Plenty of bookworms can find a home at a book club. But for the most part, they are adult bookworms.

Avid reader Susie Gallagher, 12, has taken matters into her own hands and started a book club to share books with her friends, four other 12-year-old girls: Megan Lowcher, Rachel McMurrer, Marina Congedo and Tessa Loazer.

"We all like to read," Susie said.

The girls' book club differs in another way from the typical book club. Not only is it a format to discuss books with others who have a love of reading, it's a book club with a charitable mission.

"My mom suggested the charity element and we thought it was a good idea," Susie said.

The girls, all from Clarksville and rising eighth-graders at St. Louis School, began meeting at the beginning of the school year and by December started planning for their charitable effort.

Everyone had suggestions and the girls held a drawing to determine which charitable effort their book club would take on. The winning idea was to donate books to a childrens' hospital.

Susie said she went online and found Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and e-mailed John Boyle, associate director of development at the hospital.

The girls then went to work, first clearing out books from their own closets and bookcases, and then collecting donations of books from neighbors and friends.

After the dust settled the girls counted more than 300 books.

"Eight boxes," Susie said.

On June 9 Susie's dad, John Gallagher, drove the girls to Washington, D.C., with a car full of books for the Family Library at the hospital.

"It was the largest book drop-off in my time at the hospital, a windfall for the Family Library," Boyle said.

Boyle said it was gratifying to see pre-teens working so well together and engaging in a form of philanthropy in which they can participate .

"They picked something that's easy to gather and really does make a difference."

Boyle showed the club members the Family Library and some of the hospital labs. They didn't, however, get to meet any of the children hospitalized at Children's.

Susie said next year, the group will most likely choose a different charitable effort.

"I'd like to work at a nursing home," Susie said.

In the meantime, after finishing their fifth book "My Love, My Love," which is a departure from their favorite adventure books, the girls will take a break from the club for the summer.

The girls are planning to resume the book club in September, mixing a love of reading with a spirit of charity.

"We all felt pretty proud of ourselves that we were able to help other people," Susie said.

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