I have first-hand experience of the growth of the Mission High Book Club that started my freshman year, two years ago. I believe it was the first or one of the first things I got involved in when starting at Mission High School. I was always curious about book clubs, but I believed all book clubs carried a reputation of being some sort of mom-ish activity, so I was hesitant. The promised free pizza really pushed me to come to the meeting.
Walking into the library, I saw a set of chairs and a couple people walking around the pizza table, patiently waiting but definitely ready to eat. I noticed the familiar cover of the novel we were reading scattered by peoples bags and seats, and some students were getting in the final pages before the lunch bell rang.
I noticed the mix of students from all grades, teachers, wellness staff, and para professionals taking seats as the doors of the library closed, as Ms. A, who facilitates Book Club, walked over to bring the sign up sheet. I had read the book completely, as it was my first meeting, and so did most of the group.
There was a whiteboard facing the combined tables with questions that hinted at the book’s plot, and discussion starters to get the conversation going. I appreciated the structure of each meeting because even if there was an awkward pause at the start of a meeting, the different perspectives and ideas shared because of the guiding questions always led to a fruitful and passionate discussion.
What I didn’t expect the most from Book Club was the connection that a single book can bring to two or more people, even more when the whole group reads the book completely.
It was engaging to have a conversation with strangers, but we all shared the fact that we read the book together.
“Book Club is a really welcoming space where I can talk about books with friendly open minded people,” Brandon Drawn added.
Clubs such as Mission’s Book Club are what breaks down the social blocks of high school students. Teachers and classmates open up about minuscule and specific parts of their life to relate to the book without any judgement. The vulnerability was something I wasn’t used to seeing a lot compared to middle school. This really reflected the maturity high school students hold regarding emotional connections, and all of it just comes from words on pages.
Ms. Safavi explained, “As an English Teacher, one of my favorite things about Book Club is being on the same playing field as students when discussing books, and sympathizing with them. It is engaging in the same way I assign my students to read books.”
Some of my favorite monthly books include, “The Chinese Groove” by Kathryn Ma, “A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder” by Holly Jackson, “Accountable” by Dashka Slater, and “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou.
Chandra Sivakumaran, Mission’s social worker and Book Club regular said, “I love hearing the youth voice and perspective on stories.”
Reading is something I have made a lot of back and forth decisions on because there are so many books and genres. The whole idea of reading and having a list of books to read is overwhelming to think about, but the club keeps me organized and accountable to read more often, a personal goal of mine. This is your sign to try something new next school year and if you enjoy it, become a part of it.
Book Club meets once a month during lunch. The new book is given at the end of each meeting and the expectation is you read the whole thing before the next month. Visit the library to sign up.
