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The importance of reading is highlighted this March in Virginia Beach.
March is Reading Month, a national month established to create and celebrate a nation of diverse readers.
Reading happens all year long at Ocean Lakes. Book club meets once a month during one lunch in the library where members read a different book each month and then meet up to discuss the aspects of the book they enjoyed, and sometimes disliked.
Recently, club members read the award winning book “In the Wild Light,” by Jeff Zentner, a poetic story about past pain and healing.
“I liked it because of how real and raw it felt. It felt like the emotions were actually on the page, like it wasn’t just a story, it was an attempt to communicate,” said sophomore Evelyn Vargas.
Book club has become a place for fellow readers to connect; however, if students find themselves uninterested in school activities, the Virginia Beach Public Library system works hard to cater to students of all ages with many different types of interactive programs.
“Teen programs allow teens to make friends, practice social skills and learn new skills such as how to make an origami octopus fidget or how to play Dungeons and Dragons,” said Skie Thorpe, the Teen Programming Specialist at Oceanfront Area Library.
With such a large variety of programs, most students are sure to find an activity they are interested in.
“I really like that I can fill my time with something worthwhile and be able to make friends with such nice and friendly people,” said freshman Ellen Balogh, a student at Cox High School who participates and volunteers at many library programs.
Programs like these allow the community to connect and learn through personal interests and books.
“Everyone needs books that let readers experience empathy for what someone else is going through,” said Thorpe. “That is why reading is so important, because it lets you learn about how other people live.”
