Wednesday Book Club

Your Favorite Read

2011-04-16T16:39:00.003-04:00

We'd like to close out this year with some great ideas for summer reading. Who better to recommend good reads than you? Bring your favorite book or books and be prepared to "sell" us on them. Why do you like this book? Could be the author, the type of story or genre he/she works in, the cover (I often judge a book by its cover!) or your own personal reason.

Meet in the library on Wednesday, May 18, 2:45-4:00pm. Can't wait to see what you've brought with you!

Chains, virtually!

2011-01-13T07:56:00.006-05:00

Hope everyone enjoyed a snow day yesterday! We missed our book club meeting, and because midterms and the next marking period are fast upon us, we will need to make our discussion electronic only.

First, a couple of announcements: did you realize Chains is one of the featured books for the Festival of Words? Mrs. Emerick and I plan to attend the festival (at UD, March 12) and hope you can join us. If you can attend on March 12 (it's a Saturday), let Mrs. Emerick know.

Second announcement: if you planned to attend the book discussion group as part of your eighth grade honors English commitment, you should respond to four of the twelve questions below. (We took these questions from the fabulous Scholastic website, where they gave us permission to reproduce for library or classroom use. I'm copying them here so that you can make your comments right to this blog.)

And now, what did you think of Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson?

Describe the life of slaves in the American colonies in the 1700s. discuss the differrence between a servant and a slave. How did Miss Mary Finch's view of slavery differ from that of most slave owners? Why does Mr. Robert accuse Isabel of lying when she tells him that she read Miss Mary's will? Explain why Pastor Weeks thinks that teaching a slave to read only "leads to trouble".
Mr. Robert collects Isabel and Ruth on the day of Miss Mary's funeral. Why aren't the girls allowed to take personal items with them? Explain the symbolism of the seeds that Isabel hides in her pocket. She plants the seeds, and one day finds that the plants have died. What do the dead plants represent? There is another plant metaphor in the novel. Explain what the mayor of New York means when he compares the rebels to vines.
Role models may be found in real life and in stories. How are Isabel's momma and Queen Esther, from the Bible, her role models for bravery? Discuss the connection between bravery, courage and fear. What is Isabel's first act of bravery? Discuss her most fearful moments. How is her bravery and courage fueled by her fears? How does she become bolder and braver as the novel develops?
The American Revolution was about freedom and liberty. Mr. Lockton, a Loyalist, thinks that freedom and liberty has many meanings. Define freedom from his point of view. How might the Patriots define freedom and liberty? Isabel has lived her entire life in bondage, but dreams of freedom. What does freedom look like in Isabel's mind?
Discuss why Curzon thinks that Isabel will be a good spy. At what point does she accept his offer? Isabel feels betrayed by Curzon. How is Curzon betrayed by Colonel Regan? At what point does Isabel understand that Curzon's dream of freedom is the same as hers? How does this realization help her forgive him? At the beginning of the novel, Isabel needs Curzon. How does he need her at the end of the novel?
Isabel encounters a woman in the street singing "Yankee Doodle," and realizes that the woman is a messenger. What is the message? Colonel Regan gives Isabel the code word ad astra to use when entering the rebel camp. The word means "to the stars" in Latin. Why is this an appropriate code word for the rebels? How does this word foreshadow Isabel and Curzon's ultimate escape to freedom at the end of the novel?
The mayor of New York, a Loyalist, says, "The beast has grown too large. If it breaks free of its chains, we are all in danger. We need to cut off its head." Who is the beast? Who is the head? Why is Lockton so adamantly opposed to the mayor's proposal?
Isabel says, "Madam looked down without seeing me, she looked at my face, my kerchief, my shirt neatly tucked into my skirt, looked at my shoes pinching my feet, looked at my hands that were stronger than hers. She did not look into my eyes, did not see the lion inside. She did not see the me of me, the Isabel." What is the lion inside of Isabel? What does Lady Seymour see in Isabel that Madam Lockton doesn't see? How does the "lamb" in Lady Seymour help the "lion" inside of Isabel escape?
Explain the following metaphor: "Melancholy held me hostage, and the bees built a hive of sadness in my soul." What precipitates such sadness in Isabel? How does the hive grow bigger before Isabel learns to destroy it?
The old man that Isabel calls Grandfather says, "Everything that stands between you and freedom is the river Jordan." He assures her that she will find it if she looks hard enough. What is the figurative river Jordan in the novel? Discuss all of the tributaries that feed into Isabel's river Jordan.
The bookseller gives Isabel a copy of Common Sense by Thomas Paine. He advises her that the words are dangerous, and that she should commit them to memory. At what point does she understand Paine's words? How does the book give her courage?
What does Isabel mean when she says, "I was chained between two nations"? There are several references to chains throughout the novel. How is the word "chain" used as an antonym to the word "freedom"?

Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson

2011-01-06T07:48:00.002-05:00

It's a new year and time for a new book to discuss. Mrs. Emerick and I found Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, and we can't wait to talk about it next Wednesday, January 12. Meet at the library from 2:30-4:00pm.

If you have time, check out these resources about the book before you arrive:

Chains (from the author's website) includes some cool stuff including a playlist of songs from the Revolutionary War era, some links to websites and more information about Forge, the second book in a planned trilogy about Sally/Isabel and Curzon.
Chains (audio clip) from TeachingBooks is a six-minute audio of the author talking about her research for the book, along with reading a couple of passages from Chains.

Hunger Games--Discussion

2010-10-21T10:35:00.003-04:00

It was fun returning to Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games yesterday for our first discussion. Most of us had read books 2 and 3, but I think we managed to avoid spoiling the story for anyone who hadn't read Catching Fire or Mockingjay.

If you missed the Wednesday Book Club meeting yesterday, here are the questions we discussed. Add your comments!

Describe the relationships of Katniss with Gale, with Prim, with her mother. How do those relationships define her personality? How does her early encounter with Peeta affect their relationship after they are chosen as tributes?
How does the fact that the tributes are always on camera affect their behavior from the time they are chosen? Does it make it easier or harder for them toa ccept their fate? How are the "career tributes" different from the others?
Why are the "tributes" given stylists and dressed so elaborately for the opening ceremony? Does this ceremony remind you of events in our world, either past or present? Compare those ceremonies in real life to the one in the story.
When Peeta declares his love for Katniss in the interview, does he really mean it or did Haymitch create the "star-crossed lovers" story? What does Haymitch mean when he says, "It's all a big show. It's all how you're perceived." Why do they need to impress sponsors and what are those sponsors looking for when they are watching the Games?
Before the Games start, Peeta tells Katniss,"...I want to die as myself...I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not." What does this tell you about Peeta? What does he fear more than death? Is he able to stay true to himself during the Games?
What makes Katniss and Rue trust each other to become partners?
Discuss the ways in whaich the Gamemakers control the environmnet and "entertainment" value of the Games. How does it affect the tributes to know they are being manipulated to make the Games more exciting for the gamblers and viewers? Does knowing that she is on live TV make Katniss behave differently than she would otherwise?
When does Katniss first realize that Peeta does care for her and is trying to keep her alive? When does she realize her own feelings for him? Did Haymitch think all along that he could keep them both alive by stressing the love story? Are they actually in love?
What do you think is the cruelest part of the Hunger Games? What kind of people would devise this spectacle for the entertainment of their populace? Can you see parallels between these Games and the society that condones them, and other related events and cultures in the histroy of the world?
Reality TV has been a part of the entertainment world since the early days of television (with such shows as Candid Camera and the Miss America Pageant), but in the 21st century there has been a tremendous growth of competitive shows and survival shows. Discuss this phenomenon with respect to The Hunger Games. What other aspects of our popular culture do you see reflected in this story?
How quickly did you read The Hunger Games?
Did your perception of Peeta change over the course of The Hunger Games?
Do you think the glamorization of the Games and the treatments of its stars before they are sent off to die is a reflection of anything in our modern society?
What was the most tension-filled moment for you toread in The Hunger Games?
Are there other books that reminded you of The Hunger Games?
Considering the romantic angle of the book, are you rooting for the K/G pairing or the K/P pairing?

Hunger Games--October 20

2010-09-10T14:32:00.002-04:00

If you're like me, you've been waiting for the final book in the Hunger Games series (Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins) to find out what happens to Katniss, Gale and Peeta. For the first book club meeting of this year, we thought we'd return to the first book in the trilogy--Hunger Games.

Mark October 20 on your calendar, and plan to come talk about it. Wednesday Book Club still meets on Wednesday (!), October 20, from 2:30-4:00pm in the library. Let Mrs. Tise or Mrs. Emerick know if you're planning to attend, although it's OK to just show up at the appointed hour, too. (If we know you're coming, we can have enough snacks for you!)

Delaware Diamonds at the Wednesday Book Club

2010-05-05T16:06:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the final Wednesday Book Club for this year! We're meeting in the library on Wednesday, May 26 at 2:30, so mark your calendars! This month, Mrs. Emerick and I suggest you select a title (or two or three!) from the Delaware Diamonds nominees, and come prepared to tell us what you think.

