Six French students, along with their teacher, have started a book club to further their understanding of French culture and language by reading familiar stories such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

In the book club, students read French books translated from English on their own time and then meet at Barnes and Noble on Saturdays to talk about it.

Diane Gerspacher, the adviser of the club, explained why she started the book club.

“A few students in my AP and French 4 classes expressed interest in reading Harry Potter in French, but we don’t have the time to do that in class. I suggested that we meet outside of school, just for fun, and they agreed. It’s a great way for them to learn more vocab and do more reading in French (without the stress/pressure of grades, test, projects, etc.” Gerspacher said.

Senior AP French student Devin Berresford discussed what books they read, and their rationale for picking them.

“We read books that were in English that have been translated to French. This way we have an idea on how the story goes beforehand. It helps us to read the book a little more smoothly,” Berresford said.

Senior AP French student Jessica Weil, who helped create the club, explained what they do in the book club, explained the current book they are reading, and why they are reading that specific book.
“Right now, we are only planning on reading the Harry Potter books. These books are a good choice because most people are already familiar with the story, whether they have read Harry Potter in English or have seen the movie, so it is easier to understand the story in French,” Weil said.

Berresford revealed her personal motivations for joining the book club.

“I am particularly interested in picking up some new vocabulary. It will definitely help all of us learn new words and how to conjugate verbs we are not familiar with, as well as reviewing our previously learned verb tenses,” Berresford said.

Weil discussed what she thinks of the club so far, and why she enjoys it.

“[It] has been harder than I thought, so far. It is daunting to read an entire book by myself in French, when so far we have only read short stories in class. I am having a lot of fun, though, because I love Harry Potter in any language,” Weil said.

The French Book Club has started helping students better understand the workings of the French language by getting them familiar with French literature and real-time use.