Book Club lets students share literary insights

BY MACADAM GLINN

Mrs. Anita Meinbach, an English teacher at Southwood Middle, started the Grand Conversations club about six years ago with simple intentions -- she just wanted an outlet, an environment where kids could talk about books they had read collectively.

More than 75 students from area middle schools gather at Borders Books to participate in a recent Grand Conversations meeting.

"I hoped that we might get to deeper truths and understandings regarding the books, to get beyond the superficial, 'What was the book about?'" she said.

Little did Meinbach know just how popular Grand Conversations would become. It is much more than a book club to those students who attend the discussions. It gives students an opportunity to collaboratively dissect literature, something they don't necessarily do in the classroom.
Anne Searcy, an eighth grader at Southwood and president of the Book Club, is particularly appreciative of the opportunity the group offers.

"I love Grand Conversations because through it I gain insight into books that I would never get otherwise," Searcy said. "The questions asked at Grand Conversations let me discover not only other people's opinions and views but sometimes my own, since the introspective questions are often about things I didn't think about."

The popularity of Grand Conversations isn't limited to Southwood either. Arvida and Palmetto Middle are active participants, while St. Stephens and Highland Oaks have started Grand Conversations programs of their own.

It has helped immensely that three successive principals at Southwood -- Robert Kalinsky, Allen Hindman and Reid Bernstein -- have been so encouraging, Meinbach said. They've even bought additional books so that the students would have enough for the discussions.

Meinbach designs the reading list to ensure that they discuss a wide variety of books, from light reading to literature for young adults. The reading lists including fantasy classics like The Hobbit by Tolkein, best sellers like the Harry Potter books, to literary gems like The Short Stories of O'Henry.

"I try to tie them with some current issue while varying the genres from contemporary to classics," Meinbach said.

Sophia Feldman, a Southwood sixth grader and the vice president, likes talking about the books that Meinbach selects.

"Grand Conversations gives students a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and reactions to assigned books," Feldman explained. "I really enjoy participating in this program."

Hadassah Mendoza-Elias, a Southwood seventh grader and book club special event coordinator along with Denis Yaves, likes the relaxed, open atmosphere that permeates the Conversations meetings.

"I like Grand Conversations because it gives people a chance to share their opinions about a book," she said. "It also gives them a chance to discuss questions with others. In Grand Conversations, kids can be themselves."

Meinbach believes one reason this is the case is because the program takes place outside the classroom. Borders Bookstore at 9205 S. Dixie Hwy., not only has accommodated the meetings and promoted the events, but also provided the refreshments. The friendly environment they've provided, Meinbach said, is a key component of the program.

"Reading becomes a way of life and a fun thing to do instead of just a way of getting through school," she said. "By taking the discussion out of the classroom and off school grounds, it takes on an entirely different feeling."

In addition to her duties as a member of the faculty at Southwood, Meinbach is a very accomplished author and scholar. She has her doctorate from the University of Miami in Elementary

Education and Reading, and has authored or co-authored 13 books on Curriculum Development, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Holocaust Studies.

She also has served as an adjunct professor at UM and Nova.

Meinbach lives with her husband, Jay, a pharmacist who owns a lighting business and electrical supply company, and has two sons, David, at UM Medical School, and Ken, a senior at the University of Florida who hopes to be a pediatrician.

But Grand Conversations is definitely one of the highlights on her busy schedule.

"I really like just sitting back and listening. I genuinely enjoy the discussions," she said.

Grand Conversations meets the first Thursday of every month, except January and April, throughout the school year.

To get your class or student involved in Grand Conversations, call Meinbach at 305-251-5361.