Here's a list of the Delaware Diamonds books for 2009-2010:

Middle School

Hurricane Song, by Volponi
Heat, by Lupica
Curse of the Campfire Weenies, by Lubar
Eleven, by Giff
Hunger Games, by Collins
39 clues: Maze of Bones, by Riorden
Nation, by Pratchett
Breathe: A Ghost Story, by McNish
The Missing Girl, by Mazer
Chronicles of Vladimir Tod - Book 1, by Brewer

High School

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
Inexcusable, by Chris Lynch
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Vol. II: The Kingdom of Waves, by M.T. Anderson
Dark Dude, by Oscar Hijuelos
The Host, by Stephanie Meyer
No Choir Boy, by Susan Kuklin
The Graveyard, by Neil Gaiman
Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Guardian, by Julius Lester
Into the Volcano, by Don Wood

The Watsons Go To Birmingham--1963

2010-01-19T13:29:00.003-05:00

Here are some questions about the book:

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963
by Christopher Paul Curtis

Find the songs “Yaketty-Yak” (Kenny’s favorite) and “Under the Boardwalk” (Momma’s favorite). Listen to both. Which do you prefer and why?
Which character from the novel is your personal favorite and why?
Which event in the novel is your favorite and why?
What was your reaction to Momma’s response when Byron was lighting things on fire? Would a mother in 2010 be likely to respond to her child’s misbehavior in that way? Why/not?
Find a film clip or news article on the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Think about the impact that event had on the whole Watson family; each of them reacting in an individual way. How do you suppose you might have reacted had you been present in Birmingham – or anywhere else in this country – when that tragedy occurred?
Find someone in your family or neighborhood who was a teenager or grown-up in 1963. Ask him or her to tell you what s/he remembers about segregation in southern states during that time. Ask him or her to tell you what they remember about the civil rights movement and the work of various “freedom fighters.” Did you know any of these things before now? What is your reaction?
Pretend that this book will be made into a film and that you are the casting director. Select your cast.
In the epilogue, Curtis speaks of heroes. Reread it and ask yourself if you know any heroes today. What makes someone a hero?

The Watsons Go To Birmingham, 1963

2009-12-29T17:09:00.004-05:00

Mark your calendar now for the next meeting of the Wednesday Book Club. We're talking about The Watsons Go To Birmingham, 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis, and you'll want to have your say! The meeting will be in the library on Wednesday, January 13, from 2:45-4:00pm.

I'm looking forward to reading The Watsons Go To Birmingham, 1963. I've not read anything else by author Christopher Paul Curtis, but now I want to read some of his other books, too, (like Elijah of Buxton or Bud, not Buddy). Did you know that he didn't start writing until he was in his 40's? I learned that by watching this video interview!

Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse

2009-10-26T14:09:00.007-04:00

Mrs. Emerick and I are looking forward to seeing you this Wednesday for our disscussion of Out of the Dust! We thought you might like to view some actual video footage of the Dust Bowl from the 1930's, so we'll be viewing some footage from Discovery Education that includes photos, video and interviews with people who lived in Texas and Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl of the 1930's.

There's a lot to talk about with this book. You could check out the discussion guide in Book Links (http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/resources/outdust.cfm) or at the Scholastic website (http://content.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1398_type=Book_typeId=4122) for starters! Or, check out images from the Dust Bowl on the Library of Congress' American Memory website: http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/99/dust/intro.html

Write a review of this book! Scholastic's Book Central gives you the option to read, rate and review (http://www.scholastic.com/titles/features/fiction/outofthedust.htm). Or, you can post online as a comment on the Wednesday Book Club blog, or add a rating and review to the library catalog (http://destiny.redclay.k12.de.us/common/welcome.jsp?site=104) if you like.

Out of the Dust--October 28

2009-09-29T13:54:00.003-04:00

A new school year, a new library (if you've not seen it yet, you MUST stop by!), and a new meeting of the Wednesday Book Club. This year, we're starting out with Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust. There are a couple of copies in the library with more arriving soon, so if you're interested in joining us on Wednesday, October 28, check out a copy of the book and start reading!

Our library catalog describes Out of the Dust as follows: "In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression."

If you want to know more about author Karen Hesse, click here to read the speech she gave when she won the Newbery Award in 1998 for Out of the Dust.

Wild Reading

2009-03-25T14:08:00.002-04:00

April is almost here, and marks the last Wednesday Book Club for this year. (The library is packing up for renovations this summer, and we have to clear our shelves by mid-May). Rather than have everyone read the same book, Mrs. Emerick and I thought you could bring your favorite title to the meeting and tell us why it's your favorite.

Picking just one favorite is really hard for me. I usually love the book I just finished reading. Once in a while a book is so good that I'll reread it, but I wait (sometimes years) before rereading something. Then, too, choosing a favorite book really depends on my mood. Oh, well! We'll see what book I bring to the meeting!

Speaking of the meeting, mark your calendar now for April's Wednesday Book Club. We'll be meeting in the library on Wednesday, April 29, from 2:45-4:00pm. Bring your best book!

Delaware Diamonds

2009-03-25T13:27:00.004-04:00

We had a great time discussing the books nominated for the high school division of the Delaware Diamonds award. My favorites were Buried and Sold, but they all sounded really good! After we described the books we had read, we wrote quick reviews of them for the library catalog. You can check the reviews by searching for a title in the catalog (http://destiny.redclay.k12.de.us/common/welcome.jsp?site=104) and then clicking the "review" tab. If you want to write your own review, ask Mrs. Tise for your catalog logon!

