Book Club Tomorrow

In a little over 24 hours, we will be drinking hot chocolate discussing Abarat. Don't worry if you have not finished it, I am sure we will have plenty to discuss.





Tell your moms (or dads) there will be a cookie exchange going on tomorrow night in addition to our book club. If they are interested they can go to the website, caldwellpl.org, for the details.





Think sugarplums.


Mrs Khost

Book Club THIS WEDNESDAY!

Are you all busy getting ready for the holidays? I hope you won't be too busy to come to this month's meeting. So what do you think of Abarat? Is it too weird or creepy for you? I hope not, I am very interested to know what you think about it.

See you Wednesday!
Mrs Khost

Our Next Book Club Meeting

Hello to eveyone,

Are you ready to eat your Thanksgiving feast? After feasting hope you will enjoy reading Abarat. Try to get past the pictures if you think they're creepy, I think you will like the story. Right Patrick? Patrick finished it and thought it was great.

Our next meeting will be December 14th @ 6:45. Since it's close to the holidays maybe we should have hot chocolate instead of tea.

Happy Turkey Day!
Deborah

We Came , We saw and We Conquered!

I hope all who went to NYC on Saturday enjoyed themselves, I certainly did.  It was fun to see some of the places that were in the Night Tourist.  Thanks Hannah for finding the stained bit of the ceiling, I would never have been able to find it.  While I am on the topic of thanking, if you have an opportunity, please thank Anne's and Hannah's Moms and Patrick's Uncle for coming with us.

It was a really pleasure to spent time with you, you all were cooperative, flexible and pleasant with each other and with the adults.  And you were real troopers (someone who deals with and persists through hardship or difficulty without conplaint) during the craziness at the bus terminal.  Thank you all.

Now on to the next book club meeting.  I don't think we settled on a date, does December 7th or 14th work? Let me know your thoughts.  There are copies of Abarat  at the library, let me know if you will be coming in to get one.  Patrick has started it and says he really likes it.

Enjoy the nice weather,
Mrs Khost

Tomorrow's the Day!

Are you ready for tomorrow's trip?  Or should I say is NYC ready for us?
Patrick and his Uncle will be joining us, welcome.
Last minute reminders:

Bring enough money for bus fare ($7.50 each way) and lunch.  It is not a good idea to bring a lot of money with you, so if you plan on buying anything please limit it to small purchases.

We are taking the 9:00 am bus. Please be there by 8:45 am so we have plenty of time to buy our tickets.

The weather for tomorrow is suppose to be nice, but on the cool side. Make sure you wear something warm enough.  And remember we will be doing a lot of walking.

We will be meeting the NYC Public Library Children's librarian at 10:30 for a tour.  Then unto Grand Central Terminal.

Get plenty of sleep tonight and I will see you in the morning.

Grand Central Terminal or Bust!

Did you notice in the header I called it Grand Central Terminal not Grand Central Station?  Grand Central Station became Grand Central Terminal in 1913 when the station was rebuilt for the newfangled electric trains. People have been using the wrong name for 98 years!

As Janet would say, our merry band going on Saturday will be:
                         Anne and her Mom
                         Hannah and her Mom
                         Michele and her Mom
                         Megan
                         Rachel
If you would like to go and haven't let me know, please email me asap.  Also if I haven't heard from a parent have them email or call the library.

The weather is suppose to be great Saturday so get your walking shoes ready.
Hope everyone's electricity is back on and ready for school tomorrow.
Ms Khost ( Deborah)

NYC Here we Come!

Well it was an interesting meeting, seems like everyone who read the book liked it. Our next book is Abarat, I placed an order for several copies on Thursday morning so they should be coming in soon. There is a paperback copy in the library.

NOW HERE IS THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

We will be going into New York City Saturday, November 5th.
We will leave from Willowbrook Park and Ride, located in the mall parking lot behind Bloomingdale's.
We will be taking the 9:00 am bus, please be at Park and Ride by 8:45 am!
The cost of the bus ticket is $7.50 each way.
We will walk from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to the New York Public Library and meet one of the Children's librarian.
We will then walk to Grand Central Station and see if we can find some of the places mentioned in Night Tourist.
After our self guide tour we will decide where we would like to eat lunch.  You will need to bring money for lunch, we will make sure the restaurant we choose will be reasonably priced.
We will have the option of returning to the New York Public Library for some special programming, including seeing authors Jon Sciezka and Rebecca Stead. 
We can divide into 2 groups, those who want to return to the library and those who want to return Caldwell.  The returning group will catch a bus back no later than the 3:00 pm bus.
As of today (Oct 28), Mrs Ploch (Hannah's Mom), Ms Feeney (Ann's Mom) and Mrs Polone (Michele's Mom) will be joining us.

