Teen Read Week Takes Over SPMS

Ten students quietly sit on the floor of the graphic novel section of the (SPMS) library Friday afternoon.

It’s lunchtime and even though the room is filled with about 250 students socializing, playing board games and creating artwork, these students are engrossed in their books—and completely unaware of the chaos that surrounds them. 

“Comic books are very exciting, because they open up your imagination,” said eighth-grader Theron Joyet while reading a 200-page Simpsons graphic novel.

Joyet is a SPMS library student aid and self-proclaimed comic book expert. “I just really have a good memory of what happens in them,” he explained.

So it makes sense that he would help librarian Betsy Kahn host a slew of activities last week as a part of Teen Read Week, an annual campaign sponsored by the American Library Association. This year's theme: Picture It @ Your Library.

“It’s just a vehicle to get kids excited about some aspect of reading,” said Kahn. “The idea for this year was graphic novels, which are a huge thing with kids … so it was an easy sell. They love it already.” 

Sixth-grader Sarah Choi was especially excited about the cartooning class Wednesday hosted by Jim MacQuarrie. An anime artist, Choi said the class taught her to be confident in her work.

“You have to understand parts of the body to really draw the cartoon,” she explained. “And not to be afraid to draw the parts you’re really bad at.”

Photos of students holding their favorite comic books lined the walls of the library Friday as Kahn culminated the week’s events with a raffle drawing. The prize? A graphic novel, of course.

“People always say to me 'why do we need libraries anymore,'” said Kahn. “I mean kids are literally beating down the door to come in here and get books. And it really is pretty awesome.”

The SPMS library circulates about 150 books every day.

To view photos from last week's reading festivities, click on the photos above.