The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Book club series hosted for parents
Painesville Schools is hosting a series of book clubs to bring parents together to share a love for reading.
The Parent Book Club is made possible through a partnership with Morley Library, United Way of Lake County and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
Thanks to donations, all of the materials are provided. In addition to receiving a book for the Parent Book Club, parents will also get a book to take home for their children. Many books will be available in both English and Spanish.
The first book club of the 2018-19 school year met to discuss the book “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman on Aug. 31 at Starfish and Coffee. Morley Library Director Aurora Martinez led the discussion.
Painesville Schools Family Resource Center Site Coordinator Amber Torres said parents received this book at the end of last school year.
“I thought it would be a nice, light read for over the summer,” she said. “We try to select high-interest books to grab the attention of parents to encourage participation.”
Parent book clubs are beneficial in many ways, Torres said.
“It helps children read more when parents model reading,” she said.
The book club also promotes family literacy.
“Not only does the family determine the child’s early language, but a family’s culture, beliefs and traditions also influence the way children use words for discourse,” Barabara H. Wasik stated in “The Handbook of Family Literacy.” “Their family’s literacy levels also influence whether children develop strong language skills as well as reading and writing skills.”
The Parent Book Club will continue to meet at 4 p.m. on Oct. 12 and Nov. 16. Next year the group plans to meet Jan. 11, Feb. 22, April 5 and May 17.
The next book that the group will read is “In the Time of the Butterflies” by Julia Alvarez. Copies of the books can be picked up at the Family Resource Center at Elm Street Elementary School or Morley Library.
“I thought it would be a nice, light read for over the summer. We try to select high-interest books to grab the attention of parents to encourage participation.” — Painesville Schools Family Resource Center Site Coordinator Amber Torres on “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman