Reading is a very important part of life, especially student life. Studies show the more a student reads diverse literature, the higher his or her ACT score will be.Â
It can be hard for students to find time to read outside of the assigned readings they may  have in English or other classes. That’s why Hastings High School decided to bring Books and Bagels to the table. It spices things up for young readers who want to sit down and talk about their love for literature.
Books and Bagels is run by the school librarian, Faye Friesen.
“Books and Bagels has been going for six or seven years. Students have been coming back because it’s a leisure reading thing. There are no assignments, it’s very laid back,” Friesen said.
The group meets every Friday morning at 7:30 to eat bagels and drink coffee and hot chocolate. They discuss themes of the book and what is happening in their reading. Â
“Our last book was Wonder by R.J Palacio. It had our biggest turnout of 27 people. When we finish it we are all going to go see the movie together,” Friesen said.
There are so many great authors and new books out right now that it is almost impossible for a student to pick which book to read.
“Usually we take request on books. The last book we decided to choose a lower reading level so we could appeal to a wider variety of kids. Sometimes we try to pick whatever is most popular at the time, then after we decided on the book, depending on the book, we read for six or seven weeks.”
To join Books and Bagels talk to Mrs. Friesen it’s a good way to find great novels, meet new people, read, and discuss literature in a laid-back setting.
