El Deafo by Cece Bell

El Deafo by Cece Bell

El Deafo

by Cece Bell

The Library Book Club meeting for this book was held Thursday, April 20, 2017, at 6:30 in the entry foyer.

Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful–and very awkward–hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear–sometimes things she shouldn’t–but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Cathy rated it ★★★★★

Bekka rated it ★★★★★ and said “Very well done! I appreciated the humor as well as the emotional times. The art is charming – very cartoony and cute. I love how they all have bunny ears! This is a great story for both kids and adults. Highly Recommended.”

Vivian rated it ★★★ and said “What I would like to find out is, are children picking this up to read without being led to it by adults, and if so, what about it keeps them reading it? Aside from it’s obvious exposure to what it feels like to be different and that being different can be triggered by circumstances beyond one’s control, which is the “swallow this pill” purpose of the book, why has this book caught on? Here’s my quick answer. It’s really about friendships — different kinds of friendships and social situations — and every body has experience with this. Have you had the “you’re my project” kind of friend (or big me, little you)? Just saying, she nails the “friends” things on so many levels. And then there’s the whole “dealing with reality by creating an alternate reality” thing going, which she also nails. There are lots of springboard opportunities in her story to talk about assumptions we make and communication and taking social cues, which is why I think it’s good that the book is going the rounds in adult circles. It gives us a way to start some important conversations.”

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.”

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

Penny from Heaven

by Jennifer L. Holm

Mother Daughter Book Club meeting for this book was held November 12, 2015.

It’s 1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. But nothing’s that easy in Penny’s family. For starters, she can’t go swimming because her mother’s afraid she’ll catch polio at the pool. To make matters worse, her favorite uncle is living in a car. Her Nonny cries every time her father’s name is mentioned. And the two sides of her family aren’t speaking to each other!

Inspired by Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm’s own Italian American family, Penny from Heaven is a shining story about the everyday and the extraordinary, about a time in America’s history, not all that long ago, when being Italian meant that you were the enemy. But most of all, it’s a story about families—about the things that tear them apart and bring them together. And Holm tells it with all the richness and the layers, the love and the laughter of a Sunday dinner at Nonny’s. So pull up a chair and enjoy the feast! Buon appetito!

Newbery Honor 2007

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Lorna rated it ★★★★★.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy

by Ingrid Law
A Mother Daughter Book Club meeting for this book was held October 8, 2015.

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a “savvy” -a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day.

As if waiting weren’t hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs’s birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman’s bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up-and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.

book 1 in the Savvy series

Newbery Honor 2009

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Lorna rated it ★★★★★ and said, “I really liked this book. Very clever and original.”

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said, “I read this as part of a mother-daughter book group, and the girls had plenty to talk about in wondering what their own savvies could be and how this is somewhat reflected in real life in the various talents individuals have. A great group read, and one that that readers who like a little light fantasy in their books will really enjoy.”

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