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.”

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

The Ruins of Gorlan

by John Flanagan

The Books for Boys Book Club meeting for this book was held March 16, 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.

They have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied….

book 1 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Courtney rated it ★★★★.

Cathy rated it ★★★★.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

by C.S. Lewis

A combined Mother Daughter Book Club and Books for Boys meeting for this book was held December 8, 2016 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.

‘They say Aslan is on the move. Perhaps he has already landed,’ whispered the Beaver. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delightful strain of music had just floated by. And Lucy got that feeling when you realize it’s the beginning of summer. So, deep in the bewitched land of Narnia, the adventure begins.

They opened a door and entered a world–Narnia–the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Lucy is the first to stumble through the back of the enormous wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old country house, discovering the magic world beyond. At first, no one believes her. But soon Edmund, Peter and Susan, too, discover the magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. And in the blink of an eye, they are changed forever.

book 2 in the Chronicles of Narnia series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★★ and said,”The one that started it all! For the rest of my childhood, I looked for magic doors and closets I could walk through. It made me want to live in Narnia.”

Vivian rated it ★★★.

Lorna rated it ★★★★★.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

The BFG by Roald Dahl

The BFG

by Roald Dahl

The Mother Daughter Book Club meeting for this book was held November 10, 2016, at 6:30 in the Community Room.

The Books for Boys Book Club meeting for this book was held February 16, 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.

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast.

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said “A little on the silly side, but in a great way! Very enjoyable. A great book for kids and grown-ups to read together.”

Lorna rated it ★★★★ and said “One has to admire this imagination. I especially enjoyed the made-up words.”

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Flora and Ulysses

by Kate DiCamillo

Library Book Club meeting for this book was held January 19, 2017, at 6:30 in the entry foyer.

Mother Daughter Book Club meeting for this book was held February 11, 2016.

A Books for Boys meeting for this book was held October 15, 2015.

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format—a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell.

Newbery Medal 2014

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★★ and said, “What a great book this is! Its a totally worthy addition to the Newbery list. Right from the beginning with that great cartoon, this book had me interested and laughing. K.G. Campbell’s illustrations are so great throughout! They really add to the storyline in a very tangible way. The language in this book is so quirky and charming, it totally matches the illustrations. DiCamillo has a real talent in being able to portray very real people and situations in a way that is compelling and enjoyable. I loved Flora! And Ulysses is a character pretty much unique, at least in my reading! I think this is an excellent read for middle-school kids and older, as they will be able to relate to Flora’s situation. Grown-ups will love it for different reasons, but will love it equally. Highly Recommended!”

Miranda rated it ★★★ and said, “This was a cute read. It reminded me a bit of Beverly Cleary’s Ralph books. The illustrations were fun, and I think there was just enough to work and not get bogged down in that format for those who don’t enjoy it as much as the written word.”

Cathy rated it ★★★★★ and said, “Holy unanticipated occurrences! This is a fun, fast read with a lot of substance. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.”

Lorna rated it ★★★★★ and said, “Many truths are exposed in this delightful tale.”

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

The Books for Boys Book Club meeting for this book was held October 20, 2016, 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.

For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. . . .

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★★ and said, “This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I had all but forgotten the plot. It was very nice to remember it again after so much time. The adventures of Milo and Tock are timeless! There are so many wonderful lines – I particularly like the part where they meet the boy who grows down, not up, and talks about some of his family who grow upside down – “They become giants and walk among the stars.” There are so many profound and simple lessons, all in a very funny and enjoyable plot.”

Lorna rated it ★★★★★ and said, “I wish that I had children in my home right now to read this book to. I laughed and enjoyed all the tidbits of wisdom as well as the VERY clever use of language. I now have a new favorite children’s book!”

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters

by C. S. Lewis
A masterpiece of satire, this classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life from the vantage point of Screwtape, a senior tempter in the service of “Our Father Below.” At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C. S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging and humorous account of temptation—and triumph over it—ever written.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Cathy rated it ★★★★★.

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti

Zeroes

by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti

Don’t call them heroes.

But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart. They can do stuff ordinary people can’t.

Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. He’s got a voice inside him that’ll say whatever you want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t—like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days.

Enter Nate, a.k.a. Bellwether, the group’s “glorious leader.” After Scam’s SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. And at the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases.

Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening installment of a thrilling new series.

book 1 in the Zeroes series

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