The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

The Library Book Club meeting for this book was held February 21, 2019, at 6:30 pm in the entry foyer.

This book was our chosen community reads book for the 2019 On the Same Page.  Free copies were available at the library until supplies ran out.

Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down.

book 1 in The Scarlet Pimpernel series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Vivian rated it ★★★★ and said “I was surprised the book deviates quite a lot from the movie (or is it the other way around – hah!)? I can see how these Pimpernel stories became runaway best-sellers and could easily become addicting!

Cathy rated it ★★★★.

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, by Lauren Tarshis

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, by Lauren Tarshis

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

by Lauren Tarshis

The Books for Boys Book Club meeting for this book was held April 12, 2018, at 6:30 in the Community Room.

Book club reading copies were available for checkout from the circulation desk about a month prior to the meeting.

The most terrifying events in history are brought vividly to life in this new fictional series! In book 1, ten-year-old George is trapped on the Titanic — how will he survive?

Ten-year-old George Calder can’t believe his luck — he and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George’s life changes forever.

Lauren Tarshis brings history’s most exciting and terrifying events to life in this new fictional series. Readers will be transported by stories of amazing kids and how they survived!

book 1 in the I Survived series

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley

The Black Stallion

by Walter Farley

The Mother Daughter Book Club meeting for this book was held April 19, 2018, at 6:30 in the Community Room.

Book club reading copies were available for checkout from the circulation desk about a month prior to the meeting.

Published originally in 1941, this book is about a young boy, Alec Ramsay who finds a wild black stallion at a small Arabian port on the Red Sea. Between the black stallion and young boy, a strange understanding grew that you lead them through untold dangers as they journeyed to America. Nor could Alec understand that his adventures with the black stallion would capture the interest of an entire nation.

book 1 in The Black Stallion series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★.

Katra rated it ★★★.

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands

by Alwyn Hamilton

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there’s nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can’t wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him… or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

book 1 in the Rebel of the Sands series

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Don Quixote

by Manuel De Cervantes Saavedra

The Library Book Club meeting for this book was held Thursday, June 15, 2017, at 6:30 in the entry foyer.

Don Quixote has become so entranced by reading chivalric romances, that he determines to become a knight-errant himself. In the company of his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, his exploits blossom in all sorts of wonderful ways. While Quixote’s fancy often leads him astray – he tilts at windmills, imagining them to be giants – Sancho acquires cunning and a certain sagacity. Sane madman and wise fool, they roam the world together, and together they have haunted readers’ imaginations for nearly four hundred years.

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

Dragon Slippers

by Jessica Day George

The Mother Daughter Book Club meeting for this book was held March 9, 2017, at 6:30 in the Community Room.

Book club reading copies were available for checkout from the circulation desk about a month prior to the meeting.

Creel, the heroine of Dragon Slippers is hardly a damsel-in-distress. After her aunt totes her out to the local dragon in desperation (with the hope that the local prince will rescue her from certain death and marry her), Creel refuses the haughty prince and finds friendship with the dragons, who set her on a journey to the center of the kingdom with a pretty pair of what only seem to be ordinary slippers. Along the way we discover Creel’s enormous talent at embroidery, and you can’t help but linger over the rich descriptions of her lovely tapestry-like gowns, which quickly make her the most sought-after dressmaker in the kingdom. But soon enough those mysterious slippers begin to wreak havoc, and it’s up to Creel to save the kingdom from disaster and defend the dragons from certain doom. Creel’s feisty spirit breathes fiery new life into this epic world at every turn, making this one of the most memorable and fun fantasy debuts to hit shelves since Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart.

book 1 in the Dragon Slippers series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Lorna rated it ★★★★ and said “Good fun. Light, easy reading with warm humor. I was impressed with the plot also.”

Patty rated it ★★★★ and said “Well written and good story. My daughter will like it I am sure. My older daughter has read it and really liked it.”

Miranda rated it ★★★★.

Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin

by Liesl Shurtliff

The Books for Boys Book Club meeting for this book was held January 19, 2017, at 6:30 in the Community Room.

The Mother Daughter Book Club meeting for this book was held February 2, 2017, at 6:30 in the Community Room.

Book club reading copies were available for checkout from the circulation desk about a month prior to the meeting.

In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone’s joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.

To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Patty rated it ★★★★.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

by Grace Lin

The Mother Daughter Book Club meeting for this book was held January 12, 2017, at 6:30 in the Community Room.

Book club reading copies were available for checkout from the circulation desk about a month prior to the meeting.

In the Valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli spends her days working hard in the fields and her nights listening to her father spin fantastic tales about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon. Minli’s mother, tired of their poor life, chides him for filling her head with nonsense. But Minli believes these enchanting stories and embarks on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how her family can change their fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest.

Newbery Honor book for 2010

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Vivian rated it ★★★★ and said “Here is The Wizard of Oz with an Asian flavor.
Like Dorothy in Kansas, Minli’s village is gray and dreary with nothing but want and drudgery for her parents and herself. Her father tells stories to relieve the weariness. Her mother objects to the stories, fearing that Minli will believe them.
Like Dorothy, Minli sets out on a journey, meets remarkable friends, meets terrible obstacles and fierce opponents, and makes difficult choices.
This story is charming, heart-warming, and entertaining. Many chapters contain stories and alternating chapters tell of Minli’s parents while she is gone. I think this is one of the strongest features of the book. Children’s choices and actions affect others and especially those who love them most.
Anyone who likes THE WIZARD OF OZ will love this story.”

Lorna rated it ★★★★ and said “Fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore. Beautiful illustrations. Stories within the story dragged on a bit, but overall very nice with a good message.”

My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir

My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir

My First Summer in the Sierra

by John Muir

In the summer of 1869, John Muir, a young Scottish immigrant, joined a crew of shepherds in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. The diary he kept while tending sheep formed the heart of this book and eventually lured thousands of Americans to visit Yosemite country.

First published in 1911, My First Summer in the Sierra incorporates the lyrical accounts and sketches he produced during his four-month stay in the Yosemite River Valley and the High Sierra. His record tracks that memorable experience, describing in picturesque terms the majestic vistas, flora and fauna, and other breathtaking natural wonders of the area.

Today Muir is recognized as one of the most important and influential naturalists and nature writers in America. This book, the most popular of the author’s works, will delight environmentalists and nature lovers with its exuberant observations.

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