Online Book Club
January 2009
The invention of Hugo Cabret : a novel in words and pictures / by Selznick, Brian.
Orphan, clock keeper, thief: Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. Combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film, Caldecott Honor artist Selznick breaks open the novel form to create an entirely new reading experience in this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
February 2009
Julie of the wolves / by George, Jean Craighead, 1919-
Faced with the prospect of a disagreeable arranged marriage or a journey across the barren Alaskan tundra, 13-year-old Miyax chooses the tundra. She finds herself caught between the traditional Eskimo ways and the modern ways of the whites. Miyax, or Julie as her pen pal Amy calls her, sets out alone to visit Amy in San Francisco, a world far away from Eskimo culture and the frozen land of Alaska. During her long and arduous journey, Miyax comes to appreciate the value of her Eskimo heritage, learns about herself, and wins the friendship of a pack of wolves. After learning the language of the wolves and slowly earning their trust, Julie becomes a member of the pack.
March 2009
Out of the dust : [a novel] / by Hesse, Karen.
Set in the Oklahoma Panhandle in 1934 during the Great Depression, this book tells the story of 14 year old Billie Jo. Oklahoma is besieged with dust storms. The crops have failed because of drought. The wind seems to blow constantly and the dust is always in the air. Trucks, trackers and even Billie Jo's piano are lost in the dust. When her mother is killed during a terrible accident, the townspeople hold Billie Jo responsible. Even her father is no help to her. He is caught up in the despair of the Depression and turns to the bottle. This book is written in first person free verse poetry and tells the story of Billie Jo and the courage it takes for her to endure. The journey will lift you OUT OF THE DUST.
April 2009
Elijah of Buxton / by Curtis, Christopher Paul.
Master storyteller Christopher Paul Curtis lends his trademark humour and vibrant narrative style to the gripping tale of eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman. The first child born into freedom in Buxton, Ontario, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit, Elijah is best known in his hometown as the boy who threw up on Frederick Douglass. Not on purpose, of course; he was just a baby then! But things change when a former slave calling himself the Right Reverend Zephariah W. Connerly the Third steals money from Elijah's friend Mr. Leroy, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Elijah joins Mr. Leroy on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the disreputable preacher, and he discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents have fled; a life from which he'll always be free, if he can find the courage to get back home.
May 2009
The Willoughbys : [a novel] / by Lowry, Lois.
The four Willoughby children: bossy eldest son Tim, twins Barnaby and Barnaby (nicknamed A and B) and youngest sister Jane, who is convinced that her plain, ordinary name might be one of the reasons her parents seem to keep forgetting about her, long to be orphans; afterall, all good children are orphans. Unfortunately, they are unlucky enough to have two very uncaring parents. If only their mom and dad would disappear, they could become "worthy," "winsome" and "deserving orphans," just like so many of the characters --- from Mary Lennox in THE SECRET GARDEN to Jane Eyre --- they emulate. So they hatch a plot to rid themselves of their parents once and for all. Little do they know, though, that their mom and dad (inspired by the story of Hansel and Gretel) might have an old-fashioned plot of their own in mind.
June 2009
Little voice. by Slipperjack, Ruby, 1952-
Kids make fun of her green eyes. And she’s got a boy’s name. Ray just doesn’t fit in. Life’s been tough for Ray since her father died in a logging accident. Kids at School make fun of her. She misses her dad very much, and she thinks her mother is too busy to need her. Things get so bad, she almost stops talking. Then Ray gets the chance she’s always wanted: to spend the summer with her grandma, an elder and healer in a northern Ontario community. Helping Grandma – canoeing, camping, fishing, berrypicking – Ray begins to learn a new way of life. Grandma’s wisdom, love, and humour help Ray to understand herself better. Ray discovers that learning in two different ways – from her grandma’s traditional teachings and from school – can prepare her for a very special life and help her to find her own voice.
December 2009
Amulet, bk. 01 : the Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi [J Graphix KIB v. 01]
Summary: Almost too clever and poignant, Amulet is, on the surface, about navigating the murky waters of adolescence and, beneath that, an exploration of abandonment and survival. Emily and Navin are lost children, literally lost in a dark, new world and struggling to save their mother, who has been kidnapped by a drooling, tentacled beast. With stellar artwork, imaginative character design, moody color and consistent pacing, this first volume's weakness lies in its largely disjointed storytelling. There is the strong, young, heroine; cute, furry, sidekicks; scary monsters-all extraordinary components, but pieced together in a patchwork manner. There is little hope in his dark world as Kibuishi removes Emily and Navin's frame of safety. Their hopes rest in a magic amulet that seems to be working in the interest of the children-until it suddenly isn't. The most frightening element of Amulet is the sense of insecurity we feel for Emily, fighting her way through uncharted terrain with no guide and no support system. This first volume of Amulet isn't a disappointment, but it does feel like a warmup to the main event. If anything, it's a clear indication that Kibuishi has just begun skimming the surface of his own talent.” -from Publishers Weekly