Fledglings: The Broken Thread by Linda Smith

The Broken Thread by Linda Smith (paperback $12.95)

The March selection for our teen book club, Fledglings, was The Broken Thread by Linda Smith. 

Some of the comments included:

Liked the writing style.
Quite descriptive.
Idea of a taspestry appears in many mythologies.
Quite suspenseful in places.
Like the idea of how her hair binds them together.
Do the weavers not have their own thread in taspestry?
Interesting assumption that to rectify damage to taspestry she had to kill Ranjan.
Very satisfying that she was able to repair the damge without resorting to violence.
Sorry that there wasn’t another meeting with little brother.
Seemed to trade off little brother.
Interest in Daris was just enough to pique interest.
Ranjan’s change was believeable.  Really liked. 

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford (paperback, $9.99)

The April meeting for Fledglings will be on Tuesday the 19th at 4:30 pm.  The book up for discussion will be Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford. 

Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year’s Day to find himself in the hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Never mind the bandages on his wrists, clearly this is all a huge mistake. Jeff is perfectly fine, perfectly normal—not like the other kids in the hospital with him. They’ve got problems. But a funny thing happens as Jeff’s forty-five-day sentence drags on: the crazies start to seem less crazy. . . .

Fledglings is a book club for teens in Grades 9 to 12.  If you’re interested in joining Fledglings or one of our other clubs, check out the Book Clubs page on our main site, chat with us at the store, or just drop in to one of the meetings.

Published in: on March 16, 2011 at 11:38 am  Leave a Comment  
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Junior Owlets and 100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson

100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson, paperback, $7.99

For March, the Junior Owlets book club (Grades 3-6) read 100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson. 

Here’s what they thought at the end of the discussion:

Found the writing quite suspenseful, built the tension.
Some found it quite scary.
Humour offset the tension.
Really like the author’s writing style.
Ending left reader wanting more. 
Very exciting. 
Liked author’s description.
Cupboards were personified.
Characters were very well drawn.
Author’s description actually made you feel what was happening.
Beginning was slow, which was like the pace of the town, but action came on.
Epilogue was confusing.  Was it necessary?

Final score: 7.5555555 out of ten. 

Scream Street: Fang of the Vampire by Tommy Donbavand, paperback, $7.00

April’s Junior Owlets meeting will be on Saturday the 9th, starting at 9am.  The book up for discussion is the first in the Scream Street series, called Fang of the Vampire. 

Meet Luke Watson, reluctant werewolf and Scream Street’s latest arrival.  With his new friens Resus Negative (wannabe vampire) and Cleo Farr (tomboy mummy), Luke thinks Scream Street might just be somewhere he can call home.  However, there’s one small problem: his parents are terrified by their new neighbors.  Can Luke find the doorway back to the real world before they’re scared to death? 

Junior Owlets is a book club for kids in Grades 3 to 6.  If you’re interested in joining Juniors or one of our other clubs, check out the Book Clubs page on our main site, chat with us at the store, or just drop in to one of the meetings.

Published in: on March 9, 2011 at 4:41 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Senior Owlets and Airman by Eoin Colfer

Airman by Eoin Colfer, paperback, $10.25

This month’s selection for Senior Owlets was Airman by Eoin Colfer. 

Feel this should represent a new genre called Steam Air..
Unlike steampunk, the inventions are appropriate for the era.
Enjoy the writing style. 
The book was true to the era it represented. 
Lots of information about inventions during the Victorian Era. 
Moves slowly although there is lots of action. 
Pacing was different: lots of character development.
Liked the writing better than the Artemis Fowl series.
Connor was very well developed but had almost too many good traits.
Other characters fairly undeveloped. 

Final score: 7.4102952 out of 10. 

Genesis by Bernard Beckett, paperback, $11.95

The next Senoir Owlets meeting is Tuesday, March 1st at 4:30pm.  The book discussed with be Genesis by Bernard Beckett. 

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the novel takes the form of an examination undergone by young Anaximander, as she prepares to enter an enigmatic institution known simply as The Academy…

Senior Owlets is a book club for kids in Grades 6 to 9.  If you’re interested in joining Seniors or one of our other clubs, check out the Book Clubs page on our main site, chat with us at the store, or just drop in to one of the meetings.

