MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Peighton and Bryson Cantrell are two energetic nine year olds.
“There’s always an idea of doing something. They’ve been doing this since they were in kindergarten so everyday it ‘s a new idea,” said their mother Shera Cantrell.
The twins are avid readers and decided to share that love with other children. That’s how the Bookit4life book club was born.
“I don’t want them to think of it as a punishment,” said Peighton. “I want them to have fun with reading so I decided if we all come together and read maybe it would change some people’s minds.”
Bryson said the book club was more Peighton’s idea but he’s all in.
“Wherever she goes she somehow just pulls me along.”
Heading to 4th grade this fall they both read on a 6th grade level.
“I enjoy, I like the horror genre I also like realistic fiction.”
“If I don’t leave Tennessee I can open a book and I can go anywhere I want to.”
There are 12 children in the Bookit4life book club. Two of them are in Hawaii. Mom Shera chooses the books for the group.
“I’m familiar with their reading level by talking to their parents so I try to find something that everybody can do or if not their parents can help them with.”
The kids read the books and then post reviews on YouTube and their Facebook page.
“We don’t tell them everything that’s in the book so that way they know they need to learn more about the book so they can actually read it themselves.”
Bryson and Peighton read so many books, these days Mom isn’t buying as many as she used to. They generally go to the library to check things out.
“By the time the books touch our hands they are finished with them, they can read books in a car, we’re averaging four to five books a day if they’re not doing anything.”
Shera said the club is improving their reading and vocabulary among other things.
“When we do our discussions they’ve been practicing public speaking so they’ll stand at the end of the table and have to speak to each other and I give them a time limit of how long they have to talk.”
Peighton and Bryson have spent a lot of time in the library this summer. Peighton tutors there and plans to read 50 books while school is out. That’s a goal Bryson plans to top.
“Because Peighton is a little ahead of me in reading, only a little bit, I’m trying to catch up with her, so I’m going to go 500.”
And in this challenge a little sibling rivalry is okay.
