Children's Book Discussion Groups Winter/Spring 2015

The holidays will be over before we know it: what's there to look forward to in 2015?  The second half of our Children's Book Clubs!  We will be resuming in January and continuing on monthly through April.  Stories full of fantasy, fun and humor will make for some lively evenings of talk. For those of you new to our children’s discussion groups, we offer a Junior Readers Club for students in grades 2-3 and a Family Book Club for students in grades 4, 5 & 6.  Registration for each discussion is required here at the library.  Copies of the book are available for check out upon registration.  Parents are highly encouraged to read the book and accompany their child to the librarian led discussion.  Participation in the discussions is not demanded.  Exposure to and participation in book discussions will enhance critical thinking skills in young readers and give them chances to express themselves in a positive, grade-free environment.  Please join us, along with faces new and old, Wednesday evenings this winter and spring as we talk about the following books:

FAMILY BOOK CLUB

January 21^st   If you could choose to stay the age you are and never die, would you?  Young Winnie Foster faces this opportunity (?) when she discovers the Tuck family and their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older.

February 18  Summer believes in luck and wonders why she and her family don't seem to have any.  Her latest run of bad luck includes spending the summer caring for her little brother while helping her grandmother cook and do laundry for harvest workers.  The generation gap between contemporary Summer and her Japanese grandparents will strike a chord with many young readers.  However, through them and her own determination, Summer learns that you make your own luck through hard work.

March 18^th  Every teacher's nightmare: when Rafe Kane enters middle school, he teams up with his best friend, "Leo the Silent," to create a game to make school more fun by trying to break every rule in the school's code of conduct.  As we get to know Rafe, we discover his idea of "fun" is a way of avoiding some very real problems.

April 15^th Follows Janine, a fourteen-year-old American girl whose life unexpectedly transforms when she moves to London in 1952 and gets swept up in the burgeoning Cold War AND the search for her friend's apothecary/alchemist father. He has mysteriously disappeared, leaving the two teens with an ancient book of magic elixers and formulas.  The atomic bomb looms in this exciting adventure of science and magic battling each other.

JUNIOR READERS CLUB

January 28^th  Harry's not crazy; he owns a parrot - Madison - inherited from his great-uncle.  This parrot goes way beyond "Polly wants a cracker" and becomes the treasure Harry had originally hoped for. Stolen by burglars, Mad must make his way back using his ingenuity (and beak).  If you liked Kate DiCamillo's Flora & Ulysses, this book is for you.

February 25^th   What is Danny champion at?  Danny and his father live a simple idyllic existence in a caravan operating a filling station near rich Mr. Hazell's Wood.  One night, Danny discovers his dad is a master poacher and learns all about the fine art of this English pasttime.  We can't help but be taken in as his dad describes the thrill of flirting with danger (game keepers with their guns) and his irritation with the "bloated" landowner, Mr. Hazell.  The annual pheasant hunt provides Danny & his dad a marvelous opportunity to pull off an amazing coup.  Any child would love to be part of Danny's world.

March 25th  The story of Roan Novachez, Jedi Academy student, is told through comics, journal entries, letters, doodles, and newspaper clippings. This original story from author/illustrator Jeffrey Brown captures all of the humor, awkwardness, fun, and frustrations of middle school ... in a galaxy far, far away.

April 22nd.   We'll end the year with a lighthearted look at middle school through the jottings and doodles of Big Nate.  Among his achievements are managing to get detention from every one of his teachers in the same day.

We keep a list of past book club selections, so if you are looking for a suggestion for a children’s book club of your own, or just a quality book, please ask us.  We love to talk books!

Children's Book Discussion Groups 2014

Starting in January, the Children’s Library will be continuing monthly book discussions of popular and award-winning novels. Our children’s fiction librarian, Kate Parker, has chosen a variety of genres from well-regarded authors, books sure to provide lively discussion.  We offer a Junior Readers Club for children in grades 2-3 and a Family Book Club for students in grades 4, 5 & 6.  Registration for each discussion is required here at the library.  Copies of the book to be discussed are available for check out upon registration.  Parents are highly encouraged to read the book and accompany their child to the discussion.  Participation in the discussions is not required.  Exposure to and participation in book discussions will enhance critical thinking skills in young readers and give them chances to express themselves in a casual, positive, grade-free environment.  Please join us this winter and spring as we talk about the following books:

JUNIOR READERS CLUB

 January 22.  Geronimo Stilton and the Golden Statue Plot.  This latest offering in the super popular illustrated novels about an adventuresome mouse and his cohorts follows Geronimo as he thwarts  pirate cats who are planning to steal New Mouse City's Statue of Liberty and taking it back to Cat Island, with some messages about energy conservation along the way.

