The only thing missing from the Youth Lounge on Tuesday was the smell of fresh baked bread or a pasta dish straight from the kitchen. Language arts teacher Tanya Leon had transformed the Youth Lounge into a restaurant call "Book Bistro" complete with table clothes, candlelight, soft music and menus. Only these menus didn't feature entrees and desserts, it featured books. Students were examining the menus for a book genre that might whet their appetite and keep them coming back for seconds. 

Chef Leon, as she was known at the "restaurant," served up books in genres like graphic novels, historical fiction, hobbies, realistic fiction, fantasy and mythology and more. The activity is designed to help students learn more about what books they might find enjoyable. Students spent several minutes at each table, thumbing through examples of the genre and even making recommendations for more books from the genre. If they saw a book that they might enjoy, they captured the information into a booklist on an iPad so they can refer to it throughout the year. 

Each year, Leon challenges her students to read as much as possible. She creates class competitions between seventh and eighth graders and while the students think they are trying to earn a title, Leon is helping them establish a good reading habit that will hopefully stick with them long beyond their time at Trinity. 

Both the seventh and eighth grader students had the chance to get a taste of the books as Chef Leon's Book Bistro during their Language Arts time. Now, it's time for them to find their favorites and dig in. 

2023 - Book Bistro