book Groups promote
active reading.
The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries offer book
discussions for all ages. Call or stop
by a branch near you to see what book we are reading next.
-Molly Brady and Dawn Weber
