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Shamrocks book discussion club
Students at Saint Patrick High School in the Shamrocks Book Club. Standing left to right are: Roland Najbar (60634), Kevin Gerena (60625), Enrique Villarreal (60707), Maciej Szuster (60706), John Nogafka (60634), Matthew Stell (60634), and Abraham Melecio, Jr. (60164). Seated left to right are: Adam Muentes (60634), Daniel Cortez (60625), Jesse Hall (60651), Daniel Diaz (60641), Matthew Dorsen (60646), Eamon Marks (60634), Peter Siwik (60707), and Matthew Majarucon (60646).
Updated: November 19, 2012 1:07PM
In 1999, Mayor Richard M. Daley declared every school should have a book club. So Marilyn Wenzel, Saint Patrick High School librarian, started book clubs for each level, with 42 students participating in that first year. Today, 147 students are participating in book clubs during their lunch and homeroom periods.
The Shamrocks will read and discuss five books this year. Top selections include Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Acceleration by Graham McNamee, Divergent by Veronica Roth and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. All books are purchased by the school for any student interested in being a part of the book discussion groups.
Wenzel, who has served as Saint Patrick head librarian for 21 years, said Danny Smith, 1998 alumnus and author of On The Job, makes an annual visit to speak with book club members. Chris Crutcher, author of Deadline and other teen favorites, spoke with book club members a couple of years ago.
Saint Patrick High School, at Belmont Avenue and Austin Boulevard in Chicago, is all-male and has served the youth of Chicago for 152 years.