I would not consider bringing a group of middle schoolers into NYC if I did not think they were mature enough to handle it.  I expect cooperative, respectful behavior. Everyone should be able to enjoy themselves knowing they will be heard and their opinions considered in all decisions.

Show this email to your parents and let me know by Monday if you will be coming. Parents not coming should email me directly (debkhost@gmail.com) to let me know they have read this email and have given their permission for you to travel with us.

Hope for good weather next Saturday and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Mrs Khost

Wednesday's Book Club

Just a reminder, we will be meeting to discuss Fiver Flavors of Dumb this Wednesday (10/26) @ 6:45.
If any of you still have a copy of Night Tourist  please bring it with you.  We will also be talking about the November 5th Grand Central Station trip so bring your decision and your questions.  Can't make our meeting?  Let me know if you want to come on the trip.

Next Week's Book Club

Time flies, next Wednesday (10/26) we will be discussing Five Flavors of Dumb.  I don't know about you but I really like it.  Can't wait to hear what you all thought.

Next week we will also be discussing our November 5th trip into Grand Central Station.  By next week I need to know who definitely will be going and which parents definitely will be coming with us.  Once I know how many adults will be coming I will be able to decide how we will travel into NYC. Be prepared to discuss departure times, lunch ideas and return times.

Happy Pre Halloween!
Mrs Khost

Books are in

Two copies of Five Flavors of Dumb are here for the taking.

Little Help from my Friends

I am still getting the hang of book club record keeping and could use a little help from you.  Does anyone still have a copy of the Night Tourist checked out?  No hurry to return it just trying to keep track of all the copies.
Thanks!

Some things to think about

I wanted to update you all on a few things.

First   I would like to welcome Katie Barth to the book club.  Katie is a real reader who I know will add a lot to our group.  Katie is in sixth grade, but I don't know what school.  Maybe Katie can fill us in on the 26th.

Second   Still waiting for more copies of 5 Flavors of Dumb to come in.  Let me know if you need a copy and I will call you when they come in.

Third   The trip to Grand Central Station. I would like to go on Saturday, November 5th.  Please check to see if that date is good for you and if your mom or dad would like to join us.  Your parents can email me directly if they have any questions.

That's it for now, keep reading and enjoy the fall weather.
Mrs Khost

Hello to all,

Well it seems we all liked the Night Tourist, although the ending left us with some questions.  There were no questions about taking a "field trip" to Grand Central Station and since we'd be in the neighborhood checking out NYC Public Library (the ones with the lion outside), too. The best time seems to be a Saturday morning and before it gets too cold.  To see if we can go I need from you:

1. October/November Saturdays you are available
2. Some Moms (or Dads) who would like to come with us

Once we figure that out  we can decide how to travel in, what to see and where we should have lunch (assuming everyone wants to stay for lunch).  One more thing I will be out of town 10/8 and I will be working in the library 10/22.

We decided to read 5 Flavors of Dumb for our next book. CPL has a copy, which Ann is reading, and I have ordered more copies from other libraries. I will post when they come in.  I forgot to schedule our next meeting time, so let me do that now. Our next meeting will be October 26th @ 6:45 pm.

Enjoy the fall
Mrs Khost

See you all tomorrow night (Wednesday 9/21), can't wait to hear what you thought of The Night Tourist.

Night Tourist

Hi,

I just started Night Tourist and so far I like it, though I can't figure out where the story's going.  One thing for sure I want to visit Grand Central Station, I can't believe I've never been.  Has anyone been to Grand Central?

Just wanted to remind you our meeting is next Wednesday, 9/21 @ 6:45.  Let me know if you still need a book.

Rain, rain go away

How has your first week of school been going?
In case you need a copy of The Night Tourist there are two copies are now available in the library.  A couple more copies should be arriving soon.
Stay dry!
Mrs Khost

Hello Again

I forgot to mention September's book is The Night Tourist. I haven't read it yet. Have you?
Let me know if you need a copy.
Get out and enjoy summer's last hurrah!
Mrs Khost

Looking forward to September

Hello Ladies,
Hope Irene did not cause too many problems for you and your families. Enjoy the beautiful days ahead.

Is anyone looking forward to school this year and have you heard who your teachers are? Let me know your ideas for the book club this year... how to reach out to more middle schoolers...movie nights...you name it!

Our September meeting will be Wednesday, September 21st @ 6:45.
See you then,
Mrs Khost

Changes!?

Hello ladies,

Just when you think everything is moving along swimmingly the current changes. Mrs Torsney, your fabulous leader is making some terrific changes. Now it is your turn to decide what changes you would like to make. I looked at your book list and decided I wanted to start reading them right away. Some of you know I have sons (5 in total) so you know I don't get much "gal time". I would love to be part of make a difference book club, but first you gals need to decide what you would like. Would you like to continue, would you like to reach out to others, evening or afternoon, Saturdays? One thing to be aware of the library's hours are changing in September. The best night to meet would be Wednesday and if you feel like you would like to meet on Saturday it would need to be in the morning.

Happy deciding and enjoy the waning day of summer.
Mrs Khost

Desertion

I am sorry to say that I am a no-good ditcher, ladies.

I'm going to be leaving at the end of the month. Mrs Khost would like to continue the bookclub starting in September. I'll leave her our list of books to read.

If you want to get in touch with her, she's at dkhost@caldwellpl.org. You can reach me at jtorsney.jt@gmail.com.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and...KEEP READING!

SKELLIG REMINDER

Our next meeting is Tuesday, July 19 at 6:45. The book we'll be discussing is Skellig. Let me know if you need a copy.

There was a movie made from the book (for British TV). We could also watch some of that if you'd like.

Let me know your thoughts.

Next Meeting, Next Book

 

My ears are still ringing from our last meeting, but we must look forward!

Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19 at 6:45. The book is Skellig by David Almond. Let me know if you need a copy.

Some questions for you to think about: 

• Why did Skellig come into Michael's life? 
• What effect does he have? 
• Do you think he'll come back? 
• What does Skellig look like?

There's some interesting info on the author's  website. There's also a  TV movie of it which we could watch before or after.

See you next month!

Meeting Next Tuesday

(Creepy picture of a creepy book, no?)

Just a reminder that we'll be talking about Jade Green at our meeting next Tuesday (the 21st) at 6:45. Please come prepared to talk about the book. I'd also like for everyone to talk about their favorite ghost story and favorite scary movie.

I don't want to give anything away. But let me just say that we'll have a birthday girl in our midst and there might be treats involved.

Next book: Skellig!

Cillian News

I saw my friend Colleen the baker (when I stopped by to get scones for royal wedding viewing).

She had some great news she wanted me to share with you. She sent out a few chapters of the Cillian story to some agents (the first, probably most difficult step in getting a book published) and....not one, but two asked her to send the entire manuscript for consideration.

This is a very big deal! She changed the title, at your suggestion, so she asked me to be sure to thank you.

I'll keep you posted on her -- and Cillian's -- progress. Maybe I should bring some of her cookies to the next meeting. Hmmmmm......(or should I say, yum).

Doll People Reminder

Our Next Meeting is Tuesday, May 17 at 6:45. We'll be talking about The Doll People.

In June we'll meet on the 21st (the last day of school for many of you, I think). Our June book is Jade Green. 

Thanks for your help with the book ideas about peer pressure and middle school. Your ideas were excellent (of course)!

Advice from the Experts

A patron is looking for books for her daughter, who is starting middle school next year,  that deal with peer pressure.She (the daughter) is not that crazy about reading.

Do you guys have any ideas about books she might like?

Thanking you!

We're All Going to the Dolls

Next month's meeting will be to discuss The Doll People. I know Megan and Michelle will have a lot to tell us/ask us about the book! (No pressure, gals :)

If anyone needs a copy, shoot me an email  and I'll leave it for you at the front desk.

Enjoy the dog days of school. 

