BOOKS WE HAVE DISCUSSED

Illustration by Nancy Hayashi

March 2007--The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

April 2007--The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, and John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith.

May 2007--Small Steps, Louis Sachar's sequel to Holes, and The Cats of Kasinski Square by Karen Hesse

June 2007--Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson and The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordecai Gerstein

September 2007--The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales, and the picture book, Coming on Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson

October 2007--Hattie Big Sky, a 2007 Newbery Honor Book by Kirby Larsen and The Gruffalo, a picture book by Julia Donaldson

November 2007--The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

December 2007--Firegirl by Tony Abbot, and The Bat Boy and His Violin by Gavin Curtis

January 2008--The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2007 National Book Award Young Adult winner) and Why War is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker.

March 2008-- Invisible Enemies by Jeanette Farrell, and for the picture book we will be discussing Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen

April 2008-- Escape!: the story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman

June 5, 2008 – Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz and The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages.

August 14, 2008 –  Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (Newbery Award winner) and A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

September 18, 2008 – Minders of Make Believe by Leonard Marcus

October 23, 2008 – Freddy the Politician by Walter Brooks, and for our picture book: A Woman for President: the Story of Victoria Woodhull by Kathleen Krull

December 11,m 2008 – Copper Sun by Sharon Draper and for our picture book, Badger's Fancy Meal by Keiko Kasza.

January 15, 2009 – Freak Show by James St. James and for our picture book, Hula Lullaby by Erin Eitter Kono

March 5, 2009 – What I Saw and How I Lied, by Judy Blundell, and for our picture book: Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City, by Janet Schulman and Meilo So.

April 2, 2009 –  Paper Towns by John Green and for our picture book, Brave Potatoes by Toby Speed.

May 7, 2009 – Twilight by Stephanie Meyer and Twenty-one Elephants and Still Standing by April Jones Prince.

June 4, 2009 – I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier and “favorites” by Kevin Henkes.

August 27, 2009 – Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson and We Are the Ship: Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

October 8, 2009  -- The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Joyce Sidman and
Red Sings from Treetops by Jacqueline Kelly

November 5, 2009 –  Pure by Terra Elan McVoy and Let’s Do Nothing by Tony Fucile

January 7, 2010 – The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by Chris Barton and Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman

February 4, 2010 – The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt and Tar Beach
by Faith Ringgold

March 11, 2010 – Cosmic & Wallace’s Lists by Barbara Bottner

April, 2010 – (no meeting)

May 20, 2010 – Dreamland  by Sarah Dressen and Strange Mr. Satie by M.T. Anderson

July 8, 2010 – I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President  by Josh Lieb, The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, and Olivia by Ian Falconer

August 5, 2010 – Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, and Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle

September 16, 2010 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, and Wump World by Bill Peet

October 21, 2010 – Countdown by Debbie Wiles, and I Love Bugs by Emma Dodd and I Love Bugs by Philemon Sturges (we will be comparing them)

December 9, 2010 – When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, and for picture books, we will all be sharing our favorite holiday books.

January 13, 2011 – One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia and The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee

February 17, 2011 – The Dreamer: a Novel by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Chowder  by Peter Brown

March 31, 2011 – The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson and Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Kahn

May 5, 2011 – Rules by Cynthia Lord and Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

June 9, 2011 – Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen and Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill

July 7, 2011 – Warp Speed by Lisa See and Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton

August 11, 2011 – One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin (for the picture book, we will be sharing favorites)

September 8, 2011 – Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool and 13 Words by Lemony Snicket

October 6, 2011 – Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg and Me, Frida by Amy Novesky + Frida by Jonah Winter (a comparison)

November 3, 2011 – Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Jennifer Choldenko and
Come On, Rain by Karen Hesse

December 8, 2011 – Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen and Eats, Shoots and Leaves (the picture book) by Lynne Truss

January 26, 2012 – If I Stay by Gayle Forman and Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, illus. by Kadir Nelson.

March 15, 2012 – Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford

April 12, 2012 – An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo and Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

May 10, 2012 – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett

June 28, 2012 -- Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos and Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet

July 26, 2012 – Julie of the Wolves  by Jean Craighead George and Drawing from Memory by Allan Say

September 20, 2012 – The Dog Tag Summer  by Elizabeth Partridge and
    Applesauce Summer by Eden Ross Lipson

November 1, 2012 – Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai and The
     Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

December 6, 2012 – Son by Lois Lowry and Zen Shorts by John Muth

January 17, 2013 -- Wonder by R.J. Palacio and  On the Night You Were Born byNancy Tillman

February 21, 2013 -- Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and Noah and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris

March 28, 2013 --  WORTH by A. La Faye and OLD ROBERT AND THE SEA-SILLY CATS by Barbara Jooss.

