Since you did such a good job helping me pick a new handbag (went with the orange, pix forthcoming), would you please help me choose a book group for the upcoming Book Fest I’ll be attending? I can only go to one. I’m drawn to the following four groups, let me know what you think:
*PICTURE BOOKS I
Rachel Payne, Discussion Leader
A Caldecott Retrospective
Cinderella or, The Little Glass Slipper – Charles Perrault & illustrated by Marcia Brown
Drummer Hoff – Barbara Emberley & illustrated by Ed Emberley
Flotsam – David Wiesner
Grandfather’s Journey – Allen Say
The Little House – Virginia Lee Burton
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears – Verna Aardema & pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon
* MIDDLE GRADES I
Lisa Von Drasek, Discussion Leader
No Drama Here: What’s So Funny About Fantasy?
True Meaning of Smekday – Adam Rex
Wee Free Men – Terry Pratchett
Lightning Thief- Rick Riordan
The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney – Suzanne Harper
New Kid at School (Dragon Slayers’ Academy Book 1) – Kate McMullan
*YOUNG ADULT II
Jennifer Hubert, Discussion Leader
Teen Dystopias
The Diary of Pelly D – L. J. Adlington
The Giver – Lois Lowry
Rash – Pete Hautman
Siberia – Ann Halam
Uglies – Scott Westerfeld
*YOUNG ADULT III
Kimberly Paone, Discussion Leader
Dark and Creepy
Being – Kevin Brooks
Devilish – Maureen Johnson
Echo – Kate Morgenroth
The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs – Jack Gantos
Surrender – Sonya Hartnett
I think you should do Middle Grades I or Young Adults II. Hard to resist dystopias!!
Tell me about it – you know I love me a dystopia.
I am also into the dystopia with the fantasy coming in a close second.
Young Adults II
I think it matters a little what your life is like right now. If you are super busy, you might want to choose a group dicussing books you have mostly already read; if you are looking to expand your horizons, you should choose a group discussing a lot of books you have never read (and read them before you go). If I was ready to read some books I wouldn’t normally, I would go with the fantasy one because I really want to know: why do people read fantasy?
I bet the childrens one would be super easy for you because it would be the least reading, but personally, I think I would be able to appreciate the books fully without expert intervention, so that one would be last on my list.
Young Adult II – Dystopias it is! I signed up today. I’ve read only 2 of the 5 books, but I think I should be able to manage reading the other 3. I chose this group because 1)it got the majority of votes, 2)I really do have a thing for a dystopia novel, so maybe now I’ll find out why, and 3)Lois Lowry is the keynote speaker in the morning, so I’m hoping she’ll come to this group in the afternoon since her book is one of the ones featured. I may just have to buy myself a copy of The Giver in case she’s inclined to autograph books.