Golden Compass rescheduled

2009-02-03T10:31:00.003-05:00

Oops! Last Wednesday's snow day forced us to postpone the January book club meeting. Our new date is Wednesday, February 11. Same time (2:45-4:00pm), same place (library). Let Mrs. Tise know you're coming, and I'll make sure we have enough snacks for you!

Just a heads-up, we'll be reading a variety of books in March, all titles nominated for a "Delaware Diamonds" award (sponsored by the Diamond State Reading Association). In case you want to get an early start on reading, the titles are:

Absolutely True Dairy of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation: v.1 The Pox Party, by M. T. Anderson
Buried, by Robin MacCready
Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis
Hurt Go Happy, by Ginny Rorby
Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah
November Blue , by Sharon Draper
Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Mamzano, by Margarita Engle
Sold, by Patricia McCormick
White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean

Every title is in the library, so stop by and check out a copy. Read on!

The Golden Compass

2009-01-13T15:18:00.005-05:00

Mrs. Emerick and I are looking forward to discussing Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass in a week or two, and we hope you can join us! I found some interesting links online and thought you might be interested, too:

Video interview with author Philip Pullman (http://content.scholastic.com/browse/media.jsp?id=279). Listen to Philip Pullman answer questions posed by Scholastic student reporters.
BBC Radio 4 website about His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass is the first title in the series) (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/hisdarkmaterials/index.shtml). Listen to musical themes and voices of the main characters, find a dictionary of characters, take quizzes, and read the transcript of a webchat with Philip Pullman.
Reader's guide to The Golden Compass (http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375823459&view=rg). Find questions for discussion and suggestions for reading other fantasy novels and series.
Book reading (excerpt) by the author and full cast (http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=464) Listen to Philip Pullman and cast read from an early chapter of the book in this excerpt by Listening Library.

The Golden Compass for January

2008-12-03T16:23:00.003-05:00

The month of December is usually hectic for Mrs. Emerick and me, so the Wednesday Book Club is taking a break this month. However, we'll start up in January with Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. Mark your calendar now for January 28. We'll be back in the library with lots to talk about! The Golden Compass is the first book in the "His Dark Materials" Trilogy, and won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for Children's Books in England, where Philip Pullman grew up.

I hope everyone had a chance to shop the Scholastic Book Fair in the library December 1-8. Copies of The Golden Compass were for sale, and the library picked up a few extra copies. If you haven't started to read this novel, check it out from the library for something to read over winter break.

If you have the time, check out the fabulous website created by Golden Compass publisher Random House: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/index.html. You can read about the author, the trilogy, and listen to a nine-episode podcast conversation among Philip Pullman, Christopher Paolini (Inheritance trilogy) and Tamora Pierce (Protector of the Small quartet). Can you think of any better way to welcome in the new year?!

Their Eyes Were Watching God

2008-11-12T12:49:00.006-05:00

Mrs. Emerick and I are looking forward to tonight's discussion of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. We chose to do an evening discussion this month so that parents or other significant adults could join us (see you at 7:00pm!), and we chose Their Eyes Were Watching God because it was chosen last year as a "Big Read" event by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Here are some discussion questions for Their Eyes Were Watching God from the NEA's "Big Read" website:

The book, they say, “begins with our eyes fixed on a woman who returns from burying the dead. Written in only seven weeks while on a Guggenheim Fellowship in Haiti, Zora Neale Hurston's novel chronicles the journey of Janie Mae Crawford from her grandmother's plantation shack to Logan Killicks' farm, to all-black Eatonville to the Everglades—until a tragedy brings her back to Eatonville. From this vantage point, Janie narrates her life story to her best friend, Pheoby Watson, satisfying the ‘oldest human longing-self-revelation.’”

If you were revealing yourself by telling your lifestory to someone, to whom would you tell it? Why that person?
The NEA goes on to say, “Hurston's conviction that black culture is valuable, unique, and worthy of preservation comes through in Their Eyes Were Watching God via its harmonious blend of folklore and black idiom.”
Is the use of “black idiom” in this novel a strategy that engaged you as a reader or distanced you? Some of her contemporary writers criticized her for making that artistic choice, but, as both an anthropologist and a writer, she insisted that it was the right choice. Defend her decision.
Furthermore, NEA states, “In Janie Mae Crawford, Hurston rejects nineteenth and early twentieth-century stereotypes for women and creates a protagonist who-though silenced for most of her life-ultimately finds her own voice.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
The novel's action begins and ends with two judgment scenes. Why are both groups of people judging her? Is either correct in its assessment?
Many readers consider the novel a bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, as Janie journeys through three marriages. How so? Has she “come of age” by the end? Why or why not?
Do the first two paragraphs of the book accurately depict differences between the men and women that you know? How?
What kind of God are the eyes of Hurston's characters watching? What crucial moments of the plot does the title allude to? Does this God ever answer Janie's questioning?
Re-read the last three pages of the novel. How do the imagery and tone connect with other moments in the novel? Does Janie's story end in triumph, despair, or a mixture of both?
Dana Giola, Chairman of NEA wrote, “A great book combines enlightenment with enchantment. It awakens our imagination and enlarges our humanity. It can even offer harrowing insights that somehow console and comfort us.” What other books that you have read fit these criteria?

