Knoxville High School has launched a student and staff reading initiative featuring a 30-book challenge and a book club.

Through the initiative, students and staff will challenge themselves to read 30 books before the end of the school year. There is a book club through which members read Iowa High School Book Award nominees for the 2022-23 academic year. If there is additional time, the book club will also read a few works from the National Book Awards Longlist: Young People’s Literature. 

Allie Emery, KCSD Director of Teaching and Learning tells KNIA/KRLS News about the project, “Our high school, English Language Arts Department this fall, started an idea about how to really develop that culture of reading within our students and in our school and Lindsey Carlson and the ELA (English Language Arts) team put together this book club that has been going on now since the beginning of the school year.”

To begin, the 23-member book club read “What I Carry,” by Jennifer Longo. The book is the All Iowa Reads selection for teenagers this year. The book club is now reading its fifth book, “The Girl from Widow Hills,” by Megan Miranda. Community donations funded the first four book club books.

As for the challenge, students and staff will compete with themselves rather than against others. All individuals are welcome to participate, but are not required to do so. For those wanting to still join the club contact Carlson at the Knoxville High School.