Notes from a Liar & Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko

The Locale: Odessa & AiYing’s

The Author's Website

The Book Website

The Book: For Antonia MacPherson, lying is a way of life. If it weren’t for her best friend, Harrison, and a tiny ball of fluff named Pistachio, she would be miserable. No matter what she does, her mother thinks she’s wrong. Her younger sister, Katherine the Great, takes notes on Ant’s misbehaviors, which she keeps in a spiral notebook for their parents. Her older sister, Your Highness Elizabeth, says Ant is in training to be a juvenile delinquent, Harrison smells like a salami sandwich, and Pistachio should be put out of his misery. With all those royal opinions, who’s going to listen to an Ant?But when a teacher takes Ant under her wing, Ant's way of life may have to change. Just Carol likes the truth. And she won’t take anything less.

The Fun (Odessa’s Report): I had a fun book club meeting this Saturday at my house. We had all read the book Notes from a Liar and her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko. These are the activities we did:

For the first activity, we all were assigned three letters from the alphabet. You would have to use your assigned letters and for each letter you had to come up with a word--for an event, person, anything that relates to the story--from the book that started with it. These are the words we came up with:

Antonia. Bad decisions. Cave man & Carol.Decisions. Elizabeth is your highness. Friends. Giraffe. Harrison. Ice cream treats. Just Carol. Kate. Liar. Mother - real and other mothers. Nit picky mom. Oath. Pistachio. Queen Elizabeth. Rehearsal. Sara's Road & Snotty Sisters. Trophy. Unusual Ant. Vet. Wet with lion pee. X squared. Yellow pages. Zoo Teens.

For the second activity, we played a game called 2 lies and 1 truth. We all had to write down 2 lies and 1 truth, then one by one we read it aloud to everybody. We had to guess which one was the truth. This game relates to the story because Antonia, the main character of the story tells a lot of lies. I thought it was very interesting how for some people we couldn't figure out which one was the truth and for others it was pretty easy.

Kate presented her three books and we voted on which one we were going to read. The winner was: The Sorta Sisters. I can't wait until the next book club meeting!

The Vote: Kate's three selections to consider were:

• The Sorta Sisters by Adrian Fogelin
• Heidi by Johanna Spyri
• The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

The winner was The Sorta Sisters by Adrian Fogelin.

A very exciting note--Ms. Fogelin is a Tallahassee author who has written seven other books for young adults. At a children’s writer workshop at the Main Library, Brenda & Kate introduced themselves to her. Ms. Fogelin has agreed to attend our book club meeting on May 14th!!!! Ms. Fogelin has also started a front porch library in her Tallahassee neighborhood. Moms & Daughters should bring gentle used books to donate to her library. You can read about it on her website. http://www.adrianfogelin.com/

Who Presents Next: Katie & Brenda (our new members) and Smith & Elizabeth

Changes/Updates: Thanks to Perri & TJ, we have a new mom & daughter pair--Katie & Brenda...Not to be confused with Kate & Brenda...huh?? : ) Please be sure to add them to your email list.

Susan & Olivia passed on their time to invite. A new member. Just couldn’t find the right match this time. They pass to Emma & Diana.

Up Next: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle @ Megan & Dawn’s home on April 16th.

The School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari

The Location:  Cassie & Susan's

The Book's Website

The Author's Website

The Book:  Cute is the best word I can think of to describe this book. Full of pop language, and definitely geared toward the middle school/late elementary school crowd,School of Fear is an easy read for the adults, but still interesting. It includes factual tidbits about different phobias, a plot that keeps the reader interested, and some really awesome character development. It also gives some good life advice, albeit in a funny and unconventional storyline.  Makes me want to be a children's book editor when I grow up! (Thanks, Creamer Chronicle Literary Corner)

The Fun:  The children participated in a treasure hunt where the items relating to fear were hidden around Susan & Cassie's estate.  The kids and moms then participated in a phobia-related School of Fear crossword puzzle.  

Changes/Updates: Looking to add a new member.  Susan & Olivia will explore options.

Up Next: Notes from a Liar & Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko at Odessa & AiYing's house.

Cookie Exchange

The Locale:  Smith & Elizabeth’s

The Fun:  Smith & Elizabeth were kind enough to host a Cookie Exchange for moms & daughters. Everyone brought 2 1/2 dozen cookies--a 1/2 dozen to munch on at the exchange and 2 dozen to share. Girls & moms left with a variety of yummy delights to munch on over the winter break. Thanks, Smith & Elizabeth!

P.S. Welcome home, Odessa & AiYing!!!

 

Up Next: School of Fear at Cassie & Susan’s on January 22nd.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The Locale: Emma & Diana’s Home

The Book: It is the story of Lina, a 12-year-old girl who lives in Ember and has been given her first job assignment after school has ended. This sci-fi tale of adventure and friendship is a good read for upper elementary to middle schoolers (although I think adults will enjoy it more as a commentary on society). (Thanks, Creamer Blog)

The Fun: The girls were asked to bring old items, items that have been unused and ready to give or throw away, and come up with an idea for repurposing those items. Some of the items and their uses are listed below.

• A non-writing pen = turn into a flashlight; a"stabber" thing; a trick pen
• View master slide = use as a Frisbee toy
• Broken watch = use as a cat collar
• Gold chain = turn into a bracelet 
• Chewed up pencil = save and use lead; save and use the eraser; incense stick
• Flat tennis balls + tube = use carton tube as a cup; use the balls for a walker to cushion the metal
• Timer = alarm clock; wall holder; beeper to annoy people

                                                      

The girls were also asked to come up with a list of items that they didn’t have in Ember. Here’s their list.

• TVs
• Candles
• Pineapples
• Phones
• Sunscreen
• Wii
• Weeds
• Peaches
• Flashlights
• Birds
• No animals
• Blue sky
• Oil
• Cars
• Weather
• Probably cold and damp
• Salt water
• Beaches

Since the people of Ember often gathered to sing traditional songs, the girls were asked to come up with some songs of their own. Below is a few:

Song of Darkness

The dark of the night and black outs.

We don’t like these things. 

We know every inch of the streets but in the dark we freeze...

Lalalalalalalalalal

We are scared of the dark but we are glad when the lights are back Yaah! 

We don’t like the darkness but we sing this joyful song!

Ember is cold

And it’s really old

There’s nothing good to eat

And the mayor isn’t sweet

But on a happier note

I don’t mean to gloat

It’s save underground

Where Mayor Cole is round

So in Summary

The people live in misery

Cause Mayor Cole is a Cheat

And he gets lots to eat

And so is Looper

The River Song

(Sung to the tune of Bad Romance by Lady GaGa) 

Riv-Riv-Riv-River

Riv-Riv-Riv-River

Riv-Riv-Riv-River

Where we get our water

It’s where we get our water supply

Without our water oh me oh my

oh why, why, why

why, why, why, oh why, oh why, yeah

We need our water to survive

without it we would surely die

oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, 

and we really don’t want to die

oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, 

the river is a giver of life (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)

the underground river

The Food:  

1. •Mayor Cole Is a big Chicken salad
2. •Pineapple with Generator Grease dip
3. •Doon Harro's humus
4. •Lina's Lemonade (made with River Water)
5. •Clary's Greenhouse Veggies
6. •Darkness and Light Cook
   
   
   Up Next: School of Fear at Cassie & Susan’s on January 22nd. 
   
   
   The Vote: No vote was taken at this meeting.
   
   
   Who Presents Next: Both Odessa and Megan should be prepared to bring books to our January meeting. Odessa would be up first, then Megan.

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!