If you want to read other novelists influenced by Hurston, you might enjoy: Toni Morrison's Jazz (1992) Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place (1982) Alice Walker's Meridian (1976)

If you want to read other writers of the Harlem Renaissance, you might enjoy:Langston Hughes's The Weary Blues (1926) James Weldon Johnson's The Book of American Negro Poetry (1922) Jean Toomer's Cane (1923)

"As early as I could remember it was the habit of the men folks particularly to gather on the store porch of evenings and swap stories. Even the women folk would stop and take a breath with them at times. As a child when I was sent down to Joe Clarke's store, I'd drag out my leaving as long as possible in order to hear more." -Zora Neale Hurston Dust Tracks on a Road

Save these dates!

2008-10-15T10:55:00.006-04:00

Mrs. Emerick and I were brainstorming after the October book club meeting about books we want to read this year. Here's our thinking so far. Do you have suggestions for us? Comment here, or come talk to either of us!

November 12: Zora Neale Hurston's Their eyes were watching God. This is a different book club meeting, because we're trying a "parent-child" meeting. Both you and a parent would read the book. We're holding this meeting from 7:00-8:15, so that both of you can attend! If one or the other of you can't come, don't worry; we won't kick you out at the door, but we hope you'll both come and enjoy the discussion. Those who can't attend this evening can always make your voices heard here on the blog!

December: no meeting; we're all pretty frantic at the end of the year. Relax and enjoy the season.

January 14, 2009: Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. We thought about reading this book last year, and couldn't weave it into the schedule. Did you see the movie that came out last fall? This is the first book in Philip Pullman's trilogy "His Dark Materials", and is a fantasy that offers lots to talk about.

February 11, 2009: A title from the Festival of Words which will be taking place March 14. Robert Lipsyte is the featured author. Maybe we'll read one of his books. Do you have a favorite?
March 11, 2009: Perhaps we'll read one of the "Delaware Diamonds" nominees. You can vote for your favorite book until March 31, so this would be a good time to read and discuss one of them! The list of nominees for this year is on the Diamond State Reading Association website. Check it out, or check the books on display in the library, and let us know what you'd like to read!
April 8, 2009: This will be our last meeting for the year, so let's make it a hum-dinger! What is your favorite genre? What have we not read this year? The possibilities are endless!
May 2009: Maybe you'll be thinking about summer reading by now. The library will host a "buy one, get one free" Scholastic Book Fair in May. Great deals! You can also check out the current summer reading list for Cab Calloway!

Hattie Big Sky

2008-10-14T14:25:00.003-04:00

I enjoyed our discussion last week! If you weren't able to join us, here are some questions that we considered (along with a link to some descriptions of the book, courtesy of Amazon.com!). What do you think about these?

What do you like or dislike about Hattie? Why?
Were you surprised that this was not a happily-ever-after story? If so, what led you to believe that it would be? If not, what were your tips that it wouldn't be? Larson says the real Hattie did prove her claim. do you agree with her decision to change that fact for this story? Why?
Read the excerpt (thanks to the publisher Random House, Inc!). This is a good sample of Larson's writing. What is there about her style and tone that is engaging or worthy of emulation?
After Violet's tail becomes a snack for the wolf, Hattie goes to visit with Perilee and learns that Karl is being required to register as a "resident alien." What is Hattie's response to this? How does her reaction compare to Perilee's?
In her May "Honyocker's Homily" (pages 161 and 162), Hattie writes about the lessons she's learning on the prairie and how they "pertain more to caring than to crops, more to Golden Rule than gold, more to the proper choice than to the popular choice." Discuss what she might mean by this.
When Hattie stumbles upon the men harassing Mr. Ebgard, she wonders why no one comes forward to stop them. Then she realizes: "There was no 'anyone' at a time like this. There was only me" (page 215). What gives her the courage to step forward?
After Hattie fails to prove up on Uncle Chester's claim, Rooster Jim tells her "things have a way of working themselves out...there's reasons for our valleys and for our peaks" (page 268). What is he trying t tell her? Do you think things will work themselves out for Hattie?
Any parallels to today or other times in history that can be drawn from events in the story?
Listen to the Montana Public Radio interview with author Kirby Lawson. (You may have to download the file first, save it to your desktop, and then play it; that's what I had to do here at school!) A friend of Mrs. Emerick's is writing a terrific novel based on events from the childhood of her great-aunt. Are there people in your family who have a great story waiting to be written about them? Who? What's their story?

