Teen Book Club

Do you love to read? We do too. Come join the Chapter Chat Book Club and have some fun in a club run by teens, for teens. We hope that you will join us, fellow book nerds! Details and a registration form below!

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, 6/15, at 3:00pm, and we’ll be reading All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. (Borrow a print copy | Get a digital copy from eLibraryNJ)
Please note: this book deals with some mature themes.

Basic Information:
– For Scotch Plains/Fanwood residents or students in grades 8-12.
– Genre will change from month to month; members choose the book each month.
– Each member will be responsible for obtaining a copy of the book on their own, but the library will make as many copies available as it can for club members to borrow.

Meetings:
– We will meet once a month on a Saturday, except in July and August when we will be on a break.
– All meetings will be held outdoors at the library, except in bad weather, when we will meet virtually.
– The last 15 minutes of each meeting will be dedicated to picking the genre of the club’s next book and taking some time for everyone to search for their next book submission.

Book Selection Process:
– At each meeting the club will randomly pick a genre (Wheel of Genres).
– Each member will then suggest a book in that genre.
– After two days all recommendations will be voted on and the new book will be announced!

Communication:
– The library will primarily contact you by email with information about upcoming meetings, book availability, etc. Communication between members mostly happens via the GroupMe app; if you would like to be added, just let the club’s organizers know at your first meeting!
– If you have any questions before joining, email the teen librarian, who will forward your question to the club’s teen leadership.
– We will also update club information on this page, so bookmark it!

Disclaimer:
We may be discussing difficult topics, as they come up in the books we read. We will do our best to offer content warnings for each book we consider. If you’re not comfortable discussing any of the topics in a chosen book, there is NO pressure to come to that particular meeting or take part in that discussion. If you do attend, please be prepared to talk about these subjects in a respectful way. The founders of Chapter Chat will come prepared with educational resources to lead discussions on difficult topics.

Register below:

Name: *

First

Last

Grade: *

Email (must not be a school address): *

Home zip code: *

Much of the club communication happens directly between the teen founders of the club and its members. Is it OK if the library shares your email address with the teen founders, so that they can contact you directly? (Only the three club founders will know your address; it will not be shared with other club members without your explicit permission.) *

Sure!
No, I'd prefer to be contacted only by the library.
I'll decide after I attend my first meeting.

For our members' peace of mind, we will do our best to provide content warnings for any book we read as a club that deals with difficult subjects. There is no pressure on members to read a book or attend a meeting if they are uncomfortable for any reason, but it is the responsibility of each member to read content warnings and decide what they are OK with. *

I understand that I can choose to skip a book or a meeting if I need to, and that it is my responsibility to read the content warnings provided to me by the club.

*In-person meeting protocols:* When the club meets in person, for the health and safety of all our patrons and staff, we require everyone attending to 1) wear a mask over their nose and mouth and maintain a distance of 3+ feet from others at all times; 2) notify us in advance of their plan to attend by filling out this form or emailing or calling us directly; 3) remain home if they or their family are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.

I agree to follow the protocols described above.

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