May 9, 2013 -- THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate  and BIG MEAN MIKE by Michelle Knudsen

June 27, 2013 -- ICEFALL by Matthew Kirby and INFINITY AND ME by Kate Hosford

August 8, 2013 --ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell and IF I BUILT A CAR by Chris Van Dusen

September 19, 2013 -- THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray and ART AND MAX by David Wiesner. 

October 24, 2013 -- LIZARD MUSIC by Daniel Pinkwater. and BEAR HAS A STORY TO TELL by Philip C. Stead.

December 5, 2013 -- BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE by Eugene Yelchin and THE CHRISTMAS CROCODILE by Bonnie Becker.

January 9, 2014 -- THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT by Drew Daywalt and DOLL BONES by Holly Black.

February 13, 2014 -- 

Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, by Jeanette Winter

Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya, by Donna Jo Napoli, illust. by Kadir Nelson

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, by Claire A. Nivola

Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton, illustrataed by Sonia Lynn Sadler

March 20, 2014 --

The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohat

Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales

April 24, 2014--
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller  

June 26, 2014
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan.
Elizabeti's Doll by S. A. Bodeen. 

July 31, 2014

This Song will Save Your Life by Leila Sales.

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins.

September 4, 2014
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

October 9, 2014
The Streak: How Joe Di Maggio Became America's Hero by Barb Rosenstock. 
Freedom Summer: the 1964 Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi by Susan Goldman Rubin

December 11, 2014
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
Locomotive by Brian Floca

January 15, 2015
 Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
 The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee

March 5,  2015
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
The Scarebird by Sid Fleischman
Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant

April 2, 2015
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Paula Bunyan by Phyllis Root

May 28, 2015
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
 A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Dessert by Emily Jenkins

July 2, 2015 
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt (2008)

I Feel Five (2014) 

August 6, 2015
Echo-A Novel by Pam Munoz Ryan
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty 

September 3, 2015
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming
One plastic bag : Isatou Ceesay and the recycling women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul

October 28, 2015
Revolution by Deborah Wiles
Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonitiuh

December 10, 2015
Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen.
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jennifer Bryant; illus. by Melissa Sweet

January 21, 2016
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
Waiting by Kevin Henkes

February 25, 2016
The Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin
Last Stop of Market Street by Matt de la Pena

March 31, 2016
Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

April 28, 2016
The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
H.O.R.S.E. by Christopher Myers

May 26, 2016
Found by Salina Yoon
Pax by Sarah Pennypacker 

June 30, 2016
Snappsy the Alligator by Julie Falatko
Wild Horse Scientists by Kay Frydenborg 

August 4, 2016
Jacob's New Dress by Sarah Hoffman
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

September 8, 2016
President Squid by Aaron Reynolds
Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father's Secret Children

October 13, 2016
Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick
Paperboy by Vince Vawter

November 10, 2016
The Book Itch Freedom, Truth, and Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (2015).
The Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett (2010).

December 15, 2016
Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie (2016)

January 19, 2017
The Best Man by Richard Peck
Rifka Takes a Bow by Betty Rosenberg Perlov

March 2, 2017
Booked by Kwame Alexander
The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window, by Jeff Gottesfeld, illus. by Peter McCarty 

April 27, 2017
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy
Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet 

June 8, 2017
Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Bang by Barry Lyga 

July 13, 2017
Time for (Earth) School, Dewey Dew by Leslie Staub
Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman

August 17, 2017
City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illus. by John Muth
The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers

September 28, 2017
Nanette's Baguette by Mo Willems (2016)
Full of Beans by Jennifer Holm (2017)

November 2, 2017
My Favorite Pets: by Gus W. for Ms. Smolinski's Class by Jeanne Birdsall (2016)
Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder (2017)

December 13, 2017
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin (2017)
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (2016

January 25, 2018
Leave me Alone by Vera Brosgal (2016)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017)

March 15, 2018
Teacup by Rebecca Young (2016)
Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko (2015)

April 12, 2018

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper (2017).

Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz (2017).

May 24, 2018
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly (2017)
Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell (2017)

June 21, 2018
Ghost by Jason Reynolds (2017)
The Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater, illustrated by the Fan brothers 

August 16, 2018
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers (2017)
Ahimsa by Supriya Keljar (2017)

September 20, 2018
The Cambodian Dancer: Sophany's Gift of Hope by Daryn Reicherter (2015)
The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez (201
 

October 25, 2018
Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten by Laura Veirs (2018)
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (2017)

December 6, 2018
The Funeral by Matt James (2018)
Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen (2017)

January 17, 2019
drawn together [sic] by Minh Le and Dan Santat (2018)  

Once You Know This by Emily Blejwas (2017)

May 9, 2019

The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros (2018). 

