Briarcliff Library's Book Clubs Have Something for All

If you like to read, there's probably a group for you at the .

Adults

"We have had a longstanding collaborative effort with the Westchester Great Books Council," said Melinda Greenblatt, the library's .

Contemporary Fiction

The two entities together offer a discussion series that meets three times in the fall and three times in the spring.

The first meeting for this group will center around Sunset Park by Paul Auster and will be held on March 21 at 7:30 p.m. Click here to learn more about this series and to register.

"Those sessions are all run by volunteer leaders who have been trained in the Great Books method of inquiry," explained Greenblatt.

Great Conversations

Greenblatt said this group, also organized through the Westchester Great Books Council and hosted by the library, includes "reading selections from modern authors, such as Clarice Lispector [The Smallest Woman in the World] and Immanuel Kant [To Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch]."

"I will be leading a section on February 7 on Lava Cameo by Eavan Boland, who is a contemporary Irish poet," she added.

This discussion group is "a relatively small group of very serious readers," said Greenblatt, but is open to the public.

It meets beginning Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Day of Discussion

The Westchester Great Books Council also offers all-day discussion events throughout the year. Coming up on Saturday, Jan. 21 at , there will be a discussion about Seize the Day by Saul Bellow and The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields.

NEW: Books That Will Keep You Reading

"I decided that we should also offer a daytime book club for readers who perhaps weren't willing to always make the commitment to groups we run in conjunction with the Great Books Council," explained Greenblatt. "It's a little more informal."

This group, which started Tuesday, runs from 12 to 1:30 p.m. every month. Members are encouraged to check out the books in advance (which be be on hold at the library).

"I decided to hold it over lunch that people will bring for themselves," she said.

The group next meets on Tuesday, Feb. 14 and will discuss The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. On March 13, the group will tackle Little Bee by Chris Cleave.

"I hope to select some more titles for the rest of the year with the help of the book club members themselves," said Greenblatt. "I think that this is appealing to a whole new group of people."

Children & Teens

Amy Kaplan, children and teens librarian, offers regular discussion groups for ages four and up.

 (Ages 4-6)

Kaplan recently traded in storytime to a semi-book club format for some of the library's youngest patrons.

"They don't have to read anything in advance," she explained. "We focus one story for the meeting and do an activity."

Kaplan said the purpose of this group, which meets Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m., is "on trying to instill a love of stories and a deeper understanding of the story, rather than just hearing it and dismissing it" for the younger set.

 (Grades 2-3)

This group targets second and third graders who read a book before the Thursday (5:15 p.m.) meetings and "discuss it just like any typical traditional book club," said Kaplan.

"They read thought-provoking, complex picture books," she said, "and then usually play a game at the end that's related to the books."

/ (Grades 4-5)

These book clubs meet about once every six weeks during the school year, with different formats offered for boys and girls.

"The Boys Only Book Club is not done in a traditional way," said Kaplan. "Every book club meeting is kind of like a trivia game show. I split them up into two teams and they have five-point questions, 10-point questions and 20-point questions."

The higher point questions tend to be more open-ended, she explained.

For girls, there is a more traditional book club format with about 30-45 minutes of "thought-provoking" questions, followed by some type of game.

 (Grades 6-8)

Kaplan teams up with Library Media Specialist Katherine McCabe for this discussion open to middle school students and their parents.

"We only meet three times during the school year," said Kaplan. "It's a totally traditional discussion with parents over pizza."

(Grades 8-12)

Kaplan said she has found it can be difficult for teenagers to find time to read books for traditional book clubs, so she's trying out a new Saturday morning discussion group that won't focus on a single work.

"It's for kids who already like to read," said Kaplan."

Instead, local teenagers will enjoy a potluck breakfast once a month, starting today, and "just talk about what books they have been reading."

"They can very casually talk for an hour and give input about their favorite authors to influence the [library's] collection," explained Kaplan.

Even for teens who haven't tried a book club before, Kaplan thinks this format will be fun and rewarding for avid readers.

"They can get out of it a comfortable place where other kids also like to read and want to talk about it."

If you are interested in joining any of the library's book discussion groups, click here to find out how to register.

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