January - Science Fiction

Krystal is hosting January's meeting and here's what she picked:

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is the book we will spend the majority of the time discussing. Because it is a little longer than some of the books we have read in the past, it is also the only book I encourage everyone to read.

Some questions/ideas to guide your reading.

1. Why does Ender hate himself?


2. How are the characters in the novel like real people? How are they unique? What does this say about the way people should be?


3. What is Orson Scott Card’s view of violence?


4. In the ongoing fight of good vs. evil, how do we ensure that we are good?


5. What kinds of games are prevalent in the novel and what does the term “Game” come to mean?


6. The computer game Ender plays throughout the novel, and the connection the buggers have with the game


7. Ender’s struggle with isolation and friendship


8. What does it mean to be Speaker for the Dead?


Also, come prepared to discuss Science Fiction as a genre, and choose any (or all) of the following books, or any others you are interested in.

Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card. A companion book to Ender’s Game, written from the perspective of Bean. This book will also be included in the upcoming movie of Ender’s Game.

The Time Hackers by Gary Paulsen, author of Hatchet, Brian’s Winter, The Winter Room and Dogsong. When someone uses futuristic technology to play pranks on twelve-year-old Dorso Clayman, he and his best friend set off on a supposedly impossible journey through space and time trying to stop the gamesters who are endangering the universe. (87 pages)

The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer, author of the New York Times best-selling Artemis Fowl series. In the future, in a place called Satellite City, the Supernaturalists patrol the city at night, hunting the Parasites in hopes of saving what is left of humanity. But soon they find themselves caught in a web far more complicated than they’d imagined. (267 pages)

Taylor Five by Ann Halam. Fourteen-year-old Taylor is still dealing with the fact that she is a clone produced by the same company that funds the Orangutan Reserve which is her home on the island of Borneo, when the Reserve is attacked and she flees with her younger brother and Uncle, the Reserve’s mascot. (197 pages)

Mr. Was by Paul Hautman. When John Lunt travels to Memory, Minnesota to visit his sick grandfather, what he finds is a door that leads to the past, where his foreknowledge of the atom bomb does not keep him from fighting in WWII. Disclaimer-This book has an intense scene of domestic violence, so beware if you choose to read it. (255 pages)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Originally published in 1953, this novel is set in the future when “firemen” burn books forbidden by a totalitarian “brave new world” regime. The hero, according to Mr. Bradbury, is “a book burner who suddenly discovers that books are flesh-and-blood ideas and cry out silently when put to the torch.” (190 pages)

Recipe - Jeaneane's Pumpkin Cake

Here is the recipe...
For the "crust"
1 yellow cake mix (minus 1 cup--for later)
1 egg
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted margarine/butter
Mix and place in 9x13

Then mix together--
2 cups pumpkin (I usually just use one small can which is 15oz.--close enough!!)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teas. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teas salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup evap milk
1 teas. vanilla
Pour this over the "crust"

Then "cut" and crumble over top--
1 cup cake mix
1 teas. cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold margarine/butter

Bake 45-50 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Jack Gantos

I love this quote from a talk by Jack Gantos about people who don't read, and I thought some of you might enjoy it too.

“Some people simply refuse to dance with a book—won’t allow themselves to become ‘transformed’ by the literature, made to become the ‘other partner’ of the literature. They resist being the characters, seeing the setting, discovering the themes, anguishing over the actions. In a small way they don’t even feel a bit of joy when little Corduroy gets his button (or pocket), or when Sylvester comes back alive from being a pebble, or when Harry the Dirty Dog takes a bath and is discovered to be his old self, or when The Little Engine That Could, can, or when Eloise runs though the halls of the Plaza scraping a stick along the walls and doors and making a great ruckus. No, some people resist the happy feel of a book, the charm of a book. They fight it. Not Reading is a statement that hollers out to the world: ‘I will remain the same. Don’t give me the stick with rock; I just want the rock!’ Or maybe they want even less, they just want to beat their head against a great big rock . . .People who refuse to read conquer a book by not reading it. As we all know, being ignored is the worst snub. A book is sucked dry of its rhythm and blues, its hokey-pokey, its two-handed waltz when the owner shoves it onto the shelf.

