Galeton & Wellsboro Teen Book Clubs

Do you remember what it was like to be a teenager?  The hormones, the stress, the uncertainty? You probably do. It wasn’t that long ago. Or, maybe it was, but some things never change. I grew up in small town America, in the rural area surrounding Wellsboro. There weren’t a lot of opportunities, especially for adolescents. I loved to read, and we had a good library for a small town. Reading opened a world. It allowed me to learn about and observe cultures that I didn’t get to see otherwise. 

I love books so much that I opened a bookstore in my hometown--the type of bookstore that I wish was there when I was growing up. Even in this wired age, I think there should a real place where youth can gather to hang out and talk about issues that they think no one will understand. There is a real need for a teenage book club--a club where it’s safe for teens to be who they are, to discuss a book, their love for reading, their excitement about stories, and not worry about being picked on, or ignored. 

I believe reading as a teen leads to success, and so, I’m starting a teen book club at From My Shelf Books in Wellsboro. It’s modeled after the teen book club hosted by the Galeton Library, which we have supported, though it too is in need of funding. My goal, with your help, is to keep this teen book club going for Wellsboro, and keep the Galeton club burning bright. 

 

--Kevin Coolidge, owner of From My Shelf Books & Gifts