Hattie Big Sky

2008-09-24T17:22:00.003-04:00

Welcome back! Mrs. Emerick and I are excited to start a new year of Wednesday Book Club meetings with a discussion of Hattie Big Sky, by Kirby Lawson. The library has several copies of the book, so if you haven't read it yet, stop by and ask me (Mrs. Tise) if you can borrow a copy before our meeting on Wednesday, October 8!

Hattie Big Sky is about a 16-year old girl who moves to Montana by herself in the middle of winter to "prove a claim" as a homesteader. The author based this story on her own great-grandmother's experience.

Here are a couple of things to check out before our next meeting. There's a nice interview with author Kirby Lawson at http://slayground.livejournal.com/160972.html. Then, I thought you might enjoy looking at the author's website for the book. Check it out at: http://www.hattiebigsky.com/ You can listen to podcast radio interviews with Kirby Lawson, read about how she researched the book, and download a copy of chapter one right now, in case you can't wait 'til tomorrow to check out the book in the library!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

2008-04-29T15:29:00.002-04:00

Here are some questions about this Wednesday's book, courtesy of one of our attendees:

1. On pages 45–48, Christopher describes his "Behavioral Problems" and the effect they had on his parents and their marriage. What is the effect of the dispassionate style in which he relates this information?

2. Given Christopher's aversion to being touched, can he experience his parents' love for him, or can he only understand it as a fact, because they tell him they love him? Is there any evidence in the novel that he experiences a sense of attachment to other people?

3. One of the unusual aspects of the novel is its inclusion of many maps and diagrams. How effective are these in helping the reader see the world through Christopher's eyes?

4. What challenges does The Curious Incident present to the ways we usually think and talk about characters in novels? How does it force us to reexamine our normal ideas about love and desire, which are often the driving forces in fiction? Since Mark Haddon has chosen to make us see the world through Christopher's eyes, what does he help us discover about ourselves?

5. Christopher likes the idea of a world with no people in it [p. 2]; he contemplates the end of the world when the universe collapses [pp. 10–11]; he dreams of being an astronaut, alone in space [pp. 50–51], and that a virus has carried off everyone and the only people left are "special people like me" [pp. 198–200]. What do these passages say about his relationship to other human beings? What is striking about the way he describes these scenarios?

6. On pages 67–69, Christopher goes into the garden and contemplates the importance of description in the book he is writing. His teacher Siobhan told him "the idea of a book was to describe things using words so that people could read them and make a picture in their own head" [p. 67]. What is the effect of reading Christopher's extended description, which begins, "I decided to do a description of the garden" and ends "Then I went inside and fed Toby"? How does this passage relate to a quote Christopher likes from The Hound of the Baskervilles: "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by chance ever observes" [p. 73]?

7. According to neurologist Oliver Sacks, Hans Asperger, the doctor whose name is associated with the kind of autism that Christopher seems to have, notes that some autistic people have "a sort of intelligence scarcely touched by tradition and culture --- unconventional, unorthodox, strangely pure and original, akin to the intelligence of true creativity" [An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks, NY: Vintage Books, 1995, pp. 252–53]. Does the novel's intensive look at Christopher's fascinating and often profound mental life suggest that in certain ways, the pity that well-meaning, "normal" people might feel for him is misdirected? Given his gifts, does his future look promising?

8. Christopher experiences the world quantitatively and logically. His teacher Mr. Jeavons tells him that he likes math because it's safe. But Christopher's explanation of the Monty Hall problem gives the reader more insight into why he likes math. Does Mr. Jeavons underestimate the complexity of Christopher's mind and his responses to intellectual stimulation? Does Siobhan understand Christopher better than Mr. Jeavons?

9. Think about what Christopher says about metaphors and lies and their relationship to novels [pp. 14–20]. Why is lying such an alien concept to him? In his antipathy to lies, Christopher decides not to write a novel, but a book in which "everything I have written . . . is true" [p. 20]. Why do "normal" human beings in the novel, like Christopher's parents, find lies so indispensable? Why is the idea of truth so central to Christopher's narration?

10. Which scenes are comical in this novel, and why are they funny? Are these same situations also sad, or exasperating?

11. Christopher's conversations with Siobhan, his teacher at school, are possibly his most meaningful communications with another person. What are these conversations like, and how do they compare with his conversations with his father and his mother?

12. One of the primary disadvantages of the autistic is that they can't project or intuit what other people might be feeling or thinking --- as illustrated in the scene where Christopher has to guess what his mother might think would be in the Smarties tube [pp. 115–16]. When does this deficit become most clear in the novel? Does Christopher seem to suffer from his mental and emotional isolation, or does he seem to enjoy it?

13. Christopher's parents, with their affairs, their arguments, and their passionate rages, are clearly in the grip of emotions they themselves can't fully understand or control. How, in juxtaposition to Christopher's incomprehension of the passions that drive other people, is his family situation particularly ironic?