December - Mormon Authors

I am hosting December's book club meeting. We had to change the date because the University Ward's enrichment will be on Tuesday, December 6th so we will be meeting on Wednesday, December 7th at the normal time. At our December meeting we will be having a book exchange so if you would like to participate, please bring a wrapped children's or young adult book.

These are the books I picked for December:

Goose Girl - by Shannon Hale
Wishing Moon - by Michael Tunnell
Mississippi Trial, 1955 - by Chris Crowe (This is based on the Emmett Till case so be warned that it does have some disturbing images)
The Shakeress - by Kimberly Heuston

Enjoy reading!

Fall Book Review

Cover to Cover always has a great fall book review. The people there really know what they are talking about, and I never miss this event. Here's what they said in their mailer:

Our annual book review evenings will be held Tuesday, Novemebr 15th and Thursday, November 17th from 6:00 until 8:00. Cover to Cover staff will share the best of the Fall, 2005 publications for pre-school age youngsters through young adults. Parents are teachers are welcomed, and gift bags of book related items will be given to all in attendance. Light refreshments will be available.

Cover to Cover is also celebrating their 25th birthday with a 20% discount from November 7th - November 12th (And they usually offer this discount after the book talk for any new books you heard about and want to buy)

Recipe - Krystal's Reese's Peanut Butter Pie

We've had some great treats at our meetings, and we'd love to have your recipes. If you send them to me (Steph), I will post them on our web site. Here's one from Krystal:

Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie (makes 2 pies)

Crust:
1 bag oreos with cream scooped out, blended (generic work fine)
Put crumbs in bottom of two pie pans (approximately 1 cup each)
Melt 5-6 TB butter and pour over crumbs (just moist enough to mush)

Filling:
8 oz pkg cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Stir together, and then add 12 oz Cool Whip

Divide in two, pour into two crusts. Let set up for a little while in fridge so fudge spreads easier.

Layer hot fudge on top (1 can sweetened condensed milk and ½ pkg chocolate chips makes a good hot fudge) of each pie. Top off with 12 oz Cool Whip.

November - Mysteries

We'll be meeting at Katherine Richardson's to talk about mysteries.

Please read the following books:

The Westing Game – By Ellen Raskin
One fateful day, sixteen people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. To their surprise, the will turns out to be a contest, challenging the heirs to find out who among them is Westing's murderer. Forging ahead, through blizzards, burglaries, and bombings, the game is on. Only two people hold all the clues. One of them is a Westing heir. The other is you!

Bernie Magruder and the Bats in the Belfry – by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
A rare breed of bats invades Middleburg, Ind. (or have they?), that horrible hymn still rings from the belfry (but why?), and Bernie and his friends are determined to figure out why the town's gone batty in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Bernie Magruder & the Bats in the Belfry

Assassin: The Lady Grace Mysteries – by Patricia Finney
It's the spring of 1569 and 13-year-old Lady Grace, the youngest lady-in-waiting to the Queen, finds herself at a glittering ball choosing amongst three suitors. But the Queen's generosity turns deadly as threats, dark secrets, and even murder descend on the Tudor court. And it is up to Grace to use her intelligence, stealth, and curious nature to solve the mystery that threatens the very lifeblood of England.

Flush – By Carl Hiaasen
On Father's Day, Noah visits his dad at the local jail. Dad is a feisty environmentalist with a short fuse. Convinced that the Coral Queen was dumping raw sewage into the harbor, he decided to take matters in his own hands. He sank the floating casino (at least temporarily), but ended up in the hoosegow. Noah knows that his dad was right about the sewage, even if his corrective method was a little over the top. To clean the slate and the harbor, he drafts a motley crew of friends to get the goods on the illegal dumpers.


