Young Readers Book Club

Trevor joined the Young Readers Book Club at the library during the summer after kindergarten. He loved it from the start, and so did I. The books were often challenging for him back then, but they were interesting and he was highly motivated to read them. Each month when they met, Miss Julie led the kids in a lively discussion followed by a craft, science experiment or other activity to complement the theme of the book. Over the course of the two years that Trevor spent as a member of the Young Readers Book Club, I saw him develop from a quiet boy who let everyone else speak during the discussion to a valuable member of the club who had interesting insights and excellent recall of detail.

This June, the Young Readers Book Club met for the last time.

When we first heard the announcement that the book club was being cut, we didn't believe it. How could a library cut a book club? I was even more shocked to learn that the reason was because a certain administrator didn't feel that a children's book club was within the mission of the library. I was furious, confused, devastated... and started brainstorming ways to essentially demand that they keep this wonderful group intact. Long story short, I talked with the decision maker and came away even more irritated and confused than I'd already been. There was no convincing her to keep the existing book clubs, nor was she open to any compromises, cost-saving measures, expansion to include more people, or anything else. 

I'm so thankful for the two years that Trevor spent in the Young Readers Book Club. I'm disappointed that he won't be able to continue with it, and that other children won't get to experience it. Our libraries do so many wonderful things and offer so much, but I will never understand or support this decision. What a loss for us all as a community.