Like-minded youngsters gather together all the time for team sports, so now there's a spot for avid readers in Grades 4 to 7 to come together to talk about books they love at the Red Cedar Readers' Club held every Tuesday at Cafe Voltaire.
Janice Parker, teacher librarian in School District 57, invites students to the club for a chat and crafts, featuring a different book each week.
"The first night we had just under 30 children, the second time we had about 30 and then the next time we had about 45 kids from six different schools," said Parker.
Red Cedar is British Columbia's Young Reader's Choice book award. Every year, thousands of children between Grades 4 and 7 from across the province are invited to read books from the nominated lists of non-fiction and fiction titles and vote for their favourite.
The Red Cedars Readers' Club discusses one book each week up until the main event.
"We do a Battle of the Books April 3rd," said Parker. The event is a friendly trivia contest between students from different schools who test their knowledge to win the Battle of the Books.
The Battle of the Books is organized by the teacher librarians of schools that wish to be involved. Right now there are 15 schools that will gather April 3 at Heather Park elementary.
There are three students from each school on a panel and they are posed a question. The children hold up the card with the title of the book that best answers the question.
"We want to build a bit of community during the readers' club meetings," said Parker. "We don't just want the kids battling against each other in a negative way. We want the club meetings to be a chance to meet children from different schools so when they come together at the battle, they'll know each other."
Parker, who is a painter that's taught at the Two Rivers Gallery, thought to enhance the readers' club meeting they would not only discuss the book but also explore their creativity by making a craft that would match the theme of the book. Parker provides supplies for the crafts at her own expense because she strongly believes students need a creative outlet.
Last week the group discussed The Prince of Neither Here nor There by Sean Cullen and made their own amulets because in the story there's a medallion that holds significance in the plot.
Next Tuesday the readers will talk about Zoobreak by Gordon Korman and the kids are invited to bring their own sock to make a zoo-themed puppet, said Parker.
"It's all just for the fun of reading," said Parker. "This is for all the kids who just love to read - it's their thing and it's fun."
