The Wright 3

The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett
In the midst of a series of unexplained accidents and mysterious coincidences, sixth-graders Calder, Petra, and Tommy lead their classmates in an attempt to keep Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Robie House from being demolished.

"Another tour de force blending art, math, philosophy, history and literature."
-Kirkus Reviews

Book Club Meeting: 25 April 2009

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

Gossamer

Gossamer by Lois Lowry
While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.

"The prose is light as gossamer; the story as haunting as a dream."
-Kirkus Review


Book Club Meeting: 28 March 2009

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

"Bud's journey, punctuated by Dickensian twists in plot and enlivened by a host of memorable personalities, will keep readers engrossed from first page to last."
-Publishers' Weekly

Book Club Meeting: 28 February 2009

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

The Thief Lord

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Two brothers, having run away from the aunt who plans to adopt the younger one, are sought by a detective hired by their aunt, but they have found shelter with--and protection from--Venice's "Thief Lord."

"Funke delineates her characters and the changing textures of their relationships with masterful subtlety, as well as sometimes-puckish humor. It's a compelling tale, rich in ingenious twists, with a setting and cast that will linger in readers' memories."
-School Library Journal

Book Club Meeting: 31 January 2009

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

The Year of the Dog

by Grace Lin
Frustrated at her seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese American girl sets out to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog, those of making best friends and finding oneself, to her own life.

"Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and the spirit of books like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimagining them through the lens of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for today's young readers."
-Booklist

Book Club Meeting: 29 November 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

Redwall

by Brian Jacques
When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.

"The quality of the writing, the rich cast of characters, the detailed accounts of medieval warfare, and Jacques' ability to tell a good story and make readers think all earn Redwall a place on library shelves."
-School Library Journal

Book Club Meeting: 27 December 2008

UPDATE: BOOK CLUB WILL BE CANCELLED FOR THIS MONTH. WE WILL RESUME OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS IN JANUARY.

Dead Reckoning: a Pirate Voyage With Captain Drake

by Laurie Lawlor
Emmet, a fifteen-year-old orphan, learns hard lessons about survival when he sails from England in 1577 as a servant aboard the Golden Hind--the ship of his cousin, the explorer and pirate Francis Drake--on its three-year circumnavigation of the world.

"Based as closely as possible on the sometimes-scant historical record, Lawlor's work is full of adventure and lively detail."
-Kirkus Reviews

Book Club Meeting: 25 October 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

So B. It

by Sarah Weeks
After spending her life with her mentally retarded mother and agora phobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.

"This is lovely writing--real, touching, and pared cleanly down to the essentials."
-Booklist

Book Club Meeting: 27 September 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

"Opening with cinematic immediacy, a series of drawings immerses readers in Hugo's mysterious world. Exquisitely chosen art sequences are sometimes stopped moments, sometimes moments of intense action and emotion. The book, an homage to early filmmakers as dreammakers, is elegantly designed to resemble the flickering experience of silent film melodramas. Fade to black and cue the applause!"
-Kirkus Reviews

Book Club Meeting: 30 August 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

How to Steal a Dog

by Barbara O'Connor
Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.

"Speaking with at times heartbreaking honesty, this likable young narrator convincingly articulates her frustration, resentment and confusion as she comes to her decisions. O'Connor once again smoothly balances challenging themes with her heroine's strength and sense of humor."
-Publishers Weekly Review

Book Club Meeting: 26 July 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

by Trenton Lee Stewart
After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

"Low in physical violence, while being rich in moral and ethical issues, as well as in appealingly complex characters and comedy sly and gross, this Lemony Snicket–style outing sprouts hooks for hearts and minds both—and, appropriately, sample pen-and-ink illustrations that look like Brett Helquist channeling Edward Gorey."
-Kirkus Reviews

Book Club Meeting: 28 June 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

And don't miss the sequel:
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

No Talking

by Andrew Clements
The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest.

"The school dynamics are spot-on, and the paradoxical notion of opening up one's experiences of the world by imposing constraints upon it will intrigue readers of any age."
-Booklist

Book Club Meeting: 31 May 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

Hoot

by Carl Hiaasen
Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site.

"Hilarious from the get-go, Hoot is, well, a hoot!"
-Reading Today

Book Club Meeting: 26 April 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

Clementine

by Sara Pennypacker
While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.

"Clementine's first-person narration is fresh and winsome, and the episodic plot is layered yet accessible. Frazee's pen-and-ink illustrations bounce along the pages with the same energy as the story."
-Horn Book

Book Club Meeting: 29 March 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

More Clementine stories...

The Talented Clementine

Fergus Crane

by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Nine-year-old Fergus Crane's life is filled with classes on the school ship Betty Jeanne, interesting neighbors, and helping with his mother's work until a mysterious box flies into his window and leads him toward adventure.

"Talking penguins, a lunchbox that can draw maps and a musical about a fish on a bicycle contribute to the overall air of endearing silliness; the narrative incorporates these amusingly ludicrous elements with matter-of-fact ease. As with the Edge Chronicles, creative page layouts incorporate Riddell's whimsical illustrations in unusual ways, at times pleasingly blurring the line between novel and graphic novel.
-Publishers Weekly

Book Club Meeting: 23 February 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.


Other Far-Flung Adventures...

The World According to Humphrey

by Betty J. Birney
Humphrey, pet hamster at Longfellow School, learns that he has an important role to play in helping his classmates and teacher.

"Humphrey's views underscore the importance of knowing the full story before making judgments, and his presence makes a positive difference in the lives of the people he meets. All in all, a winning book that will appeal to children who like tales about animals, school life, and friendship."
-School Library Journal

Book Club Meeting: 26 January 2008

Ask a librarian for help getting a copy or request your copy online.

More Humphrey adventures!