Parents and Teachers

Dear Parents and Teachers,

My name is Nur Kose and I am a 16-year-old twelfth grader who lives in Newark, Delaware, USA with my family. 

I started AboutCoolBooks in 2012 with the initial intention to encourage my own younger siblings and English students to read more.  Reading books has always been my passion and hobby, and I wanted to pass that on to kids who find more interest in computer and video games.  I realized that, to do this, I needed kids to start having an incentive to read.  After considering this for awhile, I finally decided to make an online book club.

I knew kids would be excited to use the computer and it would be cool for them to have their own author accounts on the site.  I came up with the idea to have monthly projects members would have to complete to earn points.  In coming up with the topics for the projects, I try to make them exciting and educational at the same time.  (Projects are different each month.)

I want the projects to make kids think more about what they have read and I include a wide range of books to do projects on, as well.  In this online book club, not only do I want elementary and middle-schoolers to read more, but I also want them to connect what they have read to experiences they had in their own lives.  I want them to change their perspectives while reading books and to develop stronger comprehension and critical thinking skills.

I started out by inviting various boys and girls I taught in writing workshops throughout the past few years to become members.  I watched them expectantly when I had them first join the online book club.  At first, they were reluctant to do any more English homework than they already had to do.  Then, however, after one member began to earn points, the others got encouraged.  With a little competition, they all started to hurry to do projects.  I watched them spend their spare moments reading books or posting projects on the site.  I was surprised to see my younger sister sprawled on a sofa, reading a book while the computer table was empty. 

Members are especially eager to comment on each other's work.  A member will write about a book he or she has read and another member will become excited, realizing he or she had read that book before.  Members enjoy interacting with each other through commenting on each other's projects.  AboutCoolBooks has become a bond for students in states throughout the USA.

I hope you find AboutCoolBooks beneficial for your kids and/or students.  Please email me at nrkose@gmail.com if you have any suggestions, questions, or comments.

Nur