For the fifth book choose what you want to read! Choose another mystery to read and then share it with the group. Here are a few titles to consider, but feel free to pick whatever you want, even a grownup mystery, and bring it to share with the rest of the group! (We haven’t read all of these books, they were recommended by different librarians, so please read at your own risk)

Ruby in the Smoke – Philip Pullman
A Book Without Words – Avi
Bird – Angela Johnson
Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery – John Feinstein
Shakespeare’s Secret - Elise Broach
Crooked River - Shelley Pearsall
And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
Ravine – Janet Hickman
Wolf Rider: A tAle of Terror – Avi
The Dark Stairs – Betsy Byars
Falcon's Malteser, The: a Diamond Brothers Mystery – Anthony Horowitz
Acceleration – Graham McNamee
Whispers from the Dead – Joan Lowery Nixon
The House of Dies Drear – Virginia Hamilton

October - Banned Books

Tara MacArthur will be hosting October’s bookclub and the topic is banned books.
Here are Tara’s picks:

Julie of the Wolves – by Jean Craighead George
A Wrinkle in Time – by Madeline L’Engle
How to Eat Fried Worms – by Thomas Rockwell
Bridge to Terebithia – by Katherine Paterson
The Story of Little Black Sambo – by Helen Bannerman

If you haven’t read The Giver by Lois Lowry, please try to read that too because we’ll be including it in our discussion

The Quills Award

The Quills Awards are a new national book award that honors excellence in writing and publishing, including consumers in the voting process. Designed to inspire reading while promoting literacy, the Quills will honor winners in more than 15 different categories,
including Book of the Year, Debut Author Of The Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

They have a children's picture book category, a children's chapter book catergory and a teen category. I believe that we read books from these categories this year and it is a award based on people's choice, so you can go to the website - www.quillsvote.com and vote! The awards will be on tv on October 22nd (maybe on NBC??) I thought it would be cool to watch authors win these awards like the Emmy's or something.

PS - Thanks Cassie for letting us know about this!

Upcoming Months

The votes are in and here are the final results:

October - Banned books hosted by Tara McArthur
November - Mysteries hosted by Katherine
December - Books by Mormon authors hosted by Steph
January - Science fiction hosted by Krystal
February - Classics hosted by Emily
March - Historical Fiction hosted by Laura
April - Sequels hosted by Kelly

September - Batchelder Award

Kim Roberts is hosting September's meeting.

Here are the books we will be reading:
Run,Boy Run by Uri Orlev
The Island on Bird Street by Uri Orlev
Secret Letters from 0 to 10 by Susie Morngenstern
The Book of Coupons by Susie Morgenstern

As you can see we are just going to be focusing on two authors. All these books are of course winners of the Batchelder Award since that is what our topic is for this month.

Long Shot Wins the Carnegie Medal

This article is from School Library Journal (The Carnegie medal is Britain's equivalent of the Newbery Award)

First-time novelist Frank Cottrell Boyce has won Britain's prestigious Carnegie Medal for Millions, a powerful tale about two young brothers who are faced with an ethical dilemma after finding a sack of money.

Boyce's debut novel beat off strong competition from books by former winners Philip Pullman (The Scarecrow and His Servant) and Sharon Creech (Heartbeat), and well-established writers Eva Ibbotson (The Star of Kazan) and Anne Cassidy (Looking for JJ). Gennifer Choldenko, the author of the 2005 Newbery Honor Book Al Capone Does My Shirts, was also in the running. The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually by CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, for an outstanding book for children and young people. CLIP is the largest, most comprehensive membership body for library and information professionals in the UK.

"The quality of children's writing currently available, as demonstrated by this year's shortlist, made choosing a winner a seemingly impossible task, says Sharon Sperling, chair of the judges. However, the panel was unanimous in their choice of Millions as the 2004 CILIP Carnegie Medal winner.

Frank Cottrell Boyce is an established film and television scriptwriter with numerous British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominated films to his credit, including the film Millions. He has always wanted to write a children's novel. Having initially conceived the story as a film script, it was while working with the film's director, Danny Boyle that Boyce realized he already had the story he had been searching for.

Millions tells the story of two young brothers who discover a sack full of cash. There's only one problem, sterling is about to go out of circulation to be replaced by the Euro. How can they spend the money before the deadline?

Boyce is donating a percentage of the royalties from the book to the charity Wateraid, which is dedicated to providing safe drinking water to poor people worldwide.

The Carnegie Medal is now almost 70 years old. Its first winner was Arthur Ransome in 1936, and since then it has been awarded to many of the great names of children's literature, including C. S. Lewis, Eleanor Farjeon, Anne Fine, and Philip Pullman.

Potential Topic Ideas

Here's the list that we've come up with so far. Feel free to add new ideas by posting them in a reply. Everyone will have three votes so start thinking about your choices. If you can't be at the August meeting, but you would still like to vote, please email me with your three choices, and I will be sure to include them in the vote.

• Cynthia Voigt author study
• Orson Scott Card author study
• Fantasy
• Science fiction
• Poetry
• Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
• Picture books
• Chris Van Allsburg illustrator study
• Jon Scieszka author study
• Historical fiction (we need to select a specific time period)
• Value books
• Books by Mormon Authors
• Shannon Hale author study
• Books for boys
• Banned/controversial books
• Printz Award winners
• Other Newbery Award winners
• Teen Fiction
• Biography
• Mysteries
• Classics
• Kids' choice/Buckeye Book Award
• Margaret Peterson Haddix author study
• Follow-up book month (sequels to books we've read or new books by authors we've read)

August - Humorous Books

Jessica Anderson is our host for August and she has selected some quick reads perfect for some summer fun!

The Pepins and Their Problems, by Polly Horvath
The reader is invited to help solve the Pepin family's unusual problems, which include having a cow who creates lemonade rather than milk and having to cope with a competitive neighbor. (174 pages)

A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck
In 1937, during the Depression, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice, initially apprehensive about leaving Chicago to spend a year with her fearsome, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois, gradually begins to better understand and admire her grandmother's unusual qualities. (129 pages)

Summer Reading is Killing Me, by Jon Scieszka
At the beginning of summer vacation Joe, Sam, and Fred find themselves trapped inside their summer reading list, involved in a battle between good and evil characters from well-known children's books. (90 pages)

The Twits, by Roald Dahl
Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything except playing mean jokes on each other, putting innocent birds in pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads. Now the Muggle-Wumps want revenge! (76 pages)

BRAINSTORM!!!!

Yes, it's already time to brainstorm new topic ideas! Is there something you read and would love to discuss with the group or something that you've been wanting to read, but you've been too busy with our monthly selections? Well, now's your chance! Please come full of new topic ideas and be ready to talk them up or post your ideas here as a reply to this post.

My first idea is a poetry month. We could select a few of the newer poetry books that you might not be familiar with and everyone could browse the poetry section at the library and come with their favorite poem to share or we could have a short poetry writing workshop and poetry slam.

What are your ideas?

July - Informational Books

We're trying something new for the month of July. We're taking a look at informational picture books. Please read as many recommended books as you can to be discussed as a group (All are very short). Then choose a topic you would like to learn about and select informational books on the topic to share with us at book club. If you would like to find excellent books look at the Sibert Medal books for the past few years or The Beehive Awards. Here are some helpful websites to informational books:
http://www.clau.org/awpast/infopast.html
http://www.15degreelab.com/award.html
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/horn.html

Recommended:

• If the World Were a Village by Shelagh Armstrong
  This unusual picture book shrinks the world's population down to a village of 100 to help children better understand who we are, where we live, how fast we are growing and more.
  
• Hidden Worlds: Looking through a Scientist’s Microscope by Stephen Kramer
  Hidden Worlds takes you behind the scenes of a scientists work and explains how he captures his remarkable images of microscopic life and objects.
  
• Sadako by Eleanor Coerr
  Winner of the Beehive Award 1995
  The story of 12-year-old Sadako Sasaki's brave struggle against leukemia
  
• Food Rules! The stuff you munch, it’s Crunch, it’s Punch, and why you sometimes lose your Lunch by Bill Haduch
  Runner up of the Beehive Award 2003
  comprehensive book on food and nutrition – created for kids
  
• I Face the Wind by Vicki Cobb
  2004 Sibert Honor Book
  Renowned science author Vicki Cobb makes scientific principles easy for even the youngest kids to understand.

Laura did a great job selecting books, and I'm looking forward to seeing what topics each of you choose! Happy reading!

Movie Websites

I thought you might want to check out the websites of some of the movies of the books we are reading for June. Kelly doesn't want you to see the movies until after you read the book so you might not want to check out the websites until then either.

Millions

Because of Winn Dixie

I Am David

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

There isn't an official movie website for Spiderwick but check out the books' official site:

The Spiderwick Chronicles

June - Books Being Made into Movies—Volume 2

Kelly Lewis is hosting our June meeting and here are the great books she picked:

*The Spiderwick Chronicles; Book 1 The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi (movie TBA 2005-2006). The Grace children-a 13-year old girl and 9-year old twin brothers-move into an old house with their mother and discover a fantasy world filled with magical creatures.

*Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (movie released February 18, 2005). Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.

*Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce (movie released in select cities March 11, 2005). After their mother dies, two boys find a huge amount of money which they must spend quickly before England switches to the new European currency, but they disagree on what to do with it.

*I am David (or North to Freedom) by Anne Holm (movie released December 3, 2004). David's entire twelve-year life has been spent in a grisly prison camp in Eastern Europe. He knows nothing of the outside world. But when he is given the chance to escape, he seizes it. With his vengeful enemies hot on his heels, David struggles to cope in this strange new world, where his only resources are a compass, a few crusts of bread, his two aching feet, and some vague advice to seek refuge in Denmark. Is that enough to survive?

*The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (to be released June 3rd, 2005). The story of four best friends, the biggest summer of their lives, and the magical pants that brings it all together.
I understand that this book may contain some controversial material, so please consider this if you feel you could be offended by reading it.

*Also, please see any movies that you can AFTER you have read the books. It will be fun to discuss the adaptations of the books into screenplays.

Richard Peck Poem

Here is the poem that Jessica told us about at book club.
Thanks, Jessica!

TWENTY MINUTES A DAY
By Richard Peck

Read to your children
Twenty minutes a day;
You have the time,
And so do they.
Read while the laundry is in the machine;
Read while the dinner cooks;
Tuck a child in the crook of your arm
And reach for the library books.
Hide the remote,
Let the computer games cool,
For one day your children will be off to school:
Remedial? Gifted? You have the choice;
Let them hear the first tales
In the sound of your voice.
Read in the morning;
Read over noon;
Read by the light of
Goodnight Moon.
Turn the pages together,
Sitting close as you'll fit,
Till a small voice beside you says,
Hey, don't quit.

Scholastic Warehouse Booksale

It's almost that time again!

The next big Scholastic Warehouse booksale will be from May 14th - 27th. If you need more info click here.

May - Great New Books!

PLEASE GET THESE BOOKS ON RESERVE ASAP because
they are HOT! The books are:

1. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
2. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
3. So B. It by Sarah Weeks
4. Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
5. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

We'll be meeting at Cassie Lombardi's, directions to follow.

April's Meeting

On Tuesday, April 5th we will be meeting at Anna McFadden's home. The Topic this month is an author study of Cornelia Funke, a German author with international recognition. Anna selected The Theif Lord, Inkheart and The Princess Knight (a picture book). The novels are long, but you'll enjoy them so start reading because Anna can't wait to discuss them with you.

The Theif Lord 

Princess Knight 

inkheart 

Upcoming Months

Hopefully you've loved everything we've read so much you can't wait to see what's next. Here's a sneak preview at what's to come:

May - 2004 Best books (Cassie Lombardi)
June - Books to Movies - part two! (Kelly Lewis)
July - Informational books (Laura Williams)
August - Humor (Jessica Anderson)
September - International Award winners - (Kim Roberts)

Past Book Club Selections

2003
May – Linda Sue Park Author Study
A Single Shard – by Linda Sue Park
When My Name was Keoko – by Linda Sue Park
Seesaw Girl – Linda Sue Park
Kitefighters – Linda Sue Park

June – Newbery Award Winners
The Westing Game – by Ellen Raskin
Everything on a Waffle - by Polly Horvath
Crispin – by Avi
Lily’s Crossing – by Patricia Reilly Giff
A View from Saturday – by E.L. Konigsburg

July – Historical Fictions
The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963 – by Christopher Paul Curtis
Amelia’s War – by Ann Rinaldi
True North – by Kathryn Lasky
Charlotte’s Rose – by A.E. Cannon
The Upstairs Room – by Johanna Reiss

August – Book Being Made into Movies
The Bad Beginning – by Lemony Snicket
Freaky Friday – by Mary Rogers
Holes - by Louis Sachar
Ella Enchanted – by Gail Carson Levine
Cheaper by the Dozen – by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Freak the Mighty – by Rodman Philbrick

September – Jerry Spinelli Author Study
Maniac Magee - by Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl – by Jerry Spinelli
The Library Card - by Jerry Spinelli
Crash – by Jerry Spinelli
Wringer – by Jerry Spinelli

October – Early Readers
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus -by BarbaraPark
Frindle -by Andrew Clements
Arthur, For the Very First Time - by Patricia MacLachlan
Judy Moody -by Megan McDonald
Sideways Stories from Wayside School -by Louis Sachar
Knights of the Kitchen Table- Time Warp Trio Series – by Jon Scieszka
The Hundred Dresses - by Eleanor Estes
Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days - by Stephen Manes
Mick Harte Was Here - by Barbara Park
Adventures of the Bailey School Kids -by Debbie Dadey(Pick any one of your choice)
Magic Treehouse Series - by Mary Pope Osborne (Pick anyone of your choice)

November – Sharon Creech Author Study
Walk Two Moons - by Sharon Creech
Love that Dog – by Sharon Creech
Ruby Holler – by Sharon Creech
Chasing Redbird – by Sharon Creech
The Wanderer – by Sharon Creech
Grandma Torrelli’s Soup- by Sharon Creech

December- Christmas Picture Books
The Polar Express - by Chris Van Allsburg
Christmas Oranges - retold by Linda Bethers
The Littlest Angel -by Charles Tazewell
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies -by Laura Numeroff
Gingerbread Baby - by Jan Brett
The Legend of the Candy Cane - by Lori Walburg
The Tale of the Three Trees - retold by Angela Elwell Hunt
The Christmas Candle -by Richard Paul Evans
Shoemaker Martin – by Brigitte Hanhart and Michael Hale
Cajun Night Before Christmas - by Howard Trosclair
The Crippled Lamb - by Max Lucado
Auntie Claus - by Elise Primavera
The Trees of the Dancing Goats - by Patricia Polocco
Olive the Other Reindeer - by Vivian Walsh
The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza -by David Shannon

2004
January – None (We had a dinner and shared our favorites)

February – Mysteries
The View from the Cherry Tree – by Willo Davis Roberts
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Theif – by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Dollhouse Murderers – by Betty Ren Wright
Regarding the Fountain – by Kate Klise
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective – by Donald J. Sobol
Secret of the Red Gate Farm – by Carolyn Keene

March – Selections From Our Favorites in January
Nory Ryan’s Song – by Patricia Reilly Giff
Pictures of Hollis Woods – by Patricia Reilly Giff
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop – by Margaree King Mitchell
Goodnight, Mr. Tom – by Michelle Magorian
Seven Daughters and Seven Sons – by Barbara Cohen
Make Lemonade – by Virginia E. Wolff

April – Novels in Verse
Out of the Dust – by Karen Hesse
Witness – by Karen Hesse
Aleutian Sparrow – by Karen Hesse
Carver: A Life in Poems – by Marilyn Nelson
Locomotion – by Jaqueline Woodson
Bronx Masquerade – by Nikki Grimes

