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Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Book club upholds King legacy a book at a time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On the eve of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s national holiday, a group of boys met to talk about books — ones they’ve read, some they’d like to read and others they know nothing about.
You may recall that I put out feelers to see if anyone was interested in a boys’ book club. That was in November. An inaugural meeting was held at the Lilburn library off Hillcrest Road. Now, it’s the book club headquarters.
Since that first meeting, the boys have completed their first book: “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” The condensed version. A week before Christmas, we met at the Duluth Dave & Busters for dinner and discussion. While we ate burgers, ribs, pasta and chicken, we talked about “20,000 Leagues” — the plot, our favorite characters (Captain Nemo), whether the ending was a surprise, a bust or a downer (most chose the latter).
On Sunday, we held our first meeting of 2007. The club’s growing, man. Nine kids attended, and what’s great about that is this: Three of them are new members — from Atlanta, Decatur and Snellville. In all, there are 12 boys. Not bad for a start-up.
Any kid can suggest a title for the group to read, but he must explain the book’s story line. Three suggestions were raised Sunday: “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” and “Sea of Trolls.”
In Nancy Farmer’s “Sea of Trolls,” an 11-year-old boy and his sister are enslaved on a ship and encounter a sea of characters. It’s classic good vs. evil, with a surprise ending. After Austin Green, 12, explained the story to the gang, the vote on which title to read wasn’t even close: Trolls won hands down. So “Sea of Trolls” it is. Time to read.
Across metro Atlanta, events were held to honor King’s legacy. Gwinnett held its annual King Day celebration; a “Unity Party” was held at an Atlanta hotspot in a symbolic attempt to integrate a segregated club scene in the hometown of the civil rights icon.
Every year, I wonder how King would feel about all the festivities, as well as how he’d respond to those who choose not to recognize the national holiday. Six Gwinnett towns took the latter route. Inexcusable.
I can’t say for sure, but I bet King would have been overjoyed with what he saw Sunday at the Lilburn library. The boys club consists of 10- to 14-year-olds who come in all skin tones, learn at different schools and live in different towns. They have come together on a common accord, for the same purpose — to enrich themselves in the written word.
The power of words, the ability to communicate without fists, played a pivotal role in the civil rights era. In the end, it beat down a systemic, often violent response.
So it’s uplifting to see these boys sharpening their reading skills and building on their vocabulary even if, in some cases, the parents are the impetus for their participation.
And though they may not know it, they’re doing something else, too. They are honoring King’s legacy, fulfilling his dream.
One book at a time.
