This afternoon the girls and I considered Sisterhood. We reviewed what we'd written on our poster several weeks ago and expanded those ideas. One member pointed out that we don't actually have to be related to share sisterhood with each other - that we in our club were like sisters because we're kind to each other and share things like stories and writing. Then we read a beautiful story of girls sharing and caring for each other - Four Feet, Two Sandles.
The girls were captivated by it and the very different world it presents. They were touched by the way the girls shared a single pair of sandles and the friendship that developed between them. I asked them to describe each character in just a few words, then to consider themselves as a character in the story of their lives. I asked them to describe themselves, then work in small groups to write a story or play where each character says or does at least one thing. They were invited to begin: We went for a walk and saw the most amazing thing... One group imagined a magical tree that had crystals hanging from it and a playful puppy waiting for them beneath its branches.
Another group decided to exaggerate certain of their qualities to make a point about how some friends interact. I was a little surprised by everyone's reluctance to work with their own "characters." Everyone wanted to exaggerate certain things or deal with entirely fictitious situations. After a rather tumultuous writing period, we read/performed for each other complete with applause at the end of each piece - sisters through and through.
Submitted by Virginia, our Girls LitClub Facilitator in Baltimore, Maryland.