Genoa and Heritage recently kicked-off newly created “Spirit Book Clubs” for middle school students. Spirit Book Club is an initiative funded through the Westerville Education Foundation under the Student Connections umbrella. An important goal of the Spirit Book Club is to offer a diverse group of male and female students in all four middle schools the opportunity to experience culturally rich learning materials and expose them to ethnic diversity in literature. Teacher advisors will meet twice a month with student participants to discuss six pre-selected books that received the Coretta Scott King Book Award, which is given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of culture and universal human values. Blendon and Walnut Springs will begin their book club meetings next month.