Script for:

Read About What You Love and You Will Love to Read

by Mrs. Russo

CHARACTERS

Character #1: Mrs. Russo, a high school library media specialist who is the book club’s advisor

Character #2: Joe, a high school student and member of the book club

Character #3: Sara: a high school student and member of the book club

SETTING

This digital story takes place in the high school library during a weekly book club meeting.

TIME

The book club meets every Wednesday at 2:30pm.

ACT I

SCENE 1

[Mrs. Russo is holding books and standing in the middle of the high school library next to a sign that reads: “Book Club Meeting, Every Wednesday at 2:30pm.” Jazz music plays in the background and fades as the scene ends.]

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

Hi! I'm Mrs. Russo and I am a Library Media Specialist. I love reading and decided to start a book club with my students.

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ACT I

SCENE 2

[Mrs. Russo is sitting down on a comfortable purple chair. Two students have joined the book club and are seated at a purple table in front of the bookshelves. We can hear some conversation in the background. The last bell of the school day sounds and the background conversation fades away.]

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

We will be discussing one of my favorite books and we will learn about the 3 reasons why I enjoy reading it so much! But first, today we have some new students who are joining us. Can you please introduce yourselves?

CHARACTER#2 (Joe) Dialogue

Hi! I'm Joe. I decided to join Mrs. Russo's book club because I want to improve my reading.

CHARACTER#3 (Sara) Dialogue

Hi I'm Sara. I'm always looking for new books to read and asked if I could participate in this club to see what everyone else is reading.

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

Welcome everyone! This week we will be talking about the many ways to help you find books that you will really enjoy reading.

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ACT I

SCENE 3

[Mrs. Russo is showing a presentation of the cover of her book choice, The Beach House, by Mary Alice Monroe as “Almost Bliss” plays in the background.] 

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

Today, we will be talking about The Beach House, by Mary Alice Monroe, which I am presenting here on the Smart Board. 

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ACT I

SCENE 4

[Mrs. Russo is showing a presentation of her review of the book, The Beach House, by Mary Alice Monroe. “Almost Bliss” continues to play in the background.] 

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

Here is my book review! 

Caretta Rutledge has a stressful, yet successful career in Chicago, but unexpectedly loses her job. When her mother makes an odd request, Caretta finds herself relocating to her childhood hometown of the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. She reconnects with old friends, reminisces about the past, and rekindles her relationship with an old flame. The Lowcountry's beauty and slow pace quickly takes hold and she realizes the rhythms of this coastal paradise is where she belongs.

Let me tell you - I couldn't put this book down! If you love the beach and you wish you lived in the Lowcountry, y'all should add this one to your list.

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ACT I

SCENE 5

[The presentation continues with an explanation of the realistic fiction genre. “Almost Bliss” continues to play in the background.] 

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

My book belongs to the Realistic Fiction genre.

Realistic fiction books take place during the present time where the characters are true-to-life and are relatable. The characters are fictional and are placed in situations that can realistically happen.

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ACT I

SCENE 6

[Mrs. Russo remains sitting on the chair. The two students have remained seated at the table in front of the bookshelves.]

CHARACTER#2 (Joe) Dialogue

I'm not really a Realistic Fiction fan. Can I choose a book from a different genre that I enjoy?

CHARACTER#3 (Sara) Dialogue

It is okay to listen to audiobooks instead? Does that count as reading?

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

You have some great questions!

Absolutely Joe! We are all readers and just need to find the genre that suits us as an individual. There are so many different genres to choose from. It's important to find what interests you. Narrow down your topic and then begin searching for related books. This will help you to begin your path to becoming a lifelong reader.

Sara, yes, listening to an audiobook certainly counts as reading. In fact, listening to a book may sometimes be more difficult than reading text. Other times, it may be easier depending on the delivery of the narrator.

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ACT I

SCENE 7

[Mrs. Russo remains sitting on the chair. The two students have remained seated at the table in front of the bookshelves.]

CHARACTER#2 (Joe) Dialogue

Why do you like this book so much?

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

Well, I grew up in Suffolk County on the south shore of Long Island and spent all of my life on the water. I love the summer and I was looking for a book about the beach that took place somewhere along the coast in South Carolina - a place I've always wanted to live.

CHARACTER#3 (Sara) Dialogue

How did you find this book?

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

Believe it or not, I googled the words "fiction book about the Lowcountry in South Carolina" and this book was one of the results.

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ACT I

SCENE 8

[The presentation continues with a graphic showing various interests and hobbies of Mrs. Russo (Mrs. Russo is sitting on the beach, swimming in the water, sailing, and driving a boat.) The sounds of the seashore and seagulls plays in the background.]

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

This book is a perfect fit for me because it is filled with so many things that I enjoy, like spending time at the beach, taking a ride on my boat, swimming in the ocean, sailing on the bay, or just relaxing under a beach umbrella.

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ACT I

SCENE 9

[Mrs. Russo remains sitting on the chair. The two students have remained seated at the table in front of the bookshelves.]

CHARACTER#2 (Joe) Dialogue

I tend to look for books with characters that I can relate to. Is that a good idea?

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

Yes, that’s a great idea. In fact, I feel like Caretta is a long-lost friend. We have so much in common and since I've traveled to the Isle of Palms, I am familiar with the setting. This helps me to visualize the beauty of the Lowcountry. When I read this book, I can smell the salt air and hear the sea gulls as they follow the shrimp boats back to shore. 

CHARACTER#3 (Sara) Dialogue

Now I understand why some of my teachers allow us to choose our own books to read.

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ACT I

SCENE 10

[Mrs. Russo remains sitting on the chair. The two students have remained seated at the table in front of the bookshelves.]

CHARACTER#2 (Joe) Dialogue

How do you decide what to read next?

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

When I enjoy an author's writing style, I find out if they have written a book series. This will make it very easy for me to find another book to read.

CHARACTER#3 (Sara) Dialogue

Does this book have a sequel?

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ACT I

SCENE 11

[The presentation continues with a graphic showing the Beach House book series as “Almost Bliss” plays in the background.] 

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

This is the first of many books about Cara's life on the beautiful sandy beaches of the Isle of Palms. Reading a book series is a great way to continue your reading because you want to see what happens in the next book!

Other ways to enjoy what you are reading is to connect with the author by visiting their website. In this case, Mary Alice Monroe's website is maryalicemonroe.com. Another way is to find out if the book was made into a movie.

Actually, a few years ago, The Beach House was made into a Hallmark TV movie filmed on location right on the Isle of Palms!

It would be interesting to compare the similarities and differences between the book and the movie. You could ask yourself - why did they make these choices when they made the movie? This would make some great conversation.

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ACT I

SCENE 12

[Mrs. Russo remains sitting on the chair. The two students have remained seated at the table in front of the bookshelves.]

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

Next week it's your turn! Bring in one of your favorite books that you've read in the past and tell us why you enjoyed it.

Once I know what you like to read, I'll be able to suggest other titles.

Remember, your new favorite book is out there. We just have to know where to look!

CHARACTER#2 (Joe) Dialogue

I can't wait!

CHARACTER#3 (Sara) Dialogue

I'm looking forward to it!

CHARACTER#1 (Mrs. Russo) Dialogue

See you next week!

[The Works Cited page shows attributions for the sound clips and images that were used in the digital story as “On Hold for You” is playing in the background and slowly fades out.]

THE END