February 26.  Courage of Sarah Noble. Before there was Laura Ingalls Wilder, there was Sarah Noble. 

 “Frontier tales, with the authentic feel of place and time and people, have endless fascination for young and old. This one is unusual in that it harks back to a time when the wooded hills of western Connecticut were frontiers,… It is simply told, with no embroidering of melodrama, but it carries the warmth of sincerity, and the wholesome appeal of true adventure.” –Kirkus Reviews 

 April 2.  Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom.

If your 2^nd/3^rd grader has heard the buzz about the Percy Jackson books, but is too young to wade in, try this new Heroes in Training series by Joan Holub (Goddess Girls).

  “After 10-year-old Zeus is plucked from his childhood cave in Crete by armed “Cronies” of the Titan king, Cronus, he is rescued by harpies. He then finds himself in a Grecian temple where he acquires a lightning bolt with the general personality of a puppy and receives hints of his destiny from an Oracle with fogged eyeglasses…”  -KirkusReviews

Humorous and hip, this book should appeal to the youngest mythology fans.

FAMILY BOOK CLUB

 January 15. One and Only Ivan.  (Rescheduled from last October.)

 "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

 February 19.  Out of My Mind.  Reminiscent of Wonder, a look into the life of a physically challenged child. 

 “Melody, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, cannot walk or talk… [she] is an entirely complete character, who gives a compelling view from inside her mind…Realistically, Melody’s resilient spirit cannot keep her from experiencing heartbreak and disappointment even after she has demonstrated her intellect…” -Kirkus Reviews

  March 19.  I Funny. Are you a fan of James Patterson? (If so, see the blog from November 2013.) Either way, who doesn’t find a book with a fake nose, busy eyebrows and glasses on the cover funny? 

 “Middle school student Jamie is an aspiring comic. Frequently quoting his favorite comedians, Jamie reflects on life, using his forthright observations to hone his own comedic skills. Jamie relies on his quick wit and sometimes-audacious jokes to deflect inquiries about his circumstances…The affecting ending, which reveals a more vulnerable Jamie behind the guise of his humor, celebrates Jamie's resilient spirit.” -Kirkus Reviews

 April 9.  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Chris Grabenstein, who collaborated with James Patterson on the previous month’s selection, has here authored a completely different type of book.

  "When a lock-in becomes a reality game, 12-year-old Kyle Keeley and his friends use library resources to find their way out of Alexandriaville's new public library.…Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children's book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike.” – Kirkus Reviews

We keep a list of past book club selections, so if you are looking for a suggestion for a children’s book club of your own, or just a quality book, please ask us.  We love to talk books!

Book Discussion with Elise Barack, March 3

Join us for a discussion of J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories this Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 7:15 pm in the downstairs programming room. The author once said that he was most comfortable with the short story form and the writing in Nine Stories is considered the peak of his achievements. In particular three stories —"A Perfect Day for Bananafish," "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut," and "For Esmé—with Love and Squalor"— are typical of Salinger’s writing style and demonstrate several recurring themes. First published in 1953, this collection of previously published stories met with critical and popular success.

Originally from New York City, Salinger fought in World War II and never graduated from college.  His last published work, a short story, appeared in The New Yorker in 1965.  He lived out the balance of his life in seclusion in New Hampshire and died last year at the age of 91. He is best known for his one novel, The Catcher in the Rye, a common staple of high school curriculums.

Book Discussion-Thursday, January 20

Judy Levin will lead a discussion of "The Leopard" by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa this Thursday 1/20/11 at 12:30 pm. Please join us in the Programming Room downstairs.

The Leopard (Il Gattopardo), written by the last in a line of minor Sicilian princes,  was first published posthumously in 1958. The novel is set in Sicily during the Nineteenth Century's il Risorgimento period when Giuseppe Garibaldi, the hero of Italian unification, swept through the southern island with his forces.  The story is loosely based on the author’s great-grandfather’s life. Tomasi began writing the novel after his family palace was bombed and pillaged by the Allied Forces during World War II. It was rejected by two major Italian publishing houses before going on to become one of the most important books in 20th century Italian literature.  This is Tomasi's only novel.

"The Leopard" was made into a film in 1963 and won the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Luchino Visconti, it stars Burt Lancaster as Prince Don Fabrizio Salina.

Book Discussion with Elise Barack 1/6/2011

Elise Barack will lead a discussion of the novel Wanting by Richard Flanagan Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 7:15 pm in the downstairs programming room.

Plot Summary:

Wanting , a story about civility and savagery, revolves around the 19th-century Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and his family. When Franklin becomes the governor of the penal colony on Tasmania his wife, barren and desperate for a child, adopts an orphaned aboriginal girl named Mathinna. Lady Franklin, burdened with the legacy of Enlightenment ideas and the biases of British Imperialism, sets out to raise her new daughter as a proper Englishwoman, even as she yearns for a child to love.

