Middle School Book Club Attends Festival
Members of Rivers’ Middle School Book Club spent an exciting Saturday roaming the Boston Book Festival, listening to authors, and soaking up the urban literary scene. Caroline Chung, Phoebe Fogel, Alejandra Paez Peñaloza, Farrah Reza, Leila Saponaro, and Jack Willard, all Class of 2024, were accompanied by librarian Diane DeVore and Middle School assistant Nina Righter, themselves members of the Book Club which meets monthly to discuss an assigned book.
The group attended two events—a keynote speech by Lemony Snicket (aka Dan Handler) and a panel entitled (Re)imagination, featuring middle reader authors who have created their own fiction based on the (re)imagination of known stories. The audience was invited to bring their own ideas about stories they could see themselves re-telling.
“Most of the students already were Lemony Snicket fans,” commented Ms. DeVore. “He was actually there to promote his new children’s picture book, The Bad Mood and the Stick, which shows how a bad mood, and the subsequent poking of a sibling with a stick (who hasn’t done that!), can wreak havoc on your day. He was so, so funny.”
Following the keynote and lunch in the European-feeling courtyard of the Boston Public Library, the students went to a panel discussion in the new Teen Central section in the BPL. Although they weren’t familiar with the three authors on the panel, they enjoyed thinking about how story lines can be changed to come up with an entirely different outcome. After the panel, some of the students bought books ro the authors to sign, and had a chance to visit the BPL's Map Room.
The panelists included: Elizabeth Eulberg (The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match, inspired by Sherlock Holmes), Karuna Riazi (The Gauntlet, inspired by Chris Van Allsburg’s Jumanji), and Kekla Magoon (Reign of Outlaws, inspired by Robin Hood.)
"I really enjoyed the festival, especially the panel," said Farrah. "I discovered new authors and I can’t wait to read their books! I love how they did a Q and A at the panel. This was my first time at the public library and it was beautiful. I am so glad I got to see it with its new renovations. There are many books for all ages and I can’t wait to go more often."
"I really enjoyed the festival, especially the panel," said Farrah. "I discovered new authors and I can’t wait to read their books! I love how they did a Q and A at the panel. This was my first time at the public library and it was beautiful. I am so glad I got to see it with its new renovations. There are many books for all ages and I can’t wait to go more often."
The Middle School Book Club is currently reading The Metropolitans by Carol Goodman and just finished The Warden’s Daughter by Jerry Spinelli. Approximately 25 students in all three grades attend the monthly lunch meetings, as well as Ms. Devore, Ms. Righter, Cathy Favreau, Sarah Freeman, and Rick Taylor. The highlight of the year is the annual spring Lock-In in MacDowell Library when book-lovers settle in for the night with pizza and pillows—and books, of course!
"Going to the Boston Book Festival was a wonderful way to have fun with our book club members," said Alejandra. "The areas that we went to were absolutely beautiful especially the church that we went to see the presentation in. I’ve never really gotten to go to Boston so it was a great way to explore while meeting my favorite authors. Of course there was food! (Yum!) We got to see so much and learn at the same time. After this field trip I’m definitely looking forward to the spring lock-in!”
"Going to the Boston Book Festival was a wonderful way to have fun with our book club members," said Alejandra. "The areas that we went to were absolutely beautiful especially the church that we went to see the presentation in. I’ve never really gotten to go to Boston so it was a great way to explore while meeting my favorite authors. Of course there was food! (Yum!) We got to see so much and learn at the same time. After this field trip I’m definitely looking forward to the spring lock-in!”
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