New "Starbooks" Shop Opens at St. Mary's School

How do you get reluctant readers to pick up a book and actually enjoy it? 

How do you get avid readers to try a genre which is completely foreign to them?

You hold a book tasting; an event which has readers of all kinds “tasting” books to discover which ones actually make them want more than just a sample! 

Mrs. Arianne Wong, fifth grade teacher at St. Mary Catholic Community School, opened the 5A Starbooks Cafe on August 27, 2025. Her goal was to provide an opportunity for all her students to reignite, or simply refresh, their love of reading by adding her twist to the idea of book tastings. For Wednesday’s grand opening, students sat at tables draped with green tablecloths and were served by apron-donning moms who truly embraced their role of baristas by taking orders and delivering “mochas” and treats. The scene was then set to “taste” some books.

Students reached for the book which appealed to them the most and jotted down first impressions. Then, five minutes were put on the clock for silent reading time. When the timer went off, books were closed and book talks began. Students shared thoughts of what they had read and whether or not they wanted to read more of their choice. Hearing the quick reviews, all students then got an idea of what book they wanted to taste next. Taste and share. Taste and share. As the book tasting went on, Mrs. Wong looked on with delight at all 28 students who were getting excited about picking up yet another book! The enthusiasm was contagious!  

As it neared closing time for the cafe, it was decision time. “I thought choosing which drink and treat to have would be the hardest decision that day,” Mrs. Wong joked. “Instead, the toughest choice actually came when students had to look at all the books they had “tasted” and decide on just one book to read for the quarter!” 

Already looking forward to next quarter’s book tasting event, Mrs. Wong considers the grand opening a huge success! All students in her class, even those who never would have batted an eyelash toward any of those books, left the 5A Starbooks Cafe as happy readers.

Mrs. Vicari takes Abby Faulkner’s order at the new 5A Starbooks Cafe.

Ava Skinner, Triffin Ploutis, Michael Gonzalez, Adriana Borozan, and Kyra Martinez display book choices and cafe signs at the close of the book tasting event in Mrs. Wong’s classroom.

Assistant Principal, Mrs. Kozlowski, was “hired” as one of the baristas for the grand opening of the 5A Starbooks Cafe.

The 5A Starbooks Cafe is abuzz during its grand opening event!

St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point serves students from Junior Pre-K (for three-year-olds) through eighth grade. The dedicated faculty delivers a robust, faith-based curriculum enriched by cutting-edge technology. Guided by the core pillars of Faith, Academic Excellence, Life Lessons, and Compassion, St. Mary’s provides a nurturing environment where students grow spiritually, intellectually, and socially. To learn more, visit school.stmarycp.org. #stmarycp