Book Club
Since 2017, Grenada Elementary 4th & 5th Grade has hosted a one-of-a-kind after-school book club for all students. We typically meet every Wednesday during the 1st-3rd 9 Weeks, depending on the length of the book that year.
As expressed in our mission statement, “The Grenada Elementary, 4th and 5th Grade Book Club is dedicated to providing students with collaborative learning experiences among their peers and their community in an effort to promote the love of reading children’s literature.”
While the typical book club often caters to a small group of students, our book club boasts a participation rate of over 70 students each year! Club participants first learn about establishing and fulfilling long-term commitments by signing a student contract. To mimic real-world collaboration, students are then trained to work within their small groups to fulfill specific roles: discussion leader, diction detective, bridge builder, reporter, and artist. Conducting discussions in small, collaborative groups provides students with the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills that are vital for future workforce success.
In order to broaden our students’ view of reading and writing, the Grenada Elementary 4th & 5th Grade Book Club collaborates with local and even national partners to provide students with real-world connections to literature. The following individuals have committed numerous hours to share their knowledge and expertise with book club participants:
- Jeanne DuPrau, New York Times Best-Selling Author of The City of Ember book series - “The Life of an Author” and “How a Book is Made into a Movie”
- Billy Collins, Grenada City Mayor - “Leading with Integrity”
- Robin Whitfield, Local Artist, Community Activist, and Mississippi’s 2017 Soil, Air, Water Conservationist of the Year - “The Role of Light and Color in Everyday Life and Literature,” “Becoming an Activist for Your Community.”
- Jamie Kornegay, Local author of Soil - “Creating a Storyline by Using the Steps of ‘A Hero’s Journey’”