11-year-old Deena Whitwam has always loved to read, but used to live out in the country. When she moved to her new neighborhood full of kids last year, she finally made her dream of having a book club a reality.

"I was like, ‘I want to start the book club now!’ And my mom and dad were like, ‘Ok, good luck!’” recalls Deena. “And I didn't really know what to do because I didn't know anyone."

That's when the ambitious met her neighbor Kara Gilbertson, and things started to roll.

"She was just like, ‘Hey why don't we do this thing called Bookworm Wednesday?’ And I was like, ‘Ok.’ So we started it and I thought it would not get this far."

Deena started the after school reading program at her house last year, recruiting other kids from the neighborhood to help.

"They kind of shoved a flier in my hand!" says fellow “staff” member Erin Earley. Deena, Kara, Erin, and their friend Courtney Langer, make up the team of leaders.

"We call them the Bookworm Wednesday divas!" says Deena’s mom, Kelly Curtis.

Now the word is out and reading is in: Nearly every kid in their New Richmond subdivision comes over each week to hear a story and have some fun.

"The average Bookworm Wednesday, they kids would come in and they'd check out the books they wanted,” explains Deena. Kids pick books from her private collection, and they keep a library system on her parents’ computer. The girls also lead the other kids in craft time that’s related to the story they read.

It's not only helping kids learn how to read, it’s helping them branch out.

"I think it helped her to meet other kids,” says Kelly.

Deena says one day, she hopes to be a teacher. For now, she just hopes the kids realize how important reading is.

"I think it's just because you do it your whole life,” says Deena. “I mean, if you didn't know how to read, you couldn’t even read stop signs or anything! It's just kind of a cool experience, it's better than a movie.”

Deena has also been selected to talk about Bookworm Wednesday at the Wisconsin Teacher's Convention this month in Madison.

Deena’s dad is an elementary school principal and her mom is a school counselor. Her mom Kelly Curtis has also written a book, titled “Empowering Youth: How to Encourage Young Leaders to Do Great Things.”