A December Book

I'm sorry I slacked off for November and never put a book up here!!! Maybe you were all too busy to read one anyway. I'm not sure if anyone besides Becky and me read The Westing Game, but if you did, we'd still love to hear from you!

Our book for the month of December is another Newberry winner, back in 1962. Doesn't that sound like forever ago?!?! The book is The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. She is the author of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and The Sign of the Beaver. I think this book is timeless though, and that you won't find it old or stuffy. Let me share with you a review I read on Amazon of the book:

"I am an adult godfather always looking for good books for my young friends. This is one of my three best finds in years. (The others were The Witch of Blackbird Pond, also by Elizabeth Speare, and A Line In The Sand, the Alamo diary in the Dear America series.)
The story is told in the time of Jesus in a village near where Jesus teaches those who come to hear him. Daniel, a young outcast, is sworn to fight the Romans with the goal of throwing them out of the land altogether. There are many other young men who want to do the same thing, but they need a leader. What they do, how they prepare, their speculation whether the new teacher Jesus may be that leader, and most of all, Daniel's struggles between his oath and what Jesus has said to him, are the story.
This is not a religious book, though its end point is the second great commandment Jesus gave (Matthew 22:39). It is a book about life in the time, the unrest and resistance of many Jews to Roman rule, the confusion of many Jews looking for a military messiah trying to decide if Jesus could be that man. But more than that, it is like any other moral tale of any other time, a story of a man trying to decide what is the right thing for him to do.
It is not simplistic, I'm 57 and I read it entirely, but neither is it difficult reading. I strongly recommend it for anyone from 9 years on. "

After reading the review, you can understand a little more why I might have chosen it for December. I thought it was so interesting to understand a little more the Jewish people at the time of Christ. As the reviewer states, it isn't a huge emotional or spiritual book, yet I found myself crying as I finished the book, for it is a touching story of how one boy decides what type of person he will become. Of course, I read this book a couple of months ago, while pregnant, so the crying thing doesn't really hold much ground as I find I tear up at anything remotely touching these days.

As it is an older book, there should be copies at your library, but you can also order it online through Amazon for just a penny, plus shipping. The picture of the book cover will take you to the Amazon page. Leave me some comments if you plan on reading with us!

Spoiler Alert - The Westing Game!

"I try to say one thing with my work: A book is a wonderful place to be. A book is a package, a gift package, a surprise package -- and within the wrappings is a whole new world and beyond." --Ellen Raskin

Here it is, the 8th of November already, and I haven't yet posted our discussion questions for The Westing Game!!! I hope some of you were able to read it. I know it is quite different from last month's book, but I also felt it had some similar overall themes. What did you think? Post some of your comments on this book so we can get talking about it! Below are some questions to get you thinking, like before, but just write your thoughts, what you want to write about.

1. Did you like the book overall? Why or why not? What did you like? What didn't you like?

2. Did you feel like you connected with any of the characters?

3. Were there any specific passages that stood out to you?

4. How do the themes of this story compare to The Goose Girl? Do you find any similarities?

5. In Chapter 23, each pair of heirs is given the opportunity to reveal its solutions. Although it's announced that all answers are wrong, Chris's response is profound. He says, "I think Mr. Westing is a g-good man. I think his last wish was to do g-good deeds. He gave me a p-partner who helped me. He g-gave everybody the p-perfect p-partner to m-make friends." Do you agree? What are some of the positive things that come from the partnerships?

6. Did you find any parts of the book funny? What were some of your favorite humorous details?

7. Why do you think Turtle never shares her secret of Windy Windkloppel's fourth identity?

8. Although Turtle is the only heir who won the inheritance, all the participants benefited from playing the game. Choose one of your favorite characters and describe how he or she benefited from the game.

9. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not? To a teenager?

Ellen Raskin won the Newberry Award for this book. She has also written other young adult novels, including The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I mean Noel) and Figgs and Phantoms. She has written several children's books too!

Spoiler Alert - The Goose Girl

It's time! I hope some of you were able to read the book, and that you found it interesting. I'm sorry I'm a little late in putting up this post. We were in conference for the weekend, and I just got back this afternoon. I would like to hear from all of you who read the book. You can write what you want in your comments, but here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Did you like the book overall? Why or why not? What did you like? What didn't you like?
2. Did you feel like you connected with any of the characters?
3. Were there any specific passages that stood out to you?
4. Ani's mother, the queen, tells her, "a crown princess, like a queen, can succeed only by staying apart. Separation, elevation, delegation" (p. 25). Is this true? How?
5. Do you think Ani's mother will treat Ani any differently now?
6. Fairy tales often share common characteristics --- the use of the number three, magical elements, transformations, misleading appearances, and the conquest of good over evil. Additionally, the hero or heroine is often infallible. Which elements did Shannon Hale decide to incorporate into THE GOOSE GIRL? Which ones did she omit? Why do you think so? Should she have done it differenlty? What makes a fairy tale different from other types of stories?
7. How does the story and Shannon Hale's writing compare with other young adult novels you hae read? Do you like her writing style?
8. If you were to produce a movie of THE GOOSE GIRL, whom would you cast in each role? Why would you pick these particular actors? Do you think it would be good as a movie? Would you change any of the story?
9. Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not? Would you recommend this book to a teenager? Why or why not?

