Meeting of 22 November 2014

This meeting was held in Kat's family's "neighbourhood" - the Little Oven Food Store in Hillsborough.  Although I wasn't able to be present, I hear it was a fruitful discussion, on

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay.

Meeting of 18 October 2014

This was a chance, not so much to meet with Ben, but to see where Ben was working.  The Store in Britomart was a cosy place to catch up over coffee.  We also met John, one of Ben's regulars, who as a fellow school librarian was full of comment about reading!

We discussed a a whole combination of books selected "at random" from the Auckland Public Library.  It was a lovely morning!

Meeting of 20 September 2014

On a wet Saturday morning, we met together at the flagship library of the Auckland City Council - the Central Auckland Library.  It was a surprise to see how much had changed, and we were sure that the number of books especially in the children and teenage section had struck.  Nonetheless, we found a space to sit, and talk through the books we had read in the past 3 weeks.  They were

The wee free men by Terry Pratchett
When Tiffany Aching sets out to become a witch, she faces ominous foes and gains unexpected allies. As she confronts the Queen of Fairies and battles an ancient, bodiless evil, she is aided (and most ably abetted) by the six-inch-high, fightin', stealin', drinkin' Wee Free Men! Laugh-out-loud humour and breathtaking action combine in the books that launched the unforgettable adventures of a determined young witch and her tiny but fierce blue friends.

Not a popular choice as only 1 person had read it.

The witch in the Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
A young woman brought up in Barbados comes to live with her uncle in Connecticut, and finds their Puritan way of life difficult after her unconventional upbringing. In 1687 Kit Tyler, feeling out of place in the Puritan household of her aunt, befriends an old woman considered a witch by the community and suddenly finds herself standing trial for witchcraft.

A definite favourite, as was the other book we had read by this author (The Bronze Arrow).

Joey Pigza swallowed the key by Jack Gantos
To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription medications wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.

There was a mixed reaction to this.  Some liked the funny side of it all.  It is interesting from an adult point-of-view to understand how the world may seem from the view of an ADHD boy.

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.

Meeting of 12 July 2014

This was a meeting where we welcomed back two of our travellers - Barbara and Ben.  Unfortunately, the winter weather laid Kath low, and Bronwyn was still coughing from her illness.  Yet, we had a lovely lunch together, hosted by Bronwyn, and had a chance to have a great catch up in-between discussing books.

The titles we covered were

Moonfleet   by John Meade Falkner
When fifteen-year-old orphan John Trenchard is banished by his Aunt Jane, he goes to live at the local inn with the mysterious Elzevir Block, whose son has been killed by Customs Officers. Unofficially adopted by Block, John comes to learn the reasons for the noises in the graveyard at night, of 'Blackbeard' Mohune's lost treasure and Elzevir Block's secret.
This dashing tale of eighteenth-century Dorset smugglers will be enjoyed by all who love stories of daring written in the tradition of Treasure Island.

Roll of thunder, hear my cry by Mildred D. Taylor

The Mississippi of the 1930s was a hard place for a black child to grow up in, but still Cassie didn't understand why farming his own land meant so much to her father. During that year, though, when the night riders were carrying hatred and destruction among her people, she learned about the great differences that divided them, and when it was worth fighting for a principle even if it brought terrible hardships.

An Asterix book by Goscinny and Uderzo

There were varied opinions about this - some laughed out loud at the humour, others didn't like the sexism.  The character names were a description in themselves. The drawings were not a clear (and clever?) as the TinTin books.  Yet it is great to have actually read one for ourselves.

Meeting of 21 June 2014

The meeting may have been a little slow starting due to people arriving later than planned - unexpected circumstances!

The Corner Cafe on Pt Chev Rd, with Kath joining us for the first time, was a great little spot for a really fun and noisy meeting.

And what we discussed was

Walk two moons by Sharon Creech

Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins. What is the meaning of this strange message left on the doorstep? Only Sal knows, and on a roadtrip with her grandparents she tells the bizarre tale of Phoebe Winterbottom, Phoebe's disappearing mother and the lunatic. But who can help Sal make sense of the mystery that surrounds her own story . . . and her own missing mother?

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

The first time Melanie Ross meets April Hall, she's not sure they have anything in common. But she soon discovers that they both love anything to do with ancient Egypt. When they stumble upon a deserted storage yard, Melanie and April decide it's the perfect spot for the Egypt Game. Before long there are six Egyptians, and they all meet to wear costumes, hold ceremonies, and work on their secret code. Everyone thinks it's just a game until strange things start happening. Has the Egypt Game gone too far?

Any Tin-Tin book by Herge

The series is set during a largely realistic 20th century. Its hero is Tintin, a young Belgian reporter. He is aided by his faithful fox terrier dog Snowy. Later, popular additions to the cast included the brash and cynical Captain Haddock, the highly intelligent but hearing-impaired Professor Calculus, and other supporting characters such as the incompetent detectives Thomson and Thompson  and the opera diva Bianca Castafiore