Would you like to become or remain a reading group member for Capitol Choices? Be sure to email the facilitator for whichever group you'd like to join. We are welcoming four new facilitators this year, so be sure to check the Join Us page to see who they are! As an added bonus you'll also find the 2012 meeting dates!
All are invited to attend a talk by E.Lockhart at the Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814 on Thursday Feb. 16, 5pm. Copies of her books will be for sale through an arrangement with Politics and Prose Bookstore. She will sign books after her talk.
Hazel’s father has left, creating emotional and financial hardships which force Hazel to leave her creativity-fostering school for one of multiple-choice tests and straight rows of desks. Here, though, she has her best friend and companion in magic and fantasy super-hero baseball games, Jack. But taunting classmates, Jack’s own family troubles and a mysterious shard of glass in the eye pull them apart. When Jack disappears, Hazel sets off on a journey through frozen woods populated with the Snow Queen and other characters from Andersen’s fairy tales to save him. Spell-inducing prose convincingly interweaves a harsh reality with perilous fantasy to evoke the power of love and friendship. Ten to Fourteen. Kathleen Neil
Already worried because Eighteen, her science project rat, has disappeared, eight-year-old Clementine is dismayed to learn that her perfect four-person family is about to become five. Things are changing too fast. Pennypacker continues to find new areas to explore in this popular middle-grade series about families, friendship, and sibling rivalry. Clementine's concerns about her mother's pregnancy are presented with understanding and sympathy, as is her lively but distractible nature at school. The first-person narrative introduces a new side of Clementine -- she wants to build things, like her dad does -- and a new friendship issue with Margaret's sudden interest in make-up . Frazee's line drawings show close family scenes as well as Clementine with her schoolmates. Both familiar and new, this would work just as well to introduce this appealing character as to satisfy those who are already fans. Seven to Ten
Since her father left before she was born, Pearl has always lived with her mother and grandmother. Granny has taught her that poems do not have to rhyme, and Pearl resents having to write them “with lots of rhyme and rhythm,” like her teacher, Miss Bruff, expects. Pearl has an especially difficult time with rhyme and feels no rhythm in her life now that Granny has become ill and no longer recognizes her. This story aptly captures Pearl’s feelings of loneliness as she faces the loss of her grandmother. Seven to Ten. Lynda Adamson
Serena shaw is grappling with so many issues: her family is attempting to cope with the sudden and accidental death of her mother and her children's book illustator father is sinking deeper and deeper into depression. The one thing that keeps Serena going is her drive to do well in her school's production of The Wiz and even that is compromised by the increasing responsibilities of caring for her younger brother and the uncertainty of her father's behavior. This contains many of the tried and true elements of middle school problem novels but placed in the cultural context of an African American family. Serena shows the resilience that so many younger teens are forced to find when the adults in the world either cannot or will not provide the supports they need. Ten to Fourteen.
Marno's beautiful narration of this modern wartime story brings listeners right into Yasmine's and Tamanna's world, celebrating the rugged beauty of the Afghan land and people while in the midst of both UN and Taliban occupation. Ages 14 and Up. - Paula Langsam
Jeffrey Alper is probably the most famous kid in his town. Even though eight years have passed, most still know him as the boy with leukemia. Now in remission, and eighth grade, Jeffrey is dealing with the aftermath of his cancer treatment and trying to navigate life as a teenager. Podehl embodies Jeffrey, obsessing equally over the new girl Lindsey, his older brother's sudden disappearance into Africa to "find himself", his parents' sudden fighting, as well as the real possibility he may never get out of the eighth grade. Fortunately Tad, Jeffrey's best friend, keeps him anchored to reality. Tad's acerbic voice and black humor is the perfect contrast to Jeffrey. This sequel to "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" stands on its own. Audio forTen to Fourteen. Paula Langsam
Ella and Zachary have always been friends and always been outsiders at school, Ella for her blotchy skin and Z for just being strange. Now they are sixth-graders and Ella longs for more friends and a more normal middle school experience. When a new student arrives, another African American like Ella, she wonders if he will join the others in avoiding them. Instead, Bailey, with his easy way of fitting in, reaches out to Ella, causing Zach to feel betrayed and to sink deeper into depression.
This is a beautifully written, if quiet story of fragile kids in fragile families, finding ways to navigate those issues as well as the normal growing pains. Strong follow-up to Magoon's first novel, a CSK/Steptoe winner.
A simple coming of age story. Alice has come to Sanibel Island for a week with her parents and she wants things to be just the same, but as her 10th birthday approaches she realizes that things change and while there are disappointments in life, there are also simple joys. While not much happens in terms of action, lots happens in terms of Alice's understanding of the world and the people around her. This title will appear on the June agenda. Edie Ching
An original musical score and sound effects enhance Jonathan Davis’s grave, confiding voice in this account of a young boy who moves to a small coastal village and realizes that something is wrong with his new home. When he and his sister befriend a local boy, the boy reveals their eerie connection to a nearby shipwreck and a sinister secret that threatens their lives.
Sisi Aisha Johnson's youthful voice perfectly embodies earnest twelve-year-old Delphine whose strong sense of self and big-sister
responsibilities help her understand more about their absentee mother and about the Black Panther Party she supports. Nimbly adjusting her inflection, Johnson also personalizes the other characters in this lively production.
