Death Note (Volume 1) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

The Locale: Perri's & TJ's

The Book:  Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami, a death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life? (From Goodreads.)

Boredom
Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note's powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is the strange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know?

The Meeting:  Really, more a welcome back to the new school year rather than a book club meeting. Not sure any conversations occurred about the graphic novel at all. But the girls swam. Moms chatted. And relaxed. Who did what over the summer. Who went were. Where will all the girls be going to school now that our younger members will be entering high school. Which older members have their learners permit. It was all good. 

The Vote:  No vote. Still in a summer haze. Kate needs to present 3. Perhaps two votes at the next meeting. We will figure it out. 

Up Next: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. Meeting date @ Odessa's and AiYing's TBD. Plan for some time in September.

Updates:  Conversations about lagging attendance as the girls become involved in other activities. As the girls grow and evolve, so it would seem, does our club. We chatted about inviting new gals to join. Moms too but not a requirement. Just a love of books and reading.  Putting on our thinking caps. 

Next to present:  Kate and Ashley

Then:

• Emily
• Rylee 
• Olivia
• Perri
• Cassie
• Odessa

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

The Locale: Perri & TJ's

Flowers for Algernon

Daniel Keyes

The Book: Until he was thirty-two, Charlie Gordon --gentle, amiable, oddly engaging-- had lived in a kind of mental twilight. He knew knowledge was important and had learned to read and write after a fashion, but he also knew he wasn't nearly as bright as most of the people around him. There was even a white mouse named Algernon who outpaced Charlie in some ways. But a remarkable operation had been performed on Algernon, and now he was a genius among mice. Suppose Charlie underwent a similar operation...http://www.danielkeyesauthor.com/algernon.html 

The Meeting:  LOVED the memorial to Algernon--photo in memoriam, a locket, and flowers, a bouquet created by individual flowers which the girls were asked to bring. 

Discussion began with the girls having the opportunity to do a maze, part of Algernon & Charly's regime. The group then participates in providing interpretations of an ink blot from a Rorschach test, again something which the main character, Charly, is subjected. Perspectives ranged from demon bats to Big Foot riding a Harley motorcycle. 

Next--the horse head. An unusual stein shaped and decorated like a circus pony's head. Each of the girls takes a turn drawing a book discussion question from the head, reading the question aloud, providing a response, which leads to further discussion. 

After the discussion, we have the opportunity to watch a movie version and play a Rorschach game. 

Munchies included delightful Algernon  cupcakes. 

The Vote:
Cassie presented...

• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher  
• Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
• Looking for Alaska by John Green  WINS!!!

We don't have a winner yet--as we had a TIE b/w:

• Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
• Looking for Alaska by John Green  WINS!!!

We need votes from girls who didn't attend.  DONE

We will meet at Cassie & Susan's home on August 23rd.  

Up Next: 

We will be meeting @ Emma & Diana's on May 31st to discuss The Selection by Kiera Cass.   

Next to present:  Odessa

Then:

• Kate
• Ashley
• Emily
• Rylee 
• Olivia
• Perri
• Emma
• Cassie

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Locale:  Perri & TJ's House

Pride & Prejudice

janeausten.org

The Book:  
In a remote Hertfordshire village, far off the good coach roads of George III's England, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet -- a country squire of no great means and his scatterbrained wife -- must marry off their five vivacious daughters. At the heart of this all-consuming enterprise are the headstrong second daughter Elizabeth and her aristocratic suitor Fitzwilliam Darcy, two lovers in whom pride and prejudice must be overcome before love can bring the novel to its magnificent conclusion.

The Fun:  Super meeting. Most of the girls didn't make it through the book; yet, they seemed to really have a grasp of the novel, its story, and its characters. My fav part was when the girls were given quotes and had to guess 
who said it to whom--and when--and what did it mean--what was character trying to say in today's language. 

It was also very timely, our reading of this novel, as during our reading, the novel celebrated its 200th anniversary. NPR notes the occasion with Cartoon Celebration, a graphic novel summary. Perfect!  Thanks, Diana, for sharing this!

The Vote:  
Cassie presents--

• Boys are Dogs by Leslie Margolis. Winner! 
• Sister Spider Knows All by Adrian Fogelin
• Artemis Fowl. Eoin Colfer

Up Next:  
The Angel Experiment: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson at Emma & Diana's on Sunday, March 24th--note the different day!
 
