Registration for the UP Library Middle School Book Club is open through January 12, 2026.
Registration is now open for the University Park Public Library Middle School Book Club, hosted in partnership with HP LitFest. The special program is open to area fifth and sixth grade students, and will include a month of scheduled reading followed by an after school event at Preston Center.
Students who pre-register for the club will receive a free copy of the official selection, The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Published in 1955, the novel represents the prequel to Lewis’ beloved Chronicles of Narnia series. As it follows the adventures of two young friends, Digory and Polly, The Magician’s Nephew reveals the legend of how the magical land of Narnia first came to be.
The title was selected by HP LitFest’s upcoming keynote speaker, Blake Crouch. The author of several bestselling novels in the sci-fi and mystery genres, Crouch is also an accomplished screenwriter for television and film. His titles include the Wayward Pines trilogy, which was adapted into a FOX television series, as well as Recursion, which is currently in development by Netflix. Crouch cites Lewis’s work as an early inspiration.
Students are encouraged to register online by January 12, and books will be available for pickup at the UP Library in the Plaza at Preston Center starting January 13. Scheduled reading will take place throughout the month prior to a special after school discussion event led by the library’s Youth Services Librarian, Zoe Williams, on February 11.
