Mahad Zamir is a busy 15-year-old sophomore at Blue Valley West High School who loves math and aspires to attend medical school.
He enjoys swimming, basketball and playing the trumpet. But one of his most rewarding activities in 2023 was writing more than 100 book reviews for the Johnson County Library website’s Teens page, recommending books that others might want to read. In the process, he earned credit for over 200 volunteer hours.
That volunteer commitment has resulted in Library recognition that makes Mahad eligible for a Presidential Service Award from the Points of Light Foundation. Johnson County Library hopes to formally recognize Mahad and other students in April for Volunteer Appreciation Week.
“I tried to read as many books as I could,” Mahad said. “I really did enjoy it.”
He found that working on the reviews enhanced his ability to critically analyze characters and themes, built his vocabulary, and sharpened his writing skills.
Youth Information Specialist Heather Miller, who oversees the teen book review program, noticed Mahad’s reviews early on and encouraged him to continue. He shared really interesting and thought-provoking perspectives.
“Mahad’s reviews are very good,” Miller said, “He’s a good writer.”
Johnson County Library created the online teen review opportunity early in 2020, serendipitously right before the pandemic. The program has had 435 teen reviewers, including 180 in 2023, with Mahad the top submitter. The reviews provide succinct plot summaries while emphasizing the writer’s opinion, not just of books but also audiobooks, DVDs or other materials in the Library’s collection. Recorded videos of reviews are also welcome.
“We wanted a virtual volunteer experience for teens,” Miller explained. “Teens could choose from materials in the Library catalog and send in their reviews.” It’s an excellent educational project and a great way for students ages 12-19 to earn volunteer hours, Miller said.
For several years, Miller oversaw all the reviews but now the team also includes Youth Information Specialists Kristen Reese and Matt Imrie.
Mahad had some free time last summer so he explored sports, job and volunteer opportunities. He’s a regular Blue Valley branch patron, so he visited the Library Teens webpage and was intrigued by the book review invitation.
“You can submit teen book reviews whenever you want, at your own pace,” he said.
He thought he’d just submit a few reviews. But once he got into the rhythm of writing, he found it was a great learning experience and decided to complete as many as he could. He credits a ninth grade English teacher with inspiring him to read closely and critically.
Mahad highly recommended such books as “Hunger Games,” “Born a Crime,” “The Book Thief” and “Fahrenheit 451.” Some of his friends also wrote book reviews and they enjoyed sharing varying views.
Miller has been impressed with the quality of many of the students’ reviews.
“It’s a really good way to know what teens are reading,” she said. “They are very honest about whether or not they liked the book, which is great.”
It gives teens some ownership. “Librarians can give recommendations,” Miller said, “but if somebody they know is reading it, they are going to trust that.”
The volunteer hours are very beneficial on college applications. Mahad said he’s excited about getting the Library endorsement for the Presidential Service Award.
For Mahad, Johnson County Library has been a valued resource. “It’s just a really good place to learn and gain knowledge, and also the staff is really helpful,” he said. “It’s a really friendly place to go.”