Mother Daughter Book Club #19

Summary: Harry Potter knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility. All he knows is a miserable life with his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley.But all that changes when a mysterious letter arrives with an invitation to a place that Harry finds unforgettable. For it's there that he finds the great destiny that's been awaiting him…if Harry can survive the encounter. -- Scholastic

Earlier today, The Tweeny Bookworms (and their moms) met to discuss the first book in the Harry Potter series, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE by J.K. Rowling. All of the girls seemed to love it -- except for one who just thought it was okay. We had a terrific discussion (thanks to our hostesses' questions), and I loved seeing how enthusiastic the girls were about this book.

To be honest, I was a little concerned about what we would talk about since I didn't think the Harry Potter book was necessary a "traditional" discussion book. I shouldn't have worried about out girls because they really came through! Most of the questions were drafted by one of our daughter members (who is a major Potter-head -- she loves the books and has read the first one 8 times!) One of the best parts of our discussion was talking about the author's use of the characters' names. We also talked a lot about Harry and what it would feel like to be him!

While all of the girls seemed to really enjoy the first Harry Potter, I thought it was interesting that a few of the girls still preferred THE LIGHTNING THIEF which we read last May. I wonder if it had something to do with reading THE LIGHTNING THIEF first, or whether some of the girls just preferred the mythology to the magic!

Next month, The Tweeny Bookworms will be reading the Newbery Award winner AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko. I just happened to buy this book a few weeks ago when I was considering it for our after-school book club. I have been wanting to read this book for awhile now, and I can't wait -- it looks terrific!

Summary: Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here. There's my sister, Natalie, except she doesn't count. And there are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cook's or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. Plus, there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to. -- Puffin