14. On pages 83–84, Christopher explains why he doesn't like yellow and brown, and admits that such decisions are, in part, a way to simplify the world and make choices easier. Why does he need to make the world simpler? Which aspects of life does he find unbearably complicated or stressful?

15. What is the effect of reading the letters Christopher's mother wrote to him? Was his mother justified in leaving? Does Christopher comprehend her apology and her attempt to explain herself [pp. 106–10]? Does he have strong feelings about the loss of his mother? Which of his parents is better suited to taking care of him?

16. Christopher's father confesses to killing Wellington in a moment of rage at Mrs. Shears [pp. 121–22], and swears to Christopher that he won't lie to him ever again. Christopher thinks, "I had to get out of the house. Father had murdered Wellington. That meant he could murder me, because I couldn't trust him, even though he had said 'Trust me,' because he had told a lie about a big thing" [p. 122]. Why is Christopher's world shattered by this realization? Is it likely that he will ever learn to trust his father again?

17. How much empathy does the reader come to feel for Christopher? How much understanding does he have of his own emotions? What is the effect, for instance, of the scenes in which Christopher's mother doesn't act to make sure he can take his A-levels? Do these scenes show how little his mother understands Christopher's deepest needs?

18. Mark Haddon has said of The Curious Incident, "It's not just a book about disability. Obviously, on some level it is, but on another level . . . it's a book about books, about what you can do with words and what it means to communicate with someone in a book. Here's a character whom if you met him in real life you'd never, ever get inside his head. Yet something magical happens when you write a novel about him. You slip inside his head, and it seems like the most natural thing in the world" [http://www.powells.com/authors/haddon.html ]. Is a large part of the achievement of this novel precisely this --- that Haddon has created a door into a kind of mind his readers would not have access to in real life?

19. Christopher's journey to London underscores the difficulties he has being on his own, and the real disadvantages of his condition in terms of being in the world. What is most frightening, disturbing, or moving about this extended section of the novel [pp. 169–98]?

20. In his review of The Curious Incident, Jay McInerney suggests that at the novel's end "the gulf between Christopher and his parents, between Christopher and the rest of us, remains immense and mysterious. And that gulf is ultimately the source of this novel's haunting impact. Christopher Boone is an unsolved mystery" [The New York Times Book Review, 6/15/03, p. 5)]. Is this an accurate assessment? If so, why?

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

2008-04-01T08:16:00.004-04:00

Save the last Wednesday in April (April 30) for the next meeting of the Wednesday Book Club! We'll be discussing Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. I hope you'll enjoy the book as much as I did when I read it a few years ago. It's different, as you might guess from the "different" title! The main character, Christopher, is a mathematically gifted, autistic fifteen year old boy who decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.

The library has a couple of copies of the book right at the checkout desk, so stop by and borrow it. See you in a few weeks! Wednesday Book Club will meet in the library from 2:30-4:00pm on Wednesday, April 30.

More on Esperanza Rising

2008-03-13T08:56:00.001-04:00

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

What was your favorite part of the book and why?

Who was your favorite character and why?

What did you think of using the names of fruits and vegetables for chapter names? Why?

If you could write a book based on some events from the life of one of your relatives, who would you write about and why?

Go to Flashlight Readers on the Scholastic website and scroll down to Esperanza Rising. Explore the site, paying special attention to the material on the author. Are there any other questions you would like to ask her?

Esperanza Rising

2008-02-20T16:07:00.003-05:00

Mrs. Emerick and I are looking forward to talking about Esperanza Rising, but we need to change the date for this month to Wednesday, March 12. We've had to change the location, too, to Mrs. Emerick's classroom (Room 205).

Hope you've had a chance to begin reading the book. The library owns a couple of copies, so if you haven't found a copy yet, check with Mrs. Tise. While you're reading, we thought you might like to read a bit more about author Pam Munoz Ryan. Find interviews, movies, book guides and more at this TeachingBooks website. (If you have to log in, the district has an account which you can use. The account is listed as "Red Clay Schools", and the password is "RCTbooks".)

Check it out, and look forward to a good discussion on March 12. See you then!

January's Wednesday Book Club

2007-12-07T15:02:00.000-05:00

My bad! I thought we weren't going to have a January meeting of the Wednesday Book Club, but I was totally wrong. January is a busy month, what with holidays, midterms and potential snowstorms, but we can use these cold gray days to read!

Here's the plan: since the Festival of Words is coming up (at the University of Delaware on Saturday, March 8), Mrs. Emerick and I thought you'd like to select any of the discussion books from the Festival of Words list to read and discuss. Those titles are:

The Tequila Worm, by Viola Canales
Code Orange, by Caroline Cooney
Last Shot, by John Feinstein
Green Boy, by Susan Cooper
Flush, by Carl Hiaasen (but we just read this last month!)
Airborn, by Ken Oppel
Double Helix, by Nancy Werlin
Nobody Particular, by Molly Bang (nonfiction)

And, for those who like to plan really far ahead, February's book will be (drum roll, please.....) Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan. Our school library has many of the books listed, and your local public library has them all, I bet! Check one out and read the New Year in!