May - Biographies (Women in History)
Wilma Unlimited - by Kathleen Krull
Vision of Beauty: The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker - by Katrhyn Lasky
The Heroine of the Titanic - by Joan W. Blos
When Marian Sang - by Pam Munoz Ryan
Good Queen Bess - by Diane Stanley
Eleanor - by Barbara Cooney
Minty - by Alan Schroeder
Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa - by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Kate Shelley: Bound for Legacy - by Robert D. San Souci
Emily - by Michael Bedard
America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle - by David A. Adler
Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon - by Jeannine Atkins
Through My Eyes - by Ruby Bridges
Rabble Rousers: 20 Women Who Made a Difference - by Cheryl Harness
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought) - by Kathleen Krull
You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? - by Jean Fritz

June - Fairytales
The Tale of Despereaux - by Kate DiCamillo
Briar Rose - by Jane Yolen
The Frog Princess - by E. D. Baker
Goose Chase - by Patrice Kindl
East - by Edith Pattou
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast - by Robin McKinley

July - Futuristic Societies
The Giver - Lois Lowry
Gathering Blue - by Lois Lowry
Among the Hidden - by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Imposters - by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Betrayed - by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Barons - by Margaret Peterson Haddix

August - E.L. Konigsburg Author Study
Throwing Shadows - by E.L. Konigsburg
The Second Mrs. Giaconda - by E.L. Konigsburg
Silent to the Bone - by E.L. Konigsburg
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place - by E.L. Konigsburg
Up From Jericho Tel - by E.L. Konigsburg

September - New Books by Authors we have Read
Messenger - by Lois Lowry
Among the Brave - by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Heartbeat - by Sharon Creech
Maggie’s Door - by Patricia Reilly Giff
One of the following:
Milkweed - by Jerry Spinelli
Canning Season - by Polly Horvath
Regarding the Sink: Where, oh Where, Did Waters Go? - by Kate Klise
Never Mind!: A Twin Novel - by Avi and Rachel Vail

October - Picture Book Art Study
Everyone shared info about a different illustrator

November - Historical Fiction, Prairie Books
Sarah, Plain and Tall - by Patricia MacLaughlin
Skylark (sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall) - by Patricia MacLaughlin
Prairie Songs - by Pam Conrad
Little House on the Prairie - by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Caddie Woodlawn - by Carol Ryrie Brink
Supplementary:
Charlotte’s Rose - by A.E. Cannon
All the Places to Love - by Patricia MacLaughlin (picture book)
Bluestem - by Frances Arrington
Caleb’s Song - by Patricia MacLaughlin
More Perfect than the Moon - by Patricia Maclaughlin

December - Robin McKinley Author Study
The Hero and the Crown - by Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword - by Robin McKinley

2005
January - Author Autobiographies
How Angel Peterson Got His Name - by Gary Paulsen
Knots in my Yo-yo String - by Jerry Spinelli
Looking Back - by Lois Lowry

February - Avi Author Study
Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel - by Avi
Poppy - by Avi
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - by Avi
The Man Who Was Poe - by Avi
Romeo and Juliet -- Together (and Alive!) at Last - by Avi

March - Realistic Fiction
Olive's Ocean - by Kevin Henkes
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town - by Kimberly Willis Holt
Ida B: . . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World
Flipped - by Wendelin Van Drannen
Hoot - by Carl Hiaasen

Welcome!

Welcome to the Children's Literature Book Club! We're just starting to experiment with website ideas so this site may be temporary. We'll keep you posted.

Book club basics:
The Children's Literature Book Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at 8 p.m. We want everyone to have a say in what we are reading so about every six months we get together and brainstorm a list of potential topics, and then we vote on topics for the next six months or so. Then a different person volunteers to host each month and selects books accordingly. Originally we decided to have between four to seven books each month, but that changes depending on the month and the topic. The list of books is handed out a book club a month ahead of time and now they will be posted here.

Enjoy Reading!