Book Clubs go Virtual

I’m excited to try this experiment of online conversation about books.

Tomorrow is the last day of school. Over the summer, this is a forum for us to “talk” about what we’ve been reading. By commenting on posts, you can participate in the conversation.

What books are on your reading list this summer?

'06-'07 Book Clubs Wrap up Face-to-Face

It’s hard to believe that the end of the school year is near. The 6th and 7th grade lunch bunch groups had our final meetings of the year yesterday.

The seventh graders talked about James Howe’s The Misfits. We had a really good discussion about what it means to be a misfit, how you find your niche, and comparing the environment at the school in the book with our school.

The sixth graders did a Caudill Round Table. Everyone in the group read at least one of the books from the 2008 Caudill list and reviewed it for the group. After hearing the reviews there are several books I am more excited about reading than from just looking at the cover on the shelf. (I know, I know I am not supposed to judge a book by its cover but it is really hard not to sometimes.)

The book clubs really went well this year.

I am anxious to see what kinds of discussions we have using this blog.

Final 8th Grade Meeting of the Year

It’s hard to believe it is the last 8th grade Lunch Bunch meeting of the year today. We’re going to watch the movie Speak after school today and compare it to Anderson’s book of the same name.

The book club formed last year after I came to Highland. Some participants have been part of the group since the beginning. We also added several new faces this year. I wish the members all the best as they graduate and move on to high school. One of the goals of this blog is to keep our conversations going even after school lets out for the summer.

Here’s a list of what this group has read and discussed over the past two years:

• September 05- Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
• October - Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss
• November - Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris
• January - So B. It by Sarah Weeks
• February - Son of the Mob by Gordan Korman
• March/April - Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
• May - Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
• October 06 - Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman
• November - Misfits by James Howe
• December - Book Club Round Table
• January - Blizzard’s Wake by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• February - Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville
• March - Real Time by Pnina Kass
• April - Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine - One Book, One Community
• May - Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

More soon on the response of the group to Speak

Welcome to the Blog

Welcome to the Highland Book Buzz blog.It’s the Highland Learning Center’s first blog.

Since summer break has nearly arrived, book clubs will start to meet virtually rather than in our monthly lunch time meetings. In this space we’ll talk books and authors.

Welcome and stay tuned!