The Strathmore Municipal Library will be offering a new book club for youth ages 13 to 17. 

“Book Dragons” was inspired by a teen volunteer at the library who wanted to create a book club for youth. 

The club will meet every two weeks on Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the first meeting is on February 24. 

Director of Library Service, Rachel Dick Hughes, says library staff are proud of their teenager volunteer, Kayla, for taking the initiative and starting the book club for other teens. 

“I was so excited when Kayla came to me with the idea of a teen book club. It takes the right people to run a program like this. People need to feel comfortable in these types of spaces, so I think it will be a success since it's for teens and run by teens.” 

Dick Hughes commends Kayla for taking initiative and stepping out there because running a program like this can be an intimidating responsibility. 

The first book the club will be reading is “Daughter of the Deep” by Rick Riordan. 

“Anybody who has read Percy Jackson will know and appreciate this author. It's a stand-alone book, not a series. So, this will make the book club more accessible for everyone. As the group forms, they can then decide what they want to do and choose books accordingly.” 

Any teens interested in joining the book club can check out the novel at the Strathmore Library. 

The goal for the first meeting is to have read the first 15 chapters, but Dick Hughes says that even if you haven't read that far, you are still welcome to join. 

“Book clubs are a lovely way to form relationships outside of school. It's a way to meet people who are interested in the same things as you.” 

The type of books that will be read will be mainly fiction, but Kayla, who is running the program, is open to reading all kinds of things. 

“A book club is a great way to discover new authors and genres.” 

Dick Hughes says that a book club is a positive space and can provide people with something positive and interesting to engage in. 

“I think when you’re a teenager, you can sometimes feel alone in your interests or hobbies, and it's hard to connect with like-minded people sometimes. So, I think a book club is a really great way to bring together people with a common interest and forge some new friendships.” 

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