Book club draws St. Louis students to early morning discussions

Published: 2007-01-24

ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- Although teenagers are not known as early risers, once a month a group of them in St. Louis arrives at school 45 minutes before classes start to discuss books. And they're not the ones assigned in English classes either. On the last Friday of each month, about 10 to 12 students meet in the school library for the Final Friday Book and Breakfast Club at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School in St. Louis from 7:30-8:10 a.m. Christine Turland, the school's librarian and book club moderator, provides handout sheets with information about the book and author as well as discussion questions. She also provides doughnuts, bagels, fruit and drinks. Often what's for breakfast is related to the setting of the book up for discussion. When the group met in October to discuss "The Icarus Girl" by Helen Oyeyemi, she provided English tea because the book takes place in England and Nigeria. Turland started the club in May 2005 to offer a forum for students who really liked to read.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .