Parents and Kids Bond Over Good Books

by Jill Simpson of the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation

(November 17, 2003) On a recent Tuesday evening, the rainy chill outside did nothing to dispel the warmth and conviviality of the lively book discussions going on at four different tables in the Hommocks Middle School library. It was the second installment in the new parent-child book groups started this fall at Hommocks, thanks to a grant from the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation.

“There’s a lot of evidence that reading falls off during the middle school years, and we felt the book clubs were a way to make reading a more celebratory activity, which it really is,” said organizer and Hommocks reading teacher Christine Manzi (in center of group below). “We wanted kids and parents to bond over good literature,” said Principal Seth Weitzman, “and that’s just what is happening.”

Principal Dr. Weitzman & staff enjoying the Book Club

Students and parents in any combination—mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons—were encouraged to select one of four possible books to read, and then come and discuss them for an hour in groups facilitated by a teacher, parent, or even Dr. Weitzman.
Through My Eyes, an autobiography by Ruby Bridges, is familiarizing students with the life of Ms. Bridges, the civil rights pioneer who, as a six-year-old girl, integrated the New Orleans public schools. As they discussed her life story, students came up with questions they plan to ask Ms. Bridges when she comes to speak at the new Hommocks auditorium in January, in a program made possible by the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation and the Mamaroneck School District.

Interestingly, discussions at the Ruby Bridges table about exclusion and prejudice, and how they still might be felt in more subtle ways today, were echoed in an engaging conversation at another table about the book Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli. In a discussion facilitated by English teacher Loraine McCurdy, girls talked about cliques, social exclusion and the divisions among student groups in the Hommocks lunchroom. They found an inspiring antidote to worrying about what others think in the book’s nonconformist heroine.

The enthusiasm for the popular Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer, was palpable when Ms. Manzi announced that there were only five minutes left for discussion and audible groans of disappointment could be heard from Dr. Weitzman’s table.

The intriguing Mind’s Eye, by Paul Fleishman, evoked a range of sentiments. Some found it depressing; others felt it had a buried message of redemption, but all the readers were impressive in backing up their opinions with thoughtful reasoning, sifting through the book’s terse play-like structure to delve for insights. “Each time I discuss this book, I’m amazed by the new things students find that I hadn’t thought of,” said Ms. Manzi.
The reactions of both students and parents were overwhelmingly positive. “I like hearing different people’s perspectives,” said Adam. “You get eight different points of view on a book.” “It’s interesting discussing a book with people in different grades,” said Tory, a sixth-grader, whose mother enjoyed the chance to read together with her daughter again.

The next book group meeting will be on January 7. The new book list will be available in the Hommocks, Mamaroneck and Larchmont libraries. Ms. Manzi encourages everyone to participate—it is not necessary to have attended a past meeting—and she is also seeking more facilitators. “We’d love to have anyone from the community, whether they have children at Hommocks or not, volunteer to lead a discussion,” she said. Eventually, she hopes to have teams of adults and students co-facilitate the discussions. For more information, please contact Christine Manzi at manzi@mamkschools.org.

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