Virals

"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."

-Louisa May Alcott

Yesterday we had our second Girl's Book Club meeting of the semester.

I know, you're thinking, "...Webster has a girl's book club?!?!  I didn't know that!"  Yeah, we do.  And we had our second meeting yesterday.  And now you're thinking, "but you didn't write about the first meeting!"  And to that I say, no, I didn't.  Sorry about that--sometimes I have way better things to do than blog.  Like talking to classes about awesome books and teaching classes about library use and talking to kids and just getting caught up in the general business that is the teacher librarian position at Daniel Webster Middle School.  But I'm telling you now, so I'm hoping you'll forgive me.  :)

Ms. Orendorff and I have run a Girl's Book club here at DWMS for the last 4 years.  This year, Mr. Prinn has joined us.  We meet once a week in the library during lunchtime.  The books come from Donors Choose or donations from kind souls (usually Ms. Orendorff) and we give each girl a book.  Then we read a small portion of each book each week, and talk about that portion at the next meeting.  We discuss such things as character, setting, plot,  and whether or not we believe she really ought to go out with that guy.  And if he's hot.

And yeah.  You heard that right.  We give our girls books to take home and put on their shelf.  I like to think of it as a starter library.  I've been told that we should only loan them the books, so other students can read them in the future, but I absolutely disagree with that theory.  I personally believe that there is no gift as powerful as a book.

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When I was in the classroom, I once took Scholastic up on an offer.  If I jumped through a hoop--I don't even remember what that hoop was--they would send me a book for each one of my students.  You can surely bet that I jumped!  I think I gave the books out as Valentine's Day presents.  I remember one student in particular.  He liked to talk about gangs a lot and had many, many referrals to the dean, mostly for defiance.  I handed him his book and he held it strangely.  I didn't get it at first--it was a tiny paperback book, I think about the presidents of the United States of America, and he was holding it like I held that tiny piece of flawless tanzanite that one time when I was in the Caribbean after the gem seller told me it cost $90,000.  After class that day the student came up to me and said, "Ms.  You gave me a book."  I blinked at him and wasn't sure how to respond.  "Ms," he said.  "I never had a book before."

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Last weekend Ms. Orendorff called me excitedly.  She does that some times.  Kathy Reichs, author of Virals, the very book our book club had just started was going to sign book her new book Seizure at the Mysterious Galaxy bookstore in Redondo Beach!!!  OMG!!!!!!!  We got all excited.  It was exciting!!!!  I was excited.  She made trip slips and invited the girls to her home.  Unfortunately, I didn't end up going due to this dang cough I'm trying to get rid of that completely saps my energy.  But here is a photo of Ms. Orendorff, Mika, amazing author Kathy Reichs, and her son, Brendan.

AND they brought this back for me:

Notice the signatures!  It is up on display in the library for all to see.  I also love that it's in the background of the first photo.  :)

Ms. Orendorff--of course-- asked Dr. Reichs if she would come talk to our girls or even our entire student body.  I sure hope she does!

Happy Reading.