Stories
Book Club Works Genesis
The idea sprang from the activities of a Montana book club, Our Ladies of Perpetual Disappointment (OLPD). One of the members, Karen, began teaching on a reservation in South Dakota. Each time she’d come home to Montana for a visit, she tell the club stories of the dismal reading resources for her high school English students.
Hearing these stories, OLPD was heartbroken and decided to do something. They went through their book bone yards, pulled out novels they felt would speak to Native American students and sent a big box.
The students loved them, read them, never returned them. So OLPD they sent another, eventually setting up a donation box at a local bookstore and collecting novels from others in the community.
They’ve been doing this for a couple years now. The kids love getting the books, knowing a group of strange, white women in Montana care about them and their reading. Because the books are never officially school property, Karen can let the kids take them home, even keep them, if she wants.
Karen lets the book club know what books the kids love and need. For example, they discovered one particular novel — Useful Girl —that the kids love and rarely return so they buy a new copy for every box.
OLPD members say the experience of sponsoring Karen and her class has added a wonderful dimension to their group, giving them a chance to share their love for stories with kids who often don't have many book lovers in their lives. They also love hearing Karen's stories about the kids' reaction to the book boxes.
Feel free to check out OLPD’s online book dairy and book match quiz.
OLPD’s ideas for book collecting.
- Start in your own bone yard, a great way to free up shelf space.
- Place a community donation box in your local bookstore.
- Go on an annual hunt through used bookstores, thrift stores and library sales together (with lunch breaks).
- Send pictures of your club with your book box, or notes telling the kids why you chose certain books, or your club’s book diary.
- Send in your ideas or discuss them in the forum.
Ideas for teachers/literacy activists
- Be as specific or general about the kinds of books you need, and keep your club informed of your changing needs.
- Work with your book club in developing a classroom book club, perhaps choosing the same book as your adopted book club, even comparing discussion notes. Once you get it going, you could even arrange a phone conference merger between you class club and your book club.
- Encourage your students to write to their book club, discussing and recommending their own books.
- Please keep Book Club Works posted on ideas you find helpful, by either emailing them or discussing them in the forum.
