High school students, book a trip with us this summer!

Monday, June 27, 2011
by Hanna Richman

This summer, trade in your plane tickets for a soon-to-be-classic paperback. Instead of jetting off to tropical and far away places, this summer, I will be setting up a lawn chair in a sunny spot in my backyard and visiting new places through books. Care to join me?

You can! This summer at the Chappaqua Library, beginning Thursday, June 30, a group of high school students will meet every Thursday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. to discuss books. This is a chance to read purely FOR FUN. We won’t have to worry about final essays, projects or pop quizzes. At our first meeting, this Thursday, we’ll work out some of the details, like what books we want to read and how long we’ll take to read each book. You don’t have to commit to come to each and every session this summer – just fit us into your schedule.

We’ve picked a book to get us started.  The Good Thief, by Hannah Tinti, takes place in New England and tells the story of a young orphan named Ren, who longs to know who he is and how he lost his left hand. These questions had been left unanswered for the first 11 years of his life. But when Benjamin Nab strides into Ren’s life, spinning tales of Indians, war and faraway places, Ren immediately finds a home in a small trio of thieves. In The Good Thief Tinti weaves a good story about learning to get by on what you have.  Copies are waiting for you at the library.

How the book club was born

I brought the idea of a completely student-run book club for high school students from grades 9 to 12 to Zahra Baird (a.k.a. ‘Z’), head of Teen Services at the Chappaqua Library a few weeks ago.  Z instantly took to the idea, offering a location, copies of the book and pizza.  All we need are a few more members. If you’re a high school student with a passion for reading, contact Z (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) or me (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)). Our first meeting is THIS THURSDAY, June 30 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., when we’ll also decide what to read next. Hope to see you there!

Hanna Richman is a senior at Horace Greely High School with a passion for reading and writing.