Meeting Next Tuesday

Did you guys see this story in the NY Times magazine about Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins? I am loving the book even more this time. Only problem: I want to read all three again!

Don't forget to bring books for pre-schoolers for Hannah's drive.

See you Tuesday!

And Then There Was Us

I might be using questionable grammar, but it is true. I don't know when I've enjoyed comparing murders and murders so much. Thanks to Kennedy for bringing the list of all the murders so we could keep things straight. And thanks to Anne for her excellent questions.  Overall, Dame Agatha got thumbs up from our group.

Our next book is The Hunger Games. I have to say I loved this book and can't wait to hear what you all think about it.

I posted the rest of the winning books and the dates of our meetings on the right.

I'll be thinking of you gals every time I have a "spot of tea."

Spring Cleaning for a Cause

Thanks to Hannah, we have a chance to Make a Difference! She is collecting books for the Carrina School in East Orange for her Girl Scout Silver Award project.

Bring new or gently used books to our next meeting. You reading girls know how much it meant to have books when you were first starting to read (and still now). So let's support Hannah's efforts and help kids in East Orange get off to a great start!

Meeting Tomorrow

So many things to do:

• Talk about And Then There Were None
• Tell me what you thought about the Cillian book
• Vote on our May-August books. Top candidates are:
• Skellig,
• Doll People,  
• Night Tourist
• The Mysterious Benedict Society.
• Decide on our good deeds. Some ideas:
• A beanie baby drive for troops in Afghanistan
• Contribute to toy drive
• Other ideas?

Looking forward to seeing you!

Dame Agatha is Next!

I'll admit that we gave Ella short shrift, but we had fun sipping our tea and nominating our next books to read.


Thank you, birthday girl Alexa, for not only coming to the meeting with seconds to spare before your game...but also bringing brownies!!!


The overwhelming winner for our next book was And Then There Were None, which was written  by Agatha Christie in 1939. I've ordered copies through other libraries. Let me know if you need one. The date of our next meeting is March 22.


If you've already read this one, how about reading another of her books -- there are soooo many -- and telling the rest of us about it?


The book for our April meeting will be The Hunger Games.


Other things we need to do at our March meeting:

• Vote for our other books. The leading candidates are Doll People, Skellig, Night Tourist and the Mysterious Benedict Society.
• Get feedback on the Cillian story.

Stay well, dear ladies!

Kennedy Wins Globetrotter Tickets!

That was so fun watching Ella, dancing and filling out reviews!

Turns out our very own Kennedy won the Globetrotter tickets. Congratulations!

See you next Tuesday for Ella chitchat and deciding on our next books.

Read, Review, and Win Free Tickets

We're having a contest at the library that I think will be right up your alley, ladies!

CALDWELL PUBLIC LIBRARY READS!

For every book you read, you can enter a raffle for four tickets to these events at the Izod Center.
• The Harlem Globetrotters: February 19-21
• Barnum and Bailey Circus: March 2-13
• Stars on Ice: April 2

Drop by the library to pick up an entry form. You can enter as many times as you like. The more you read, the better your chances.

Drawings will be held on February 9 for the Globetrotters, February 23 for Circus, and March 23 for Stars on Ice. We will call the winners to let them know immediately. You are only eligible to win once.

We Knew Cillian When

Thanks to all of you who agreed to read my friend Colleen's book, Cillian his Adventures on Causeway Island. She is so excited to get your reaction to it!

I'll  bring copies to our showing of Ella Enchanted next week and our regular book club meeting the following week.

Let the Enchantment Begin

What a first meeting of 2011!

• We welcomed Alexa, Kennedy and Rachel to the bookclub.


• Our oldtimers got their official Dahlathon medals, books and certifcates.


• We celebrated Anne's birthday with some delicious cupcakes.

How was it possible that we squeezed in any discussion about our two books?! We did, though, because we are just those kinds of girls.

Coming up:

• Tuesday, February 8 at 6 pm: Come to the Library to watch "Ella Enchanted"


• Tuesday, February 15 at 6:45 pm: Come to our regular meeting.


• We'll talk about Ella Enchanted (book and movie).


• We'll also decide on our next three books. Come prepared to convince us -- in two minutes or less -- to read the book of your choice. We'll decide by top-secret ballot.

See you soon!