Calling all readers! The Lake
Forest Children’s Library has 2 book discussion groups for kids who like to
read and talk about it, and find out
what others have to say. Have you read Wonder, the New York Times best-selling
story of Auggie, who faces middle school without a normal face, but plenty of
humor and courage? We’ll be discussing
that book in the first meeting of our Family Book Group on September 18,
with more NYT best-sellers and entries from popular series in the following
months.
In addition to the Family Book Club for grades 4, 5, & 6, we offer a
Junior Readers Book Club for children in
grades 2 & amp;3. Parents are highly encouraged to read the book (supplied by the
library) and should attend with their child to observe the lively and fun,
literary focused discussions. Led by our
children’s fiction librarian, Kate Parker, our book clubs aim to introduce
children to some of the finest children’s authors. Perhaps they’ll discover new authors and
genres hitherto untried, such as adventure, realistic fiction, fantasy or
mystery. Munch on some refreshments and
participate in the fun and stimulation of sharing your ideas about books you’ve read.
September 25 Extreme Babymouse "In her 17th outing, Babymouse's yearning to
join the latest craze at school actually results in a trip to Snowy Mountain . . . A timely recollection of her instructor's cautionary "go at your own pace
and always listen to your inner voice" keeps her out of deadly Half-Pipe
Alley despite a sneering classmate's dare. . . Presented in the customary mix of
thick-lined drawings with pink highlights, easy-to-read dialogue in balloons
and occasional interjections from the outside, the tale positively shreds its
way down the narrative slope for an awesome stick. Extremely entertaining." - Kirkus Reviews
October 23 Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk "An all-zombie-all-the-time zombiefest,
featuring a bunch of grade-school kids, including protagonist Stink and his
happy comrades . . .The farce is as broad as the Atlantic, with enough spookiness
just below the surface to provide the all-important shivers. . . McDonald's
feel-good tone is deeply encouraging for readers to get up and do this for
themselves because it looks like so much darned fun, while the sub-message—that
reading grows "strong hearts and minds," as well as teeth and
bones—is enough of a vital interest to the story line to be taken at face value . . ." - Kirkus Reviews
December 4 My Name is Maria Isabel "There are already two Marias in her new class, so the
teacher decides to call her Mary Lopez. Since she doesn't readily recognize
this new name, Maria Isabel is continually scolded for being inattentive;
worse, her pride in being named for her grandmothers is dishonored . . . in this
warm, yet never sentimental, story: an entire family genealogy is encapsulated
in a Latino name, as well as special connections between its bearer and the
relatives for whom she was named." - Kirkus Reviews
September 18 Wonder "After being home-schooled for years, Auggie
Pullman is about to start fifth grade, but he’s worried: How will he fit into
middle school life when he looks so different from everyone else? Auggie has
had 27 surgeries to correct facial anomalies he was born with . . . and
he’s used to people averting their eyes when they see him, he’s an engaging boy
who feels pretty ordinary inside. . . Palacio divides the novel into eight parts,
interspersing Auggie’s first-person narrative with the voices of family members
and classmates, wisely expanding the story beyond Auggie’s viewpoint and
demonstrating that Auggie’s arrival at school doesn’t test only him, it affects
everyone in the community . . . A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder . . ." - Kirkus Reviews
October 16. The One and Only Ivan "Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top
Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except
Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic,
whereas he is a peaceful artist . . . In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his
domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances,
he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must
bravely face buried memories . . . Utterly believable, this bittersweet story,
complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan . . . In a compelling
ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan
will remember what it was like to be a gorilla." - Kirkus Reviews
November
20 Flora and Ulysses "Flora, obsessed with superhero comics, immediately recognizes
and gives her wholehearted support to a squirrel that, after a near-fatal brush
with a vacuum cleaner, develops the ability to fly and type poetry . . . Like
DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant . . . this touching piece of magical realism
unfolds with increasing urgency over a mere few days and brings its somewhat
caricatured, old-fashioned characters together into what becomes a supportive
community for all . . . Rife with marvelously rich vocabulary reminiscent of the
early superhero era (e.g., "Holy unanticipated occurrences!") and
amusing glimpses at the world from the point of view of Ulysses the
supersquirrel . . .There are plenty of action sequences, but the novel primarily
dwells in the realm of sensitive, hopeful, and quietly philosophical
literature.—" - School Library Journal August 2013—
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