How exciting! We made the front page of the Passaic Valley Today newspaper. Tina Pappas wrote a very nice article about our group. If you get a chance, check it out!
Mrs. Hoffman
Thursday, February 28, 2008
VOTE EXTENDED TO SATURDAY
I extended the vote to Saturday, March 1st, 8:00 pm. Please try to pass the word along to everyone!
Mrs. Hoffman
Mrs. Hoffman
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Warning!!!
Everyone listen up! The poll for the book we are picking to read till the next meeting will end in just FIVE DAYS!!!! Only TWO people have voted! So, vote if you didn't and remind people if you see any members in the halls or in class!!
It's going to be a tough one. I have already changed my vote once, and I am trying to stop myself from changing it again. :D
TAG posters will be up around PV soon. Hopefully we might have some more new members in April. :]
It's going to be a tough one. I have already changed my vote once, and I am trying to stop myself from changing it again. :D
TAG posters will be up around PV soon. Hopefully we might have some more new members in April. :]
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Vote Begins Today
The poll is posted at the bottom of the blog. It will be open until February 28th at 8:00 pm. Please encourage all members to vote.
Book Summaries
Here are some short descriptions of the books chosen yesterday. Again, it's going to be tough!
Th1rteen r3asons why : a novel
Asher, Jay.
When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death. ~OPAC
Twilight
Meyer, Stephenie.
When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human. ~OPAC
Nobody's Princess
Friesner, Esther M.
Determined to fend for herself in a world where only men have real freedom, headstrong Helen,who will be called queen of Sparta and Helen of Troy one day, learns to fight, hunt, and ride horses while disguised as a boy, and goes on an adventure throughout the Mediterranean world. ~OPAC
Side Effects
Koss, Amy Goldman.
Everything changes for Isabelle, not quite fifteen, when she is diagnosed with lymphoma--but eventually she survives and even thrives. ~OPAC
Anne Frank and Me
Bennett, Cherie.
After suffering a concussion while on a class trip to a Holocaust exhibit, Nicole finds herself living the life of a Jewish teenager in Paris during the Nazi occupation. ~OPAC
Story of a Girl
Zarr, Sara.
In the three years since her father caught her in the back seat of a car with an older boy, sixteen-year-old Deanna's life at home and school has been a nightmare, but while dreaming of escaping with her brother and his family, she discovers the power of forgiveness. ~OPAC
Sloppy Firsts : a novel
McCafferty, Megan.
When her best friend, Hope, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, 16-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. Jessica is a fish out of water at school, a stranger at home, and now -- with the only person with whom she could really communicate gone -- more lost than ever. How is she supposed to deal with the boy-and-shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad's obsession with her track meets, and her nonexistent love life? Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica's predicament, from the dark days following Hope's departure to her hopelessly mixed-up feelings about the intelligent and mysterious bad-boy who works his way into her life. Sloppy Firsts is right in line with some of the great teen crossover works of popular culture, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and is sure to appeal to readers of all ages who appreciate the inherent humor of high school angst. ~OPAC
The Seeing Stone
Crossley-Holland, Kevin.
In late twelfth-century England, a thirteen-year-old boy named Arthur recounts how Merlin gives him a magical seeing stone which shows him images of the legendary King Arthur, the events of whose life seem to have many parallels to his own.~OPAC
At the Crossing-places
Crossley-Holland, Kevin.
In late twelfth-century England, the thirteen-year-old Arthur goes to begin his new life as squire to Lord Stephen at Holt, where crusaders ready themselves. ~OPAC
The Zero Game
Meltzer, Brad.
Wanna-be Washington power brokers devise a game in which staffers bet on which bills will become law and where money will be spent. The game turns deadly as its players become pawns, with the fate of the hero and the world resting in the hands of a teenaged intern. ~Amazon
If I Should Die Before I Wake
Nolan, Han.
As Hilary, a Neo-Nazi initiate, lies in a coma, she is transported back to Poland at the onset of World War II into the life of a Jewish teenager. ~OPAC
Having Our Say : the Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Delany, Sarah Louise.
In this remarkable and charming oral history, two lively and perspicacious sisters, aged 101 and 103, reflect on their rich family life and their careers as pioneering African American professionals. Brief chapters capture Sadie's warm voice ("Now, I was a 'mama's child' ") and Bessie's fiestiness ("I'm alive out of sheer determination, honey!"). The unmarried sisters, who live together, tell of growing up on the campus of a black college in Raleigh, N.C., where their father was an Episcopal priest, and of being too independent for the men who courted them. With parental influence far stronger than that of Jim Crow, they joined professions--Sadie teaching domestic science, Bessie practicing dentistry. In 1920s Harlem they mixed with black activists and later were among the first to integrate the New York City suburb of Mount Vernon. While their account of the last 40 years is sketchy, their observations about everything from black identity to their yoga exercises make them worthwhile company. ~Publisher’s Weekly
Th1rteen r3asons why : a novel
Asher, Jay.