Wednesday Book Club takes a holiday!

2007-11-27T10:44:00.001-05:00

The Wednesday Book Club has chosen some great books this fall, and we look forward to more good reads in February. There will be no December or January meeting. Mrs. Tise and Mrs. Emerick need time to read ahead and choose the next books for the Wednesday Book Club. If you'd like to suggest some titles for spring 2008 (February, March and April), why not post them as a comment!

Flush, by Carl Hiaasen

2007-11-27T07:57:00.000-05:00

So, what did you think of Flush? Read through at least two of the reviews for this book from the links. With what do you agree and disagree and why?

Is this “green” propaganda masquerading as a novel? Why or why not?

Write your own review and post it to this site.

Review sites:

http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/0375821821.asp

http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1662831,00.html

http://www.nature.org/magazine/books/misc/art15885.html

http://teenlibrarianreads.blogspot.com/2006/04/flush-by-carl-hiaasen.html

Try this game!

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/flush/

Speak questions

2007-10-24T16:19:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Mrs. Gelb from our Wellness Center for joining the discussion of Speak. We had some wonderful and insightful comments from readers. Here are some of the questions they thought about:

• What passage especially impressed, surprised, puzzled or provoked you? Why?
• What “lasting” image stayed with you after you finished the book? Why?
• This is a book that can make the reader laugh and cry. How does Anderson use the tragic/comic voice so effectively?
• What is Melinda’s greatest strength? Greatest flaw?
• What is her most intelligent decision? Least wise decision? Were the consequences of her decisions surprising?
• What qualities does Mr. Freeman possess that make him a good teacher? Have you ever known anyone like him?
• What’s up with the cliques at Merryweather High School? What is the purpose of teenage cliques anyway? What is good and bad about them?
• What’s up with Melinda’s family? How would you describe their relationships with one another? Have you ever known a family who relates like that?
• Why do people conform to what is expected of them?
• Why do people rebel against what is expected of them?
• Melinda exhibits many of the symptoms of clinical depression. What behaviors did she exhibit that would concern you if you were her friend or teacher? What would you do to help her?
• What’s the difference between “flirting” and sexual harassment?
• Is this book “authentic?” What makes it so – or not?

Speak

2007-10-16T11:07:00.000-04:00

Sign up in the library to join the discussion of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. There are several copies available to check out, if you haven't already read the book. Everyone I've talked to has loved it, and I know of a couple of people who are sharing a copy to read during free time at school.

Check the links below for some information about the author and the novel:

Laurie Halse Anderson's website: http://writerlady.com/
Resources for Speak: http://writerlady.com/Speakteacher.html

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2007-10-16T09:16:00.000-04:00

What fun to talk about the last Harry Potter book! We had a great time and lots of good discussion. What do you have to say about Harry?

Harry Potter as a story –

• favorite aspect/part?
• least favorite aspect/part
• most satisfying
• least satisfying
Harry Potter as a story with room for YOUR imagination –

• What happened between the end and the epilogue?
• What post did Harry get?
• Did the three ever finish school?
• &.........
Harry Potter as written art –

• one question to ask JK Rowling
• admire most in writing
• most like to incorporate into piece of own writing
Harry Potter as social commentary –

What does the non-Muggle World say to issues of:
•gender
•race
•class
Harry Potter as a cultural phenomena –

• Why have these books become so wildly popular?
• Should there be a sequel?
• Do the films do the books justice?
Harry Potter & the critics:
Two different views from the New York Times: The book is “... derivative, traditional, and not particularly well written.” The story is terrific “...with its early images of alienation, rejection, loneliness and powerless leading to its classically fairy tale ending.”

Wednesday Book Club

2007-10-15T13:49:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the home of the library’s book discussion group! The idea is to meet monthly (on the fourth Wednesday) after school to discuss a book that would be of interest to everyone in the school. Mrs. Emerick and Mrs. Tise agreed to coordinate the discussions and to come up with book options for next month’s discussion.

It was incredibly easy to choose September’s book. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (by J. K. Rowling) is a book that everyone was reading this summer. It is the final volume in the story of Harry Potter’s school years. Check back to see the kinds of questions that came up in our discussion of Harry Potter!

Harry Potter discussion questions
Check out the Harry Potter website at Scholastic.com: http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/
J. K. Rowling official site: http://www.jkrowling.com/

October’s book selection is Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. What happened toMelinda Sordino over the summer? Why won’t she speak? What is her silence saying? Sign up in the library to join the discussion. Mark the date: Wednesday, October 24. Note: because of the content of this novel, we are requsting parental permission to join the discussion.
Permission form to participate in Wednesday Book Club–Speak