Next to Present: Odessa

Then:

• Megan


• Kate


• Smith


• Ashley


• Emily


• Olivia


• Perri


• Emma


• Cassie


• Odessa

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Locale: Perri & TJ’s

Elijah of Buxton Book Talk Trailer @ Scholastic

Book Review @ Scholastic

Elijah of Buxton Book Trailer @ Scholastic

Elijah of Buxton Book Talk Trailer @ Scholastic

The Book:
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Honor Book for 2008, the wonderful book is about eleven-year-old Elijah, the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit. He's best known for having made a memorable impression on Frederick Douglass, but that changes when a former slave steals money from Elijah’s friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the thief and discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled--a life from which he’ll always be free, if he can find the courage to get back home.

The Fun: We welcomed our new members, Ashley and Jian. Munched and visited. Discussion got started by the girls doing a word scramble. Girls then picked a mom to do an question/answer worksheet. As a large group, we discussed and answered the questions. We also watched a video that TJ got on Buxton, Canada.

The Vote: Cassie’s three selections to consider were:

• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
• Flush by Carl Hiaasen
• Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli

The winner was Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares.  

Who Presents Next: Odessa & AiYing

Changes/Updates: Welcome new members Ashley & Jian!

Up Next: The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John @ Emma & Diana’s home on February 18th.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

The Locale: Perri and TJ’s Home

The Book: The BFG is a silly story of a little girl, Sophie, who is stolen by a giant out of her orphanage bed. The big friendly giant (BFG) collects dreams and blows them into the air as children are sleeping. The BFG and Sophie continue on an adventure together that saves the "human beans." Full of made-up words and funny subject matter, this book is easy to read and fun for the whole family. (Thanks, Creamer Blog)

The Fun: The girls had oodles of fun discussing this book and doing the hands-on activities created by Perri & TJ.  In “The BFG” Word Activity, the discussed Roald Dahl’s love of inventing new words. Using a table of words, the girls created their own words. This activity was Fantastic...or in the newly created words of the girls...Flumrara, Ficleup, Bizzfogugglingflep, Guzzly, Bizzjungingly, Bizzingful!!!! Knowing that the BFG could make a person dream absolutely anything-- “like mixing a cake” --the girls created their written recipes to dream anything they wanted. Once they wrote their recipe, they moved to the kitchen table to actually make their dreams in a jar--lots of ooky, gooky fun!

Dream Recipe 

by Olivia 

1/4 cup of Romance 

3/4 cup of Comedy 

2 cups of Presents & Gifts 

1/3 cup of Halloween 

2 pints of Friends 

3 pints of Family 

1/2 of Beauty

My Dream 

by Smith 

I am eating sausage in a box with a pouffy jacket on, 

and the sausage is not spicy at all. 

Suddenly, I am in a gigantic house made of M&Ms and sausage. 

I have a lifetime amount of all my favorite foods. 

My dream ends with me having blueberry muffins.

The Food:

• Frobscottle...YUMMY! 
• Along with sandwiches and various munchies 
• Did I menttion Frobscottle???

The Vote: Cassie presented her three FOUR books.

• Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary 
• School of Fear by Louis Gitty Deneshavari 
• The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick 
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt 

After the votes were counted, the winner was The School of Fear.

Up Next: The City of Ember at Emma & Diana’s on December 4th.

Who Presents Next: Both Odessa and Megan should be prepared to bring books to our January meeting. Odessa would be up first, then Megan.

Changes/Updates:
Mom’s decided that book choices should be emailed a week or so before the meeting, giving girls time to weigh their decisions and giving those, unable to attend, a chance to submit votes via email or phone.

Welcome back Odessa and AiYing!

Double Fudge by Judy Blume

The Locale: Perri & TJ’s Home

The Book: Seventh-grader Peter Hatcher and his five-year-old brother, Fudge, travel with Mom & Dad to Washington, D.C so that Fudge, who has an obsession with money, can visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. In this comical caper, the family unexpectedly run into distant cousins from Hawaii. The Howie Hatcher clan proves an eccentric lot. Peter's wry reactions to the sometimes outsize goings-on, Fudge's inimitable antics and the characters' rousing repartee contribute to the sprightly clip of this cheerful read.

The Fun: For the book club meeting at TJ & Perri’s house, the girls did a crossword puzzle about the book and a word scramble with definitions of some of the words in the book.

The Food: The food was two Edible Arrangements (the chocolate covered fruit was especially popular), zebra cakes, cheese puffs, and celery with peanut butter or cream cheese. These had nothing to do with the book but Perri was adamant that "Girls like Zebra Cakes and Cheese Puffs."

The Vote: Cassie presented her three choices for the girls to vote on--The Cupid Chronicles by Coleen Murtagh Paratore, Sassy (Little Sister is Not My Name) by Sharon M. Draper, and lastly, Mr. Poppers’ Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. The winner was... Mr. Poppers’ Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater.

Up Next: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick at Emma & Diana’s house.