Book Discussion Observation

Young @ Heart Book Club with IndyPL

    As someone who has never attended a book club, I was not sure what to expect. It might not help that I was planning to attend a discussion for a book I had not yet read! (That small detail might have been the root of my anxiety.) Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and look forward to a time in my life that I can attend a book club on a consistent basis.

    When I first searched for a book club to attend, I thought I would look no farther than the IndyPL system. Their website was easy to navigate, and I knew they were providing virtual programming only. Having the online platform made it easier for my schedule and allowed the flexibility to tune in from the comfort of my apartment. The only detail I worried about was finding a time that worked with my schedule. The IndyPL system is open 9:30-6pm most days, so I was unsure about how many programs would take place after work, the time most convenient for me. I was thrilled to find the "Young @ Heart Book Club" that took place from 7-8:30pm on Wednesday nights. 

    The book discussion took place on a Zoom call. We had a few minutes before they began the discussion, so I took at time to share that I was an MLIS student and would be observing the discussion. They asked if I had any questions for them, which was very kind. I was curious about whether or not the book club was formed prior to the pandemic, and if they desired to continue on an online platform moving forward. It had been formed in person, but with a few staff changes, it sounds as though it might continue to be virtual, even when in-person programming begins again. I know a few librarians that had a hard time moving their in-person programs to a virtual platform, so I was eager to know how they felt about the change and whether or not it was something they would consider doing in the future. It certainly provides more flexibility for patrons who cannot travel to a branch, or who desire to participate from the comfort of their home (given the necessary resources of course). 

    The book that was discussed was Jason Reynold's A Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel. Participants were asked about whether or not they read both the novel and the graphic novel, and which one they read first. To begin the larger discussion, the presenter discussed the author's statement about not wanting to teach a lesson in this novel. Isn't that something that most authors try to do? I really appreciate this question and was so intrigued as to why Reynolds would say something like this. No, I did not read this book, but I had read another work of his. As someone else pointed out, he clearly states that Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning Stamped from the Beginning was "not a history book". From the pieces of the story that I picked up on and what others spoke about, it sounds like Reynolds was not looking to provide a lesson, but perhaps offer the reality of someone's life. 

    One participant talked about her fourth grade student asking about what book she was reading. She told the student a little bit about what the character in the book did, and the student seemed to understand the actions quite easily. The rules that the character lived by and were engrained in him included: no crying, no snitching, and revenge always. To hear a fourth grader say 'yep, makes sense to me' is a bit jarring. She also mentioned the desire to have the ending wrapped up so to speak, so the reader knows what choice the character makes in the end. 

    The largest part of the conversation was talking about just this. What does it mean that the reader is left not knowing what the character chose to do? Does this leave it up to the reader to interpret? Does this show the reader that there is a choice, but you have to make that choice? My question for the other participants was about who they thought the intended audience was. I was curious if the idea behind not providing a clear and positive ending, wrapped up nearly for the reader, might have shown who an intended audience would be. If the story is not meant to share a lesson, but simply show the reality of the character's situation, did Reynolds write it for the book club members, or the kids who can see themselves in a similar situation and can identify with the reality presented? 

    Another aspect of the book discussion that I enjoyed was the comparison of the novel and the graphic novel. It is certainly an interesting way to talk about how the presentation of each work might have impacted the story of the delivery of the story. Based on the discussion I am certainly intrigued with the work and would consider reading it myself. I was very happy with the discussion and found it to be a very open environment to talk about the work and how people felt about it. I do not have the free time right now to commit to a book club, but am very open to attending one in the future and would look forward to providing questions for readers as a librarian.