Stillwater Area High School is welcoming a new Book Club for students. The club will be open to all students as a way to be exposed to new literature and meet other students with similar interests. English 12 and AP Literature and Composition teacher, Lori Stippel is the advisor responsible for the club. Stippel has been teaching at SAHS since 1997 and is now advising a book club as well. Senior Carly Johnson had the original idea for the Book Club and asked Stippel to advise it.

Stillwater Junior High School and Stillwater School Board both have active books clubs that meet weekly. However, SAHS has never had a running book club as an extracurricular activity. By creating the club through the school activities office, it offers easy access and information to students who want to participate in it.

The main idea behind the club was to offer AP English students the opportunity to read, review and discuss literature that may show up on AP exams in the Spring. Although the club is open to anyone who would to participate, it seems that many AP English students have chosen to be a part of it.

Book Club had the first meeting on Dec. 13, and will continue to meet every Friday at 2:15 p.m. in Stippel’s English classroom. The first book they have decided to read is The Color Purple; is written by American author Alice Walker, the pulitzer prize winning novel has been a popular read among high school age groups in recent years.

Senior Laura Serier said, “The Color Purple is a pretty serious book about racism and the role of women in society. It really demonstrates how culture influences how people think and act.”

According to scholastic.com, students involved in positive reading experiences such as book clubs report more motivation and interest in reading both inside and outside of school. Book clubs provide avid readers a community of other readers who share their enthusiasm, while the social nature of book clubs can engage and develop readers who lack positive reading experiences.

“I look forward to discussing the books in an intelligent way without the pressure of speaking about a book in class. I think that book clubs are good ways to exchange ideas in a very relaxed setting, ” Serier said.

The Book Club gives students the opportunity to connect weekly on their thoughts on the book chosen. Collaboration outside of the classroom on potentially controversial books like The Color Purple create an environment that students can voice their opinions on topics that may not be talked about in a normal class. Most of the members of the club are AP English students who share similar interests on literature.

Whether students consider reading a hobby or homework, a Book Club offers new options for all students. Weekly connections with others and English teacher Mrs. Stippel, only provide opportunities to learn new literature outside of the school day in a classroom setting to prepare students for the AP English test this May. In the first year the Book Club hopes to get a good start that hopefully can continue on through many more years.