Today’s post will examine an exciting new trend in the virtual book club world. This new development pertains to virtual book clubs for children and teens. As online book clubs become more popular, a number of resources have become available for children and teens. Virtual book clubs dedicated to Harry Potter, graphic novels, manga, and YA have sprung up all over the internet, in libraries, and in schools. There is even an online book club geared towards toddlers and their parents!
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| Photo courtesy of Scholastic |
According to researchers Ann Melrose and Jody Wurl, “Over the past 20 years, research continues to show that reading scores plummet and voluntary reading rates diminish as children move from childhood to late adolescence” (Melrose & Wurl, 2007, pg. 176). The researchers further explain that this decline in reading might be combated by appealing to this ‘net generations’ interest in technology. In this way, virtual book clubs offer a unique possibility to encourage adolescents to read more and to read for fun. Virtual book clubs also offer young members a chance to acquire more computer literacy skills in a safe environment (Melrose & Wurl, 2007, pg. 176-179).
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| Photo courtesy of Virtual Book Club for Kids |
In order to do this, many of these virtual book clubs geared towards children and adolescents rely on Moodle to host their clubs. As mentioned in earlier posts, “With its flexibility, ease-of-use, safety features and many options, Moodle is an ideal environment to host public and school-based library online book clubs for kids” (Melrose & Wurl, 2007, pg. 181). In addition, Moodle offers various features such as forums, chats, and polls. Members can also upload images, documents, and links to their Moodle profiles.
Bibliography:
Scharber, C. M., Melrose, A., Wurl, J. (2009). Online book clubs for preteens and teens. Library Review, 58(3), 176 - 195.
Picture links:
http://www.scholastic.com/hpbuy/
http://www.virtualbookclubforkids.com/
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