How they Croaked by Georgia Bragg & Kevin O'Malley (2012).

June 13, 2019
Lights, Camera, Alice by Mara Rockliff (2018)

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art    Changed Science by Joyce Sidman (2018)

August 17, 2019
Dig by A.S. King
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

September 12, 2019
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes & Gordon C. James (2017).
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (2018). 

October 24, 2019
Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and His Muse by Alexandria Giardino (2018)
 Front Desk by Kelly Yang (2019)

   
January  30, 2020
Skulls by Blair Thornburgh
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

February 27, 2020
Undefeated by Kwame Alexander (2019)
Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech (2019)

March 26, 2020
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (2018) 
The Wish Tree by Katherine Applegate (2018)
 

July 6, 2020
Fearsome Giant, Fearless Child: A Worldwide Jack and the Beanstalk Story by Paul Fleischman (2019)
The Table Where Rich People Sit by Byrd Baylor (1998)

August 6, 2020 
BIG PAPA AND THE TIME MACHINE by Daniel Bernstrom
THE OLD TRUCK by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey

September 10, 2020
Brown Angels by Walter Dean Myers
The Vanderbeekers by Karina Yan Glaser

October 15, 2020
Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker (2019) 

Todos Iguales/All Equal -- A Ballad of Lemon Grove and the First Successful School Desegregation Case by Christy Hale (2019.)

 

November 12, 2020

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex (2016)

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (2019)

 

December 10, 2020

Bunny's Book Club by Annie Silvestro (2017) 

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (2020). 

January 14, 2021

Dancing Hands by Margarita Engel

Restart by Gordon Korman

February 18, 2021

Antiracist Baby by Ibram X Kendi (2020)

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (2020) 

 

March 18, 2021

I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott
Frankly in Love by David Yoon.

 

April 22, 2021

At the Mountain's Base by Traci Sorrell

The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio

 

May 27, 2021

Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani La Rocca (2019)

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Linstrom (2019)

 

July 1, 2021All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat (2020)

Outside In by Deborah Underwood (2020)

 

September 16, 2021

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

Biddy Mason Speaks Up by Laura Adkins, Arisa White and Laura Freeman 

October 28, 2021

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds (2017)

Strong as Sandow by Don Tate (2019) 

December 2, 2021

Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman

The Girl Who Named Pluto: Venetia Burney by 

January 20, 2022

The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg. (2018)

When Angels Sing: the Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana, by Michael James Mahin. (2018) 

 

February

Show me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte (2020)

Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper

 

March 31, 2022

THE PAPER KINGDOM by Helen Ku Rhee and ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Saenz

 

April 28, 2022

Double Bass Blues by Andrea Loney

When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods 

May 26, 2022

Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas (2021)

Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho; illustrated by Dung Ho (2021)

June 30, 2022

Watercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

 

August 4, 2022

When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham illustrated by C.G. Esperanza 

 

 September 8, 2022

 Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen

 They Went Left by Monica Hesse

 

October 13, 2022

A Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla by Azadeh Westergaard

 Meet Cute: Some People are Destined to Meet by Jennifer L. Arment

 

November 10, 2022

Papa Loves You, Baby Blue by Jo Empson

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

December 8, 2022

Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer

Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin

January 26, 2023

The Great Zapfino by Mac Barnett

The Watsons go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis

February 23, 2023

Curve and Flow: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams by Andrea Loney

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

March 30, 2023

Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup by Cynthia Rylant

Just Try One Bite by Adam Mansbach

 

April 27, 2023

Cougar Crossing by Meeg Pincus

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

June 15, 2023

Are You There, God, It's Me Margaret? by Judy Blume

Earth: My First 2.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty

July 13, 2023

My Little Sister and Me by Maple Lam

Red, White and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

August 18, 2023

The Secret Code Inside of You: All About Your DNA by Rajani LaRocca

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo

September 21, 2023

The Attack of the Black Rectangles by A.S. King

Nano: the Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small by Jess Wade

November 2, 2023

Smart Cookie by Elly Swartz

The Gardener of Alcatraz by Emma Bland Smith

December 14, 2023

Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman

Those Kids from Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly

February 1, 2024

Hot Dog by Doug Salati

A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner