Gahanna-Jefferson: Books bind High Point classmates together during pandemic and beyond
Some classmates from High Point Elementary School in Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools keep turning pages in books and in their lives as part of a club they had started in March 2020.
“It was COVID, and I couldn’t see my friends anymore,” Meredith Sell said during the club’s June 23 meeting. “I thought it would be a good idea if I started a book club with friends in my class so we could see each other, other than online. We’ve read a lot of books.”
Meredith and Priya Vyas previously had talked about starting a club before the pandemic. Priya said they were in first grade at the time.
“Now I’m going into fourth,” Priya said. “We’re all 9. We’ve stayed close.”
If someone isn’t quite sure about a suggested book to read, they try to find a book they can agree on, according to Priya.
The girls discuss characters and the lessons they’ve learned from each book.
Paige Vyas, Priya’s mother, who hosted the June meeting, said the club was started early in the pandemic.
”All these kids were feeling such isolation,” she said. “We try to meet once a month. It was tricky during the pandemic because only one members' family had a three-season room. We rotate who gets to host. It was nice because this gave them incentive to keep reading and filled a gap to encourage them to continue reading.”
Meredith said the group of six friends have read about 25 books as part of the club.
“'Flora & Ulysses' by Kate DiCamillo is my favorite,” she said. “I just think it’s really cool because it’s about a squirrel, and I love animals. I just thought it was a good book.”
Cece Manket said the best part of the book club is being able to see her friends and reading, which they all love.
Charlotte McCullough said she just enjoys being with friends and "trying out" new books.
“We read a lot of good ones,” said Ava Lee. “What I’ve enjoyed most has been taking turns going to each other’s houses and doing different activities. Tonight I think will be the most fun because we’re going to watch a movie.”
“One time it was Meredith’s birthday, and the club surprised her,” said Everley Hannah, a club member.
Judy Hengstebeck, Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools’ communications coordinator, delivered books to the girls at the June meeting that were a gift from the Chautauqua Short Story Discussion Group, a book club to which Superintendent Steve Barrett belongs.
Barrett wrote about joining the Chautauqua group in a Dec. 8, 2021, The Lion's Share superintendent's column in the ThisWeek Rocky Fork Enterprise.
“They were impressed with the girls and their perseverance to keep their first-grade COVID-inspired book club alive into third grade,” Hengstebeck said. “They wanted to support summer reading for the girls by sending them books to keep them busy over break. They also included some Chautauqua postcards, bookmarks, stickers and pens.”
Among the books are “Because of Winn-Dixie” by DiCamillo and “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E.L. Konigsburg.
“Mr. Barrett wanted to attend the meeting to personally deliver the books to the girls with words of encouragement from the Chautauqua group, but he is in Germany for his daughter's graduation,” Hengstebeck said. “The girls were thrilled with the books and plan on reading them for their group during July and August.”
mkuhlman@thisweeknews.com
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Gahanna-Jefferson: Books bind High Point classmates during pandemic, beyond
