Next Read in Book Club

Take a look at the photo for "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." What might you think the story is about?

This blog started due to my sister's plea for help. She asked if I could get her 11 year old son to read this summer. He begins middle school next year, and my sister wanted him to remain in a reading mode. He was somewhat resistant. How could I let my sister down. In addition, it would familiarize me with young people's literature. There you have it. This is how our "little" book club began. We have been reading for approximately three weeks and have completed two books. I'm sure you can guess that I am sharing these books with you. Our next book is "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne.

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick

The time is 1931, the place, Paris. The story revolves around Hugo Cabret, an orphan who lives with his uncle in the walls of a busy train station. Hugo wants to remain hidden so that he can finish the secret invention that so consumed his father's attention. In order to do this, he must continue the work of his uncle, who's gone missing -- winding all the clocks in the station. But when Hugo is caught and becomes involved with a cranky old man and a young girl, the story evolves into so much more.

"Dodger and Me" by Jordan Sonnenblick

It's bad enough that Willie Ryan's best friend moved away. Now an English girl from his class keeps following him around and he's so bad at baseball that his whole team hates him.

Those problems look easy after Willie picks up a fast food bag in the woods and out comes Dodger, a four foot tall, blue, furry chimp with an eye patch, surfer shorts and more attitude than ability to grant magical wishes.

You can bet a chimp who's waited in a fast food bag eating ten thousand fries, nine hundred bags of ketchup and drinking fourteen Shamrock Shakes is ready for action.

But is Willie? Not when his room smells like a fast food restaurant. Not after he gets accused of cheating when Dodger "helps" him. Not when Dodger fires a football that hits Willie right between his eyes and leaves a plus sign (+) that turns him into the dorkiest looking guy in the fifth grade.

When you put together magic, humor, fantasy, and a chimp who comes out of a fast food bag?something great has to happen!