To encourage their young daughters to read, a group of mothers formed the Raving Readers, a mother-daughter book group, in 2012. At the time, the children were about to begin third grade. “We wanted them to stay engaged in an academic realm during the summer,” Rachel Hasper says. “They’re not all best friends in school, so it’s nice that they get to spend time with people outside their normal social group.”
Each month, the girls and their moms meet in each others’ homes or at local ice cream shops—Serendipity is one favorite—to discuss a book selected by one of the preteens. “We go over questions and talk about the book,” Kate Hasper says. “We have fun and eat ice cream.” If there’s a movie that ties in with the book, the girls will watch it together. One of Kate’s favorite meetings, she recalls, included popcorn and a screening of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The book club also provides a wonderful mother-daughter bonding opportunity, Hasper says. “Sharing the experience with Kate is a treat. Reading the book together and talking about it is an opportunity to learn about her thinking process and reaffirm our family values. We often talk about stuff we might not otherwise.”
[about the book]
In Kimberly Griffiths Little’s The Healing Spell, 12-year-old Livie is convinced she is responsible for her mother’s coma, and that it is up to her to find a cure. Although Livie’s world is filled with three sisters, a secret pet alligator and a beloved dad, she struggles to find her place in her family. Desperate to save her mother, Livie visits a faith healer in the bayou who gives her a spell that will only work if she has faith.
[opinions]
>> “I liked that there were similarities between me and the main character, Livie. We both like adventure and having fun.” —Kate Hasper
>> “I like how the author used both happy and sad moments to make the story more relatable to the reader.” — Ava Musgraves
>> “I enjoyed the book. I liked how the girl’s relationship with her mother grew stronger and how she appreciated her mother more after she woke up from the coma.” – Joslynn Gura
[favorite]
No Flying in the House by Betty Brock
[up next]
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
Pictured, front: Kate Hasper, Ava Musgraves, Kate Bloemke, Sophie Boglino, Joslynn Gura, Zinnia Castro, Lillie Torbit. Back: Rachel Hasper, Amy Musgraves, Kristin Bloemke, Jennifer Gura, Missy Castro, Hollie Torbit
Photo: Bill Barrett
