What is Book Chat?

Book Chat is a club designed to allow the students of New Milford High School to come together and discuss books. The club states, ¨it increases a sense of achievement, confidence, self-esteem, and self-awareness; it prevents boredom and promotes relaxation.¨ This extracurricular activity’s sole purpose is to benefit teens in a positive manner. Just like many other clubs, Book Chat is a social outlet for the students to give their opinions and have a mature discussion with one another about what they’re reading.

How it Came to Be

Contrary to popular belief, Book Chat was not the brainchild of Mrs. Mackey, the current moderator.  “Actually, it wasn’t my idea. There was a librarian before Mrs. Fleming named Mrs. Keesing. She had a book club for years and she retired so I took it over. I love reading–it changes your life, and if this helps me inspire others that’ll be great.¨

Its Purpose

Book Chat stands as an extracurricular at New Milford High School. Like many extracurricular activities, its main purpose is to give the teens an activity to do after school. However, along with taking away teenage boredom, the club is meant to influence them. Mrs. Mackey states that “I guess my goal is really honest to get kids off their phones and bring books back into their lives. With this generation, children have gone so far from books that they don’t realize the adventures they really take you on.” With today’s amount of new technology, kids are lost in the world of electronics and rarely take the time to actually sit down and read a book. Books are the window to the imagination and teach lessons people would not be able to learn and experience on their own. By this reason, Mrs. Mackey is dedicated to pushing the club forward and getting many more students involved.

The Connection

As we all know, many connect with books on a personal level but it is not always the book people connect with. For example, Mrs. Mackey said that “I enjoy historical fiction but it’s not always about what I like. I enjoy reading for students because sometimes it’s not about loving the book your reading but having a discussion about it with others that really creates the interest.” Words create discussions. They are how we communicate. When reading a novel with a group of people you are given endless opportunities of discussions on every turned page. Unlike movies, when you’re reading, you come up with your own conclusions. You have to be creative and discover the mood of a specific scene or the tone that the author is using, allowing you to start real life person to person conversations, discussing one another’s views.

Remember to stop by Room 322 and speak with Mrs. Mackey about getting involved!