Civility and savagery are juxtaposed again many years later when Lady Franklin seeks to defend her late husband's honor from accusations of cannibalism after Sir John and his crew starve to death during an Arctic expedition. She contacts Charles Dickens, another famous Victorian, to write a play that will absolve the explorers. The result, “The Frozen Deep,” not only addresses the widow’s concerns but forces Dickens to face his own suffering after the death of a beloved daughter.

Author’s Biography:Richard Flanagan was born in 1961 in the mining town of Rosebery, Tasmania. After finishing school he won a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford, where he earned a Master of Letters degree. He has written several histories and four other novels including The Unknown Terrorist and Gould's Book of Fish. Today he continues to live in Tasmania with his wife and three children

Book Discussion-Thursday, 11/4 at 7:15 pm

Elise Barack will lead a discussion of The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman on Thursday evening, November 4th at 7:15 pm in the downstairs meeting room.

Rachman’s novel follows the private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper as the era of print news gives way to the Internet age.  The paper's rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder's intentions, as this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future.  Publisher’s Weekly says, “(the) chapters read like exquisite short stories, turning out the intersecting lives of the men and women who produce the paper-and one woman who reads it religiously, if belatedly.” Set in Rome, this debut can be enjoyed in one sitting or read piecemeal as a satisfying series of vignettes.

Tom Rachman, a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Columbia School of Journalism, was a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press. From 2006 to 2008 he was an editor at the International Herald Tribune in Paris. The author currently lives in Rome.

Plan to join us -- you won’t want to miss the discussion of this polished, well-written story.  Also available in audio and large print formats.

Book Discussion-Thursday, 10/21 at 12:30 pm

Join us for a discussion of Colm Toíbín’s Brooklyn  with Judy Levin on Thursday, 10/21/10 in the downstairs meeting room.

Brooklyn is the winner of the Costa "Novel of the Year" Award (formerly the Whitbread Award) for 2009 in Great Britain.

In Brooklyn Toíbín contrasts life in small-town Ireland with the excitement of big-city Brooklyn in the early 1950s. Eilis Lacey, a smart, hard-working young woman must leave employment-poor Ireland to find a job. She travels to New York City, where under the auspices of an Irish priest, she secures work at a department store and finds lodging in a rooming house for young women. Soon she meets a handsome, charming Italian man. But her adventures come to an abrupt halt when her sister dies in Ireland. Eilis returns home and must face the decision to stay put or go back to the more stimulating life she has begun to create in Brooklyn.

 Born in 1955 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Colm Tóibín currently resides in Dublin. He received a B.A. from University College, Dublin. He is the author of five previous novels including The Master, The Story of the Night, and The Blackwater Lightship, which was shortlisted for the 1999 Booker Prize. He also wrote a collection of short stories, Mothers and Sons. (All titles are available at the Library under Fiction TOI.)

Take a look at Simon and Schuster’s website for a list of discussion questions: http://books.simonandschuster.net/Brooklyn/Colm-Toibin/9781439138311/reading_group_guide

Or just come and listen to Judy Levin lead us through our impressions of this book that The New Yorker calls “a narrative of remarkable power”.

Book Discussion-Thursday, 10/7 at 7:15 pm

Elise Barack will lead a discussion of Little Bee by Chris Cleave on Thursday evening, October 7th at 7:15 pm in the downstairs meeting room.

Short listed for the 2008 Costa Book Awards, Little Bee was first published in England under the title, The Other Hand. 

Little Bee, a young Nigerian refugee, has just been released from the British immigration detention center where she has been held under horrific conditions for the past two years, after narrowly escaping a traumatic fate in her homeland. Alone in a foreign country, she seeks out the only English person she knows. Sarah is a posh young mother and magazine editor with whom Little Bee shares a tumultuous past.

They first met on a beach in Nigeria, where Sarah was vacationing with her husband, Andrew, and their brief encounter has haunted each woman ever since. Now together, they face a disturbing past and an uncertain future.  A sense of humor and an unflinching moral compass allow each woman, and the reader, to believe that even in the face of unspeakable odds, humanity can prevail.

Little Bee has been described as the next Kite Runner by the reviewers in Library Journal.

Take a look at Simon and Schuster’s website for a list of discussion questions:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Little-Bee/Chris-Cleave/9781416589631/reading_group_guide

Or read an interview with the author at:
http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=1183

Chris Cleave was born in London and attended Balliol College, Oxford. He is married with three children.

You won’t want to miss this tension-filled, tightly-written book.  Also available in CD and Large Print formats.