When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death. ~OPAC
Twilight
Meyer, Stephenie.
When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human. ~OPAC
Nobody's Princess
Friesner, Esther M.
Determined to fend for herself in a world where only men have real freedom, headstrong Helen,who will be called queen of Sparta and Helen of Troy one day, learns to fight, hunt, and ride horses while disguised as a boy, and goes on an adventure throughout the Mediterranean world. ~OPAC
Side Effects
Koss, Amy Goldman.
Everything changes for Isabelle, not quite fifteen, when she is diagnosed with lymphoma--but eventually she survives and even thrives. ~OPAC
Anne Frank and Me
Bennett, Cherie.
After suffering a concussion while on a class trip to a Holocaust exhibit, Nicole finds herself living the life of a Jewish teenager in Paris during the Nazi occupation. ~OPAC
Story of a Girl
Zarr, Sara.
In the three years since her father caught her in the back seat of a car with an older boy, sixteen-year-old Deanna's life at home and school has been a nightmare, but while dreaming of escaping with her brother and his family, she discovers the power of forgiveness. ~OPAC
Sloppy Firsts : a novel
McCafferty, Megan.
When her best friend, Hope, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, 16-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. Jessica is a fish out of water at school, a stranger at home, and now -- with the only person with whom she could really communicate gone -- more lost than ever. How is she supposed to deal with the boy-and-shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad's obsession with her track meets, and her nonexistent love life? Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica's predicament, from the dark days following Hope's departure to her hopelessly mixed-up feelings about the intelligent and mysterious bad-boy who works his way into her life. Sloppy Firsts is right in line with some of the great teen crossover works of popular culture, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and is sure to appeal to readers of all ages who appreciate the inherent humor of high school angst. ~OPAC
The Seeing Stone
Crossley-Holland, Kevin.
In late twelfth-century England, a thirteen-year-old boy named Arthur recounts how Merlin gives him a magical seeing stone which shows him images of the legendary King Arthur, the events of whose life seem to have many parallels to his own.~OPAC
At the Crossing-places
Crossley-Holland, Kevin.
In late twelfth-century England, the thirteen-year-old Arthur goes to begin his new life as squire to Lord Stephen at Holt, where crusaders ready themselves. ~OPAC
The Zero Game
Meltzer, Brad.
Wanna-be Washington power brokers devise a game in which staffers bet on which bills will become law and where money will be spent. The game turns deadly as its players become pawns, with the fate of the hero and the world resting in the hands of a teenaged intern. ~Amazon
If I Should Die Before I Wake
Nolan, Han.
As Hilary, a Neo-Nazi initiate, lies in a coma, she is transported back to Poland at the onset of World War II into the life of a Jewish teenager. ~OPAC
Having Our Say : the Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Delany, Sarah Louise.
In this remarkable and charming oral history, two lively and perspicacious sisters, aged 101 and 103, reflect on their rich family life and their careers as pioneering African American professionals. Brief chapters capture Sadie's warm voice ("Now, I was a 'mama's child' ") and Bessie's fiestiness ("I'm alive out of sheer determination, honey!"). The unmarried sisters, who live together, tell of growing up on the campus of a black college in Raleigh, N.C., where their father was an Episcopal priest, and of being too independent for the men who courted them. With parental influence far stronger than that of Jim Crow, they joined professions--Sadie teaching domestic science, Bessie practicing dentistry. In 1920s Harlem they mixed with black activists and later were among the first to integrate the New York City suburb of Mount Vernon. While their account of the last 40 years is sketchy, their observations about everything from black identity to their yoga exercises make them worthwhile company. ~Publisher’s Weekly
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Lunar Eclipse Today!
I know this has nothing to do with the book club, but I just thought it was kind of interesting. There is going to be a lunar eclipse today, and you will also be able to see Saturn and the bright start Regulus!
Info from yahoo:
The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurs Wednesday night, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon.
Weather permitting, the total eclipse can be seen from North and South America. People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it high in the sky before dawn on Thursday.
As the moonlight dims — it won't go totally dark — Saturn and Regulus will pop out and sandwich the moon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo.
Wednesday's event will be the last total lunar eclipse until Dec. 20, 2010. Last year there were two.
The weather could be a spoiler for many in the United States. Cloudy skies are expected for most of the Western states with a chance of snow from the heartland to the East Coast, said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service.
Wednesday's total eclipse phase will last nearly an hour. Earth's shadow is expected to blot out the moon beginning around 7 p.m. on the West Coast and 10 p.m. on the East Coast. West Coast skygazers will miss the start of the eclipse because it occurs before the moon rises.
Unlike solar eclipses which require protective eyewear, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye.
Later this year, in August, there will be a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse.
---
~Happy Star Gazing!
Info from yahoo:
The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurs Wednesday night, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon.
Weather permitting, the total eclipse can be seen from North and South America. People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it high in the sky before dawn on Thursday.
