Almost any English teacher will tell you that books are great. Just ask Ms. Fishman, who takes her kids to the library weekly and whose husband has resorted to having to hide

 books from her. Her fellow English teacher, Ms. Fernandez, does not only impart that lesson to her students but also shares her passion for literature through her new club, Books Are Great. The club was created to provide a casual environment for students who enjoy reading and are interested in discussing and sharing ideas/responses, according to Ms. Fernandez.

“Last year, I had an especially vivacious group of students who are voracious readers: Abigail DeGasperis, Sarah DeGasperis, and Katy Burns,” Fernandez said. “Our weekly recaps of the weekend on Mondays were lled with all of the books they had managed to read during the past week. By sharing and recommending book titles, the idea formulated into a book club.”

While book clubs are an important part of common culture, a large amount of people view them as pre- historic or irrelevant in today’s technology-focused word. Ms. Fernandez said she noticed a general decline in reading among teens who, and that there are only a select few, enjoy the escape and are excited by literature and appreciate the artistry of the craft. Although one club likely can’t single-handedly make the student body avid readers, it will help to provide a platform for those who appreciate good literature. The club has read one book so far, All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. Members help to chose the books by placing titles in a cup that are picked randomly.