Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

The Locale: Odessa & Ai Ying's home

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie

David Lubar

The Book: Welcome to high school. Forget about getting any sleep or a decent lunch for the next four years. Brace yourself for too much homework, too much attention from dangerous seniors, and no idea at all what your Spanish teacher is talking about. Or your math teacher, for that matter. Join freshman Scott Hudson for a very funny look at a serious time of life.
http://www.davidlubar.com/bpsfnl.html


The Meeting: Not much to report other than discussion. We had a small group.

The Vote: We are a little behind in our voting, so we voted on two at this meeting.

Kate presented:

• The Girl in the Green Sweater by Krystyna Chiger with Daniel Paisner
• Summer of the Stars by Leslee Horner
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne WINS!

We met on October 11th @ Kate & Brenda's.

Ashley presented:

• House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
• Unwind by Neal Shusterman
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

We'll met on November 15th @ Ashley & Jian's.

Next to present: Emily

Then:

• Rylee
• Olivia
• Perri
• Cassie
• Odessa
• Kate
• Ashley

Looking for Alaska by John Green

The Locale: Cassie & Susan's

Looking for Alaska

John Green

The Book: Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words–and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. (http://johngreenbooks.com/looking-for-alaska/)

The Meeting:  Much fun. Missing Ashley & Kate. Food based on the book. Bufriedos. Yum. And Baked Alaska for dessert. 

The girls overall liked the book. Definitely more grown up stuff occurring in this novel. Smoking. Drinking. Sex. Drunk Driving. Teens doing it. Led to some interesting conversation. Novel is based on John Green's experience at a boarding school on the 80-90s. 

The Vote:   Kate was due to present but did not attend the meeting. She will present her books at the next meeting, along with Ashley, who is up to present.

Up Next: 

We will meet at Odessa & Ai Ying's home on September 20th to discuss Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar.  

Updates:  We are down to 8 mom/daughter members.  We typically like to have 10, which means we have space to invite two new pairs.  Olivia and I know of some interested parties.  Does anyone else have any moms/daughters in mind?

Next to present:  Kate & Ashley. 

Then:

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

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Locale: Emma & Diana's

The Selection

Kiera Cass

The Book: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.  http://www.kieracass.com/books/  

The Meeting:  Our last meeting with Emma & Diana, hosted by them in their home, with packed boxes all around.  A bittersweet meeting.  Excited for them and their new adventure, moving to Wake Forest.  So sad to see them leave.  It was a fun meeting though.  Reading the novel, reminded mothers of the old TV show, The Dating Game, so we had a mock dating game with the girls.  Someone playing the prince, and three girls playing one of the girls in The Selection, one of which, of course, was Natalie.  It was a somewhat impromptu, somewhat planned activity, but it was a hoot.

The Vote:Odessa presented...

• Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt 
• OK for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
• Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar  WINS!!!

We will meet at Odessa & Ai Ying's home on September 20th to discuss Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar.  

Up Next: 

We will be meeting @ Cassie & Susan's on on August 23rd to discuss Looking for Alaska by John Green.   

Updates:  We are down to 8 mom/daughter members.  We typically like to have 10, which means we have space to invite two new pairs.  Olivia and I know of some interested parties.  Does anyone else have any moms/daughters in mind?

Next to present:  Kate

Then:

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

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

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

The Locale: Olivia & Susan's

The Book Thief

Marcus Zusak

Marcus Zusak's Blog

The Book Thief Novel @ Shmoop

The Book: It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19063.The_Book_Thief

The Meeting:  Munchies included Papa's Warm & Comfy Baked Potato Soup, Rosa's Sweet & Spicy Saukerals, The Book Thief's Stolen Apples, and of course, German Chocolate Cake.  

The meeting began with the girls filling out an individual questionnaire.  No Names.  Then a snow ball fight began--the questionnaires wadded up into balls and thrown around the room.  When fight concluded, each girl picked up a snowball, read aloud the answers, and guessed who was the author.  The girls were ask to draw a quote from a hat, Death's thoughts, and guess which part of the novel the quote originated.  We also watched a YouTube Video, an interview with the author, Marcus Zusak.  After our meeting ended, we watched the recent movie.

The Vote:
Emma presented...

• The Selection by Kiera Cass  WINS!!
• Your Friend in Fashion, Abby Shapiro  by Amy Axelrod
• Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys  

We will meet at Emma & Diana's home on May 31st.  

Up Next: 

We will be meeting @ Perri & TJ's on April 26th to discuss Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.   

Next to present:  Cassie

Then:

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