After experiencing a falter in membership and engagement, it only took one email to revive the Book Club. Pembroke Pines Charter High School (PPCHS) senior Hannah Ikner opened her laptop with the goal of bringing back the club to its former glory and began to type to her advisor. Since then, she has reignited the flame that embodies the book club’s motto: “Be Original, Be Outstanding, and Be Kind.”
In Ikner’s freshman year, her eldest sister, Marium, a senior at the time, was picked to be the Book Club’s president. Feeling a sense of obligation, Ikner joined the club in support of her sibling. However, after witnessing the club’s lack of monthly meetings, fundraising events, and activities, she had a change of heart, determined to ensure the club’s success for years to come.
“[Book Club] has been around for years now, but after Covid, it sort of paused. There were board officers, but they didn’t do anything, there were no members, and there were no meetings,” she remarks. “I remember being frustrated with [Marium], thinking, ‘Why did you just let the club rot?’”
This prompted her to reach out to Mrs. Chaca and Mrs. Martinez, the media center sponsors who helped her navigate the process of jump-starting the club. From there, Ikner was able to “get the ball rolling.”
Since then, the Book Club has heavily involved itself in the school and local community. For instance, they’ve partnered with the South West Regional Library for events as basic as volunteering, but also exciting author visits and writing workshops.
The Book Club also participates in an annual competition called “The Battle of the Books.” Here, high school students take on the Florida Teen Reads list (FTR) and apply their bookworm knowledge in a contest with multiple other schools.
In fact, the author of an FTR book, “Breathe and Count Back from Ten,” visited the library to share her writing advice.
“We had an author’s visit with Natalia Sylvester last year, and we collaborated with the library for that event too,” remarks Ikner.
Despite these events, the Book Club is most notably known for its annual Scholastic Book Fair. Not only does it bring back a sense of nostalgia from elementary and middle school, but the book fair also offers students an opportunity to give back to the community. Each student can donate up to 10 books in exchange for community service hours. The books are then sent to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Children’s Harbour, a foster care system.
“This year we got [around] 870 books donated, and it’s kind of crazy to fathom that because, well, that’s just so many books. They go to kids who are having hard times and are maybe even in the darkest moments of their lives,” Ikner says. “Knowing that [one of these] books could change that, help them get through it, and provide them a sense of comfort brings me a lot of hope.”
With Ikner’s High School career coming to an end, she and the officers are preparing to delegate their next upcoming leaders. Ikner points out two members in particular who have demonstrated their dedication to the club.
“Arianna Morillo and Charlotte Foreman have really helped me so much, and they are so enthusiastic about the club. I’m definitely leaving it with them. They are good friends, so they work well together too.”
Foreman further elaborates on this, sharing her future plans to ensure Ikner’s legacy is carried on within the club: “We plan to keep growing the safe and fun environment that we already foster in our events and meetings. I’m really hoping to get the whole school involved, because it’s something fun that you can share with others.”
Ikner’s revival of the Book Club has unified students throughout the PPCHS community. Striving to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, the Book Club’s values in “Be Original, Be Outstanding, and Be Kind” are certain to be passed on for years to come.
