THE JOY OF READING: BOOK CLUB ENCOURAGES DISCUSSION, LITERACY

Kathy Davenport, left, and Shannon Anders looked at a book during the Reading Club meeting.

Reading Club members, from left, Ann Green, Ken Green and Tom Dohogne listened to Zoffuto speak to the group.

Central High School librarian Julia Jorgensen hopes to rekindle a love for reading in parents, students and teachers using a monthly book club she established in September.

Each month, a different teacher or community member leads a discussion on the club's featured book of the month. Discussions include comments on the culture, historical events and characters described in the books. The author's research, motivation and accuracy is also discussed.

Students and staff from throughout the school district are encouraged to attend the meetings, as are students who attend Notre Dame Regional High School and patrons of the Cape Girardeau Senior Center and public library.

Books selected for discussion by club members have a "multi-generational appeal" and include Pulitzer Prize winners and nominees, as well as national best sellers on various topics.

In January, members discussed "Cold Mountain," a historical fiction set during the Civil War and written by Charles Frazier. A meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday in the school library to discuss "The Power of One" by Bryce Coutenay. Discussion about the book, which is set in South Africa in 1939, will be led by Lyn Stoecker.

Brenda Dohogne joined her son, Tom, at the January Book Club meeting led by teacher Lou Ann Hays Zoffuto. It was the first meeting for both.

"I came because my son said (Zoffuto) was a fantastic lecturer," said Brenda Dohogne. "He told me he wouldn't be embarrassed if I came. We've enjoyed discussing the book together."

Jorgensen, who was an English teacher prior to becoming the school's librarian this school year, said she started the book club because she wants to see students place an emphasis on literacy and reading for enjoyment.

"It really concerns me that our young people today aren't reading like we used to," she said. "I felt like if they had someone to talk with about the books and if they saw mentors and role models reading the books, that would encourage them to read."

Kathy Davenport, librarian at Louis J. Schultz School, said the book club gives her a reason to read an "adult book."

"I am constantly reading books on the seventh-grade level so I can interact with students in our library," said Davenport. "This is wonderful because I've noticed at least one parent and child pair at each meeting, and you do hear parents and children coming to these meetings and sharing their thoughts about these books."

Jorgensen said the group has relied on donations to provide extra copies of books so far this year. However, the book club was a recent recipient of a YELL grant, which will be used to buy multiple copies of featured books for student use.

"I really try to select uplifting books that kids are interested in reading, but I don't think we can expect taxpayer money to pay for four copies of the same book, because that's just not fair," said Jorgensen. "We've done really well with private donations so far, which is great because if we can just get children to read and see adults reading, then we've got it."