Meeting of 30 August 2014

It has been 4 weeks since the last meeting, so there was a lot of catching up to do, with Kat, Kath, Bronwyn, Barbara, Ben and Yvonne.  The Roskill Coffee Project provided a great location, with good coffee to boot.  Here is what we discussed...

Fathers Arcane Daughter by E.L. Konigsburg

Winston Carmichael has it all: a big house, servants, vacations in Palm Beach, and a fancy private school. But with overprotective parents and a sense of responsibility for his younger sister, Heidi, Winston sometimes feels more as if he's living in a prison than a dream.

Then one day a woman appears at the front door claiming to be Caroline -- Winston's half sister, who was kidnapped and presumed dead long before he and Heidi were born. Is she really Caroline? Is she an imposter? Or is she something far more complicated than either? And does she hold the key that could unlock the door to Winston's prison?

Sounder by William H. Armstrong

Set in the Deep South, this Newbery Medal-winning novel tells the story of the great coon dog, Sounder, and the poor sharecroppers who own him.

During the difficult years of the nineteenth century South, an African-American boy and his poor family rarely have enough to eat. Each night, the boy's father takes their dog, Sounder, out to look for food and the man grows more desperate by the day.

When food suddenly appears on the table one morning, it seems like a blessing. But the sheriff and his deputies are not far behind. The ever-loyal Sounder remains determined to help the family he loves as hard times bear down on them.

The graveyard book by Neil Gaiman

When a baby escapes a murderer intent on killing the entire family, who would have thought it would find safety and security in the local graveyard? Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead. But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him - after all, he is the last remaining member of the family. A stunningly original novel deftly constructed over eight chapters, featuring every second year of Bod's life, from babyhood to adolescence. Will Bod survive to be a man.

Meeting of 2 August 2014

This morning we checked out Barbara's regular Saturday morning cafe on Ponsonby Road.  It has a   lovely homely atmosphere with one table definitely making a lot of the noise.  That will be the lively discussion.

And what we discussed was...

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

He's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stop thief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham. He's a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He's a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He's a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He's a boy who wants to be a Nazi some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he's a boy who realizes it's safest of all to be nobody. Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable -- Nazi-occupied Warsaw of World War II -- and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.

A Nancy Drew mystery by Carolyn Keene  such as The secret of Red Gate Farm

Solving crime never takes a vacation! While off on a summer visit to Red Gate Farm, Nancy becomes suspicious of a secret society gathering near the ranch. Her curiosity gets the best of her and she is drawn to investigate. Despite the risks to her own safety, the pretty titian-haired detective remains undaunted in her determination to solve the mystery.

Bone. Vol. 1, Out from Boneville [graphic novel] by Jeff Smith with color by Steve Hamaker.

After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins - Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, are separated and lost in a vast uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures.