Book Club Reading This Year

August: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Book Club moms were not sure if the Book Club members (which just happens to be comprised of girls) would take to this boisterous adventure of Long John Silver but the girls LOVED it. They donned their best piratey garb for our meeting that month and we even had a compass reading lesson in conjunction with an outdoor treasure hunt with rhyming clues which lead to a real buried (in leaves) treasure of candy and sea shells! They also loved the Shakespeare Festival's theatrical presentation of Treasure Island which we all attended prior to our monthly meeting.








September: Helen Keller: Childhood of Famous Americans Series
One of Cornflower's favorite biographies. She must have read it at least 10 times and she often makes reference to Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller in her writing and discussions.

October: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Cornflower loved this book. She said it was probably one of her favorites - right up there with Redwall (which currently is as high praise as she could bestow). My favorite of Cornflower's insights was this one:

"You know Mom, Natalie Babbitt writes like Lois Lenski in Strawberry Girl." (This not being a connection I readily make, I have to ask why.) "Well," Cornflower continues, "they both start the story with one set of characters that you think will be main protagonist of the story, but then they switch and only later do they introduce the REAL main character. You know, in Strawberry Girl, you meet the Slaters first, then Birdie and her family and in Tuck, you meet the Tucks first but it is really Winnie you follow." (Mom can only smile and nod in agreement..."Good show and all, whot, whot!")

November: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Cornflower was given the assignment last month of writing a descriptive scene of winter in the way that Babbitt wrote about summer in Tuck Everlasting. She chose to write her winter scene using the characters and situations from this month's book, A Single Shard, which is set in 12th century Korea. The following is her description:

In the icy-cold night Crane-man and Tree-ear huddled in the straw covered vegetable pit shivering and trying to stay warm, but to no avail. The fresh evergreen boughs covering the pit for warmth perfumed the cold air. The moonless night almost seemed to add cold to the air. The closed-in pit made Tree-ear feel restless and longing for the bridge. Crane-man's breathing while he slept made the only sound in the silent night. Tree-ear wished he had some gokkam - sweet, dried persimmons that were sticky orange rounds. He was glad of Crane-man who had looked after him since he was two. The season of winter could be deadly without Crane-man's loving care.

What a guilty pleasure it seems to be able to read and enjoy these and many other books! We are lovin' it!