Who We Are
Welcome to Durham Book Club!
a program for all of Durham's middle school students
What is Durham Book Club?
Durham Book Club is a student-led group that unites Durham's middle school youth through the power of reading. An initiative created by Durham non-profit StrongHER TogetHER at the onset of the pandemic, DBC welcomes all students and is supported by grants, donations, and community sponsorships that make it possible to provide books and materials to participants.
From April through July, we meet once a month to hear from authors, play book-related games, and make new friends. Whether we are designing this year's t-shirts or sleuthing our way through a city-wide scavenger hunt, we have tons of reading fun!
StrongHER TogetHER is excited to host DBC alongside Durham librarians, local booksellers, and middle school librarians and staff from throughout the community.
What is the Student Leadership Team?
The Student Leadership Team (SLT) is a group of middle schoolers who are very enthusiastic about books and reading!
At our weekly virtual meetings, we plan and come up with all activities and events, starting with book selection in the fall and going all the way to leading the author meetings and creating the book-related games and challenges in the summer months.
While all Durham Book Club participants get together once a month in April, May, June, and July, there is so much fun (and work) to be had before each season starts!
Check out the DBC Student Leadership Team and current members below and be in touch if you would be excited to hang out with friends, old and new, in shaping this year's reading season of Durham Book Club.
Email Us!
Meet Our Student Leaders
Jasleen (she/her) loves reading, art, and playing with her cat and dog. Her favorite book is Wildfire.
Jemma is an 8th grader at Durham School of the Arts, and is in her 3rd year of DBC! She loves reading and has done Battle of the Books since 4th grade. She also is very passionate about writing and music, especially playing the piano and clarinet. She loves being on the Student Leadership Team and enjoys meeting new people every year. She is excited for this year's book club and the ones to come!
Xay (he/they) is a part of StrongHer TogetHer, which is how they found out about Durham Book Club. One of their favourite books is 1500 Miles from the Sun. They play two instruments, Double Bass and Guitar. They go to Durham School of the Arts and are in the 8th grade.
Jack has seen all the Marvel movies, he plays soccer, and reads a lot! He likes Star Wars, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter (he's a gryffindor), and enjoys video games like Mario Kart, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. His favorite books is Class Trip.
Anya is a 6th grader at Durham Academy Middle School. When she’s not reading, writing, or planning Durham Book Club events, you can find her playing field hockey, practicing the piano, putting on plays, or outside enjoying nature. This is her second year on Student Leadership. Anya had bunches of fun last year and she is so excited to kick off the 2023-24 book club season!
Caroline (she/her) is a 7th grader at Lowe's Grove Middle School. Her favorite books include KOTLC by Shannon Messenger and Long Lost by Jaqueline West, and she LOVES squirrels.
Alex is in 6th grade at Githens Middle School. He loves to play soccer and baseball. This is his second year in DBC. He loves to read. He’s had tons of fun on the team, doing activities and meeting the authors. He likes the welcoming and including environment.
Grace (she/they) is a 7th grader at Ignite Online Academy. They enjoy reading books, cuddling with their old grumpy cat, Chewie, and playing video games, like Splatoon 3 and Zelda TotK. Her favorite single book would be Small Town Pride, and her favorite series would be the Aru Shah series.
Aanya is our graphic designer, and she created our logo! She is a student at Durham Academy! She loves to read and play tennis! Her favorite book right now is The Disreputable History of Frankie Landeau Banks.
Meet Our Partner Liaisons
Mira is a 9th grader at Riverside High School, and one of Durham Book Club's first ever Partner Liaisons. She's been involved in book club since it started in the summer of 2020, and is so excited to be participating again this year. She can't wait to see what the fifth year has in store for us!
Maeda is a 9th grader, and she loves reading, music and being outside. She has been in Durham Book Club for three years. Her favorite book is Little Thieves by Margaret Owen, but loves basically any book she reads. Maeda's so happy to be a part of our amazing DBC community!
Meet Stephanie (she/her), our intrepid leader and resident "Whether Woman". With a deep love of books and a boundless sense of curiosity, she's always exploring new literary worlds and encouraging our members to do the same. The Phantom Tollbooth holds a special place in her heart, as it taught her the power of imagination and the value of seeking out new experiences.
As our club's Whether Person, Stephanie is always there to guide us through any obstacle and help us discover new paths to explore. When she's not busy reading or helping to plan the next club event, you’ll definitely find her outside, probably playing soccer or tinkering in the garden.