Again, these are just ideas if you're not sure what you want to say. Just post a comment with your thoughts. I hope you enjoyed the book!

And for next month . . . our book is The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I thought this would be a good month for October because although it isn't scary, it is a mystery, which fits with the Halloween spirit. My eighth graders always read this book in October. As before, you can click on the book to be connected to amazon.com. Here is a review by one reader:

"The game is "Who Killed Sam Westing" and the winner receives his estate, worth millions. Sixteen people, all residents of Sunset Towers --- an apartment building on Lake Michigan --- are named as heirs to the fortune. They are split into eight unusual pairs and given clues to solving the murder. Through snowstorms, power failures and bombs they play the game, leading to deception and intrigue. Everyone is a suspect, no one is ever who he or she seems to be, and no one except the reader has all the answers (and sometimes not even then). Don't forget Sam Westing's most important instruction to the heirs: "It's not what you have, but what you don't have, that counts."After twenty-five years, THE WESTING GAME --- written by the late beloved author Ellen Raskin and winner of the 1978 Newbery Award --- is still remarkable for its diverse, interesting characters, its plot twists, and an ending that no one inside or outside the novel could predict. Woven into the mystery are insights into family relations, dishonesty, courage and finding a sense of self. The absurdities of plot lend a humorous air but never distract from the story. There is something new to be found with every reading, from clues to connections between characters.Whether you're revisiting this old favorite or discovering the madness and brilliance of Sam Westing for the first time, you won't be disappointed. " ---Reviewed by Carlie Webber

The one thing that does get a little tricky about this book is the characters. It can get a little confusing to keep track of all 16 characters, so you may want to have a notebook nearby with the characters' names and some brief information about them, especially if you are trying to solve the mystery of who murdered Samuel Westing! Good luck with your detective work!

The Results are in!

I've heard from a lot of you that you have the book and are excited to read it! The poll has closed, and it looks like the official "spoiler" date is October 5th. That means that if you have not read the book by that day, don't get on the blog, because the rest of us will all be talking about the book!

For those of you who are starting to read, here are a few things you can do/think about while reading. If you own the book, you can write it in, or if not, you can keep a little journal on the side. Write down any specific quotes you likes, questions, or thoughts you have as you are reading. That will make our discussion much better when we all finish! I think it would be easiest for all of us to

Another idea which I need to do is to get a "Books I've Read" journal. I saw one at Powell's Books in downtown Portland, but it was a little expensive, so I'm going to see if I can find something cheaper or make my own. In it, you can list the name of different books you read, the author, the genre, the main character(s), plot, your recommendation, etc. Then you can remember what books you have read and what books you would recommend to others and to your own kids. Here is one I found online at amazon.com. If you click on the picture, it will take you to the website if you're interested.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Our first bookclub book is going to be . . . The Goose Girl! I read this book a few months ago for a bookclub I'm in, and I loved it. This book is a kind of Cinderella story, yet with a different twist. Here is a summary from Amazon:

Ani, the Princess of Kildenree, is a character in the Cinderella tradition, but her story of betrayal, strength, and resilience has several twists. When her handmaiden, Celia, plots to replace her--the resulting deception, stolen identity, and danger transform Ani into The Goose Girl. This counterpoint experience teaches her about loyalty, friendship, and eventually, love.

If you want to read more, click on the book and it will take you to the Amazon website page for The Goose Girl.

I loved this story because it has the elements of a fairy tale, yet the story is more mature, and it left me guessing and wondering how it would all work out in the end. Also it is a great coming-of-age story. The book is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Goose Girl, but I wouldn't read the fairy tale now because it will give away too much of the book.

Shannon Hale is actually an LDS author. She grew up in Salt Lake City, and at the age of 10, she started writing stories. She served a mission in Paraguay, and graduated from the University of Utah. The Goose Girl was her first book, and it was an ALA top ten teens pick. She has written five young adult books, one of which, Princess Academy, was a Newberry Honor book for 2007! To read more about Shannon Hale, you can go to her official website and read more in her biography: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html

So your first task is to go and get the book! See if your library has it! Most libraries should. Let me know what you think!!!

Our First Bookclub Book

Hello all you DCS girls! The long awaited DCS bookclub is finally here! I have thought long and hard about this bookclub, and after talking with several of you, have decided we should focus on young adult literature. These types of books are clean, entertaining, fun, well-written, easy to read, and best of all, will help us become better mothers! Please comment here with any books you think would be good for us to read as a bookclub. I have a few ideas to get us started, but we need all of your help to make this book club good! Also, I have a poll on the side for each of you to answer on when you think the first book should be read by. From then on, we will discuss the books together one month from whatever day we choose as our first bookclub meeting. Of course, even before the meeting, it would be great to see conversation/comments here about what you are thinking or wondering with the book, what you like and do like, etc. as long as you don't give any spoilers. Hope to hear from all of you soon!