Virtual Book Club
Our virtual do-it-at-home book clubs for all ages continue! The best part? Everyone who participates gets to keep the book!
Pick up your free book and activity packet by visiting the library. Every book will come with a blank review form, a few questions you can think about, and a small craft or activity that ties into the book. All we ask is that you read the book: do as much or as little of the rest of it as you want. No matter how much you do, the book is yours!
The books are:
- Grades 5-8: Home Away from Home by Cynthia Lord. “Mia and her mom visit Grandma in Maine every summer, but this year Mia is going alone. Her mom will stay behind to get their house ready to sell. It’ll be a new start, she says, after the divorce. Mia doesn’t want a new start. She’d rather everything just stayed the same! At least things will be the same at Grandma’s, though. Mia will walk to town for ice cream, and wait by the water, watching for birds, just like always. Then Mia meets Grandma’s know-it-all new neighbor, who’s just her age. Cayman acts like he belongs at Grandma’s house. He acts like he’s the expert on everything. And when he and Mia spot an unusual white bird of prey, he acts like it’s his job to find out what it is. Unless, that is, Mia finds out first. And, in her effort to prove herself to him, she makes a decision that will change things for the town, for the bird, for Cayman, and even for herself. Can Mia stop what she’s put into motion?"
- Grades 9-12: Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi. “Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding. But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all."
We will have a post for each book on https://www.splyouth.org for anyone who wants to discuss the book or comment on any of the questions or activities. If you’d prefer not to go online, fill out the included review sheets and get them back to the library, and we can post your comments for you! Even better, everyone who either posts on our site or brings back anything included with the book – even if it’s just a picture of the craft you did – will also get a small prize at the library!
See the books for grades K-3 and 3-5.
Want to learn more about what's going on for youth at the library? Visit splyouth.org! Featuring posts discussing books, activities, submissions from kids, and more!