Meeting to Discuss Sold

We finally met today to share our thoughts on Sold by Patricia McCormick. All of our members were moved by Lakshmi's experiences. We saw parallels between Sold and the Oscar winning movie, Slum Dog Millionaire. Some ideas and thoughts that were shared:
· Lakshmi was just a child when her stepfather sold her into prostitution.
· It was ironic that the name of the brothel was “Happiness House”.
· In the end, it was such a difficult decision for Lakshmi to leave the other girls behind.
· Some book club members found the ending frustrating and wanted to know about what happened to Lakshmi.
· Reading the prose style of writing was different and poetic.

Our next book...
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Next Meeting

Due to lots of craziness, our book club meeting has been postponed. We will meet to discuss Sold by Patricia McCormick on February 26, 2009 @ 3:00. If you haven't picked up a copy, come to the library to get one. It is a quick read. Sorry for the confusion! Hope to see you there!

Here is a brief summary from Booklist...
Lakshmi, 13, knows nothing about the world beyond her village shack in the Himalayas of Nepal, and when her family loses the little it has in a monsoon, she grabs a chance to work as a maid in the city so she can send money back home. What she doesn't know is that her stepfather has sold her into prostitution. She ends up in a brothel far across the border in the slums of Calcutta, locked up, beaten, starved, and drugged. In beautiful clear prose and free verse that remains true to the child's viewpoint, first-person, present-tense vignettes fill in Lakshmi's story. The brutality and cruelty are ever present ("I have been beaten here, / locked away, / violated a hundred times / and a hundred times more"), but not sensationalized.

Twilight Meeting

We had a great meeting yesterday! The discussion was thoughtful and interesting. It was fun to see the enthusiasm for the Twilight series from the Book Buzz members.

Here are a few discussion questions we covered:
Do you think Bella is a strong or weak young woman?
Is she a good role model for other young women?
If you can compare Twilight to a classic fairy tale, which would it be and why?
What is the significance of the cover art?
Were Bella's choices safe and/or smart?
Do you think Edward is too perfect? Why or why not?

Twilight Discussion

Our next meeting will be October 30, 2008 in the library right after school. Come join in the discussion...treats will be provided. We will also be passing our copies of our next book, Sold by Patricia McCormick.

Upcoming Meeting Dates

We will be meeting the last Thursday of every month, so our first meeting will be September 25th, right after school. At this meeting we will distribute our first book,Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and get acquainted. You are welcome to come even if you have already read the book to meet other Book Buzz buddies. We will then meet on October 30th to discuss Twilight. Halloween treats will be provided...YUM! Our second book will be Sold by Patricia McCormick. It will be distributed on October30th.

Our First Book

Our first book will be Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. With the movie coming out, lots of people are reading it right now. It is perfect for a pre-Halloween meeting. The actual date isn't set...stay tuned!

Recent Reads

I love summer because I can read, read, read! Here are a few of my summer reads...

My favorite: The Girls by Lori Lansens

Most compelling: Black Girl/White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

Most informative: The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin

Most disturbing: Sold by Patricia McCormick

Most depressing: Swallow the Ocean by Laura Flynn