For several years, the Hebron community has selected a book for faculty, students, and staff to read over the summer. This year, the All-School Book Club offered four different titles to choose from: Beartown by Fredrick Backman, The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, One Goal by Amy Bass, and What Is the What by Dave Eggers. On Saturday, October 5, we convened book groups to discuss both the books themselves and big-picture questions that came up when reading: What brings individuals together as a community? How do communities deal with challenges? And how can the Hebron community draw on individual strengths and talents to foster the best possible school environment?
Along with small group discussions and a fun activity that asked students to design a “book cover” about their lives at Hebron, the One Goal group had a special opportunity to talk live with the book’s author, Amy Bass, via Skype. We expect conversations about all of the books to continue throughout the year, and we are already receiving suggestions for next summer’s book club reads.