Published in: on February 9, 2011 at 6:29 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Fledglings and Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling by Kristin Cashore, paperback, $11.99

This month, the Fledglings read Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Would have liked better character names.
Liked the characters.
Drawn in at the beginning, but found it dragged in places.
Was the romance really necessary…
…yes, to make Katsa grow.
Felt the ending was rushed.
Glad to hear there is a continuation.
Really liked the characters.
Good build-up of tension.
Really enjoyed lesser characters. 
Representation of evil was fabulous.
Stories within stories.
Idea of Graces added depth to characters.

Final score: 6.9142842 out of 10.

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner, paperback, $10.99

The next Fledglings meeting is Tuesday, February 22nd at 4:30pm, when the group will discuss Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner, which is a story of Nefertiti. 

Fledglings is a book club for teens in Grades 9 to 12.  If you’re interest in joining Fledglings or one of our other clubs, check out the Book Clubs page on our main site, chat with us at the store, or just drop in to one of the meetings.

Published in: on January 19, 2011 at 3:34 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Senior Owlets and Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, paperback $12.99CAN

The January selection for Senior Owlets was Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. 

Here are some of the comments that came up:
Well written.
Interesting characters.
Liked the view of history.
Good introduction to steampunk fiction.
Liked the slang language.
Alek and Deryn were very realistic.
Liked the changing point of view.
Liked the science aspect and how Westerfeld stretched it.
Interesting use of Darwin’s theories. 
Interesting storyline.
Enjoyed how the action moved the story and developed the characters.

Final score out of 10: 8.7082222

Senior Owlets is a book club for kids in Grades 6 to 9.  If you’re interested in joining Seniors or one of our other clubs, check out the Book Clubs page on our main site, chat with us at the store, or just drop in to one of the meetings.

Published in: on January 5, 2011 at 1:08 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Senior Owlets and Alanna by Tamora Pierce

This month, the Senior Owlets pick was Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. 

Comments included:
Liked the characters and the setting. 
Felt the plot at times was contrived.
Slow start, but picked up in the middle. 
Enjoyed the humour.
Idea of maiden warrior was a good one.
Very abrupt ending.
Some of the moments were not realistic.
Almost too much foreshadowing.
Other books such as Graceling are more powerful.
Writing style a bit symplistic.
Enjoyed Alanna learning to be a knight.
Well-defined characterization.

Final score: 7.4135805

Senior Owlets is a book club for kids in Grades 6 to 9.  If you’re interested in joining Seniors or one of our other clubs, check out our Book Clubs page on our main site, chat with us at the store, of just drop in to one of the meetings.

Published in: on December 15, 2010 at 2:21 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Junior Owlets report on The Magic Half by Annie Barrows

The Magic Half by Annie Barrows, paperback $7.50

This morning, Junior Owlets met to discussed their next selection of the year: The Magic Half by Annie Barrows*. 

With a final rating of 8.458333, The Magic Half  also gleaned the following comments:

Some confusion over names starting with the same letter.  Exciting.  Liked movement back and forth between 1935 and present day.   Beginning seemed slow, but did set up the problem.  Finding the lens was a surprise…sort of kick-started the action.  Loved the part when Miri and Molly scared Horst.  Sad when the story ended.  Really enjoyed.  Loved the characters.  Fast read.  Good use of tension.  Good use of magic and fairies.  Liked the characters. 

The next Junior Owlets meeting will be on Saturday, the 6th of November at 9:00am.  The book up for discussion is 100% Wolf by Jayne Lyons.

*Annie Barrows is more famous among grown-up readers for being half of the team behind The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Published in: on October 2, 2010 at 1:42 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Junior Owlets’ verdict on Gregor the Overlander

Saturday morning, our Junior Owlets braved the early hours to come together to discuss Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. 

With a final average rating of 8.290, Gregor also gleaned these comments:

Would have like to see mother’s reaction at end.  Lots of adventures.  Very well done. Boots was comic relief. Gregor was a great big brother. Liked adventure and humour. Slow beginning. Portal entry like many adventure stories.  Ending came very quickly. Would have liked it longer. Definite set up for sequels because of the Prophecy of Bane. 

Junior Owlets’ next meeting is Saturday, October 2nd, 2010.  We’ll be discussing The Magic Half by Annie Barrow. 

Are you interested in joining Junior Owlets or one of our other bookclubs?  We have more information on our main site.

Published in: on September 13, 2010 at 1:45 pm  Leave a Comment  
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