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In the digitally-saturated world of 2015, where Kindles and Nooks are replacing books and websites and blogs get more visits than local libraries and book stores, some area teens have agreed to silence their smartphones long enough to experience hard-copy books together in a physical environment.
Lackawanna County Library System is hosting Teen Reading Lounge (TRL) during March and April. The program’s mission is to give teens an opportunity to get involved in the humanities during out-of-school hours through reading, activities and experiences. This means encouraging students to read and talk about literature that is important to them.
Popular young adult books, according to a county library system news release, include fantasy and dystopian novels, graphic novels and comics.
Two Abington area libraries — Abington Community Library and Dalton Community Library — are participating in the program.
Kelly Hopkins, Lackawanna Trail High School librarian and facilitator for the program at the Dalton library, said about a dozen students are signed up for the program, varying in age from 12 to 16 — a good mix, she said.
“I think because of the difference in age groups participating, the older kids will like to see what the younger kids think about the books and the younger kids will benefit from the older kids’ perspectives,” she said.
She said the first piece they will read is “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J. K. Rowling. She said she is surprised by the number of students in the younger generation who haven’t yet read the popular book, which now nearly two decades old.
The second book the Dalton group plans to read is “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner and the third book is to be announced.
One of Hopkins’ goals for the program is to help students gain a perspective on how literature is often used to manipulate the minds of its readers.
Sue Curtin, facilitator for the TRL at Abington Community Library, said her group will read “The Strange Library,” by Haruki Murakami; “The Collected MAUS,” by Art Spiegelman and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,” by Mark Haddon.
“The books are straight up fascinating,” she said. “What’s it like to live through the Holocaust? To see the world as an autistic person does? To be held captive in a lunatic library? Three very different stories but all amazing. Teens will love chewing on these books and the great food we provide.”
In addition to interactive discussions of the text, each TRL session will include snacks and projects that are relevant to the book’s culture and content.
For example, Curtin said from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. this Sunday, March 8 the group will discuss “The Strange Library” by renowned Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. The book tells the story of a surreal library and a young man trapped in its depths. The group will eat traditional Japanese food like sushi and edamame as well as doughnuts, which figure prominently in the book. After the discussion, participants will create their own strange terrariums using traditional Japanese garden techniques.
Both libraries’ programs are free and funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, with additional funding from the Lackawanna County Library System. Books and other materials will be provided. Although sign-ups are now closed for the Dalton program, a limited number of seats are open at the Abington library.
For information, call 570-587-3440.