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An 11-year old boy from Missouri has started an all-boys’ book club to help raise awareness of African-American heritage.
Sidney Keys III, who himself is African-American, formed the club Books N Bros with his mother because there were not enough books with African-American characters in his school library. After finding a bookstore that specializes in this genre, Keys got inspired to gather other boys with a love for reading.
Books N Bros officially began in September 2016. The book club is open to boys ages eight to twelve who have a reading level of grade four or higher. The club’s monthly membership fee of $20 is inclusive of books, worksheets, and snacks. Presently, Books N Bros has around 30 members, who meet every first Sunday of the month.
Keys explained that his book club aims to encourage young boys to read using a variety of activities. According to him, the members are motivated to read more when they read books with relatable characters. In addition, they also play video games and learn to use computer programs to enrich their reading activities.
According to a 2009 report by the US Department of Education, the literacy rate of more than 50% of African-American fourth graders was below average. In addition, the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that only 18% of fourth grade African-American students were proficient in reading.
In 2016, the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute released a list of techniques to motivate students to read. Like Books N Bros, their techniques include giving a variety of activities and relating stories to students’ lives.