As the moonlight dims — it won't go totally dark — Saturn and Regulus will pop out and sandwich the moon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo.
Wednesday's event will be the last total lunar eclipse until Dec. 20, 2010. Last year there were two.
The weather could be a spoiler for many in the United States. Cloudy skies are expected for most of the Western states with a chance of snow from the heartland to the East Coast, said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service.
Wednesday's total eclipse phase will last nearly an hour. Earth's shadow is expected to blot out the moon beginning around 7 p.m. on the West Coast and 10 p.m. on the East Coast. West Coast skygazers will miss the start of the eclipse because it occurs before the moon rises.
Unlike solar eclipses which require protective eyewear, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye.
Later this year, in August, there will be a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse.
---
~Happy Star Gazing!
Book discussion notes on Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Well, it was unanimous--Everybody loved the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.
We all thought that Melinda's parents should have realized that something was wrong with their daughter. Both librarians and students felt that Melinda should have had a relationship with her mother that would have allowed her to tell her mother what happened. One person said that she thought they had had a good relationship in the past as evidenced by the surroundings and "girly" decor of Melinda's room. One of the librarians thought that perhaps Melinda didn't feel she could tell her mother what happened because Melinda had allowed herself to get into a bad situation and was blaming herself for what happened and was embarassed or felt she had been really stupid. A number of people found it unbelievable that Melinda's parents didn't realize she had a problem, and several of our student book club members thought that a teacher should have picked up on the fact that Melinda had a problem. A couple of our librarian members pointed out that because she was a freshman, they may have just thought she was shy, and since she wasn't a behavior problem didn't bother to try to figure her out.
We all liked her art teacher, and realized that she grew through expressing herself through her art. As her inner self improved so did her artwork, and it was somewhat difficult to tell which was helping which at times.
We felt that her art class and the closet she fixed up for herself were safe havens. Nobody liked the fact that Melinda's best friend had dumped her over the summer without even asking for Melinda's side of the story.
We also really disliked the new girl in school who, when she got in with the popular crowd, pretty much dropped Melinda like a hot potato.
It was noted by many of the book club members that everybody in high school is just trying to be popular or fit in somewhere.
Everybody pretty well figured out early on in the book that Melinda had suffered some sort of trauma, but didn't know exactly what until a little later in the book.
A couple of our book club members wished that they could have spoken for Melinda.
We all thought there was also a lot of humor in the book that helped relieve the tension of the story and that the book would have been too dark without it.
Overall, a very satisfying read.
If anybody has anything else they wanted to say about the book, please add comments. The more, the merrier.
We all thought that Melinda's parents should have realized that something was wrong with their daughter. Both librarians and students felt that Melinda should have had a relationship with her mother that would have allowed her to tell her mother what happened. One person said that she thought they had had a good relationship in the past as evidenced by the surroundings and "girly" decor of Melinda's room. One of the librarians thought that perhaps Melinda didn't feel she could tell her mother what happened because Melinda had allowed herself to get into a bad situation and was blaming herself for what happened and was embarassed or felt she had been really stupid. A number of people found it unbelievable that Melinda's parents didn't realize she had a problem, and several of our student book club members thought that a teacher should have picked up on the fact that Melinda had a problem. A couple of our librarian members pointed out that because she was a freshman, they may have just thought she was shy, and since she wasn't a behavior problem didn't bother to try to figure her out.
We all liked her art teacher, and realized that she grew through expressing herself through her art. As her inner self improved so did her artwork, and it was somewhat difficult to tell which was helping which at times.
We felt that her art class and the closet she fixed up for herself were safe havens. Nobody liked the fact that Melinda's best friend had dumped her over the summer without even asking for Melinda's side of the story.
We also really disliked the new girl in school who, when she got in with the popular crowd, pretty much dropped Melinda like a hot potato.
It was noted by many of the book club members that everybody in high school is just trying to be popular or fit in somewhere.
Everybody pretty well figured out early on in the book that Melinda had suffered some sort of trauma, but didn't know exactly what until a little later in the book.
A couple of our book club members wished that they could have spoken for Melinda.
We all thought there was also a lot of humor in the book that helped relieve the tension of the story and that the book would have been too dark without it.
Overall, a very satisfying read.
If anybody has anything else they wanted to say about the book, please add comments. The more, the merrier.
Secretary of foreign affairs needed
If you'd like to be our secretary of foreign affairs, (responsible for building and maintaining book club membership) post here and tell us why you're the best for the job.
Sergeant at arms--office open
If you think you can help our book discussion group maintain order when the discussions get too heated, or when just too many of us are talking at once, post here telling us why you're the best person for the job.
Duely noted--we need a secretary
If you're a good note-taker and would like to post our discussions to the blog, post a comment here telling us why you're the best person for the job.
So you want to be the president of TAG
If you would like to be the president or co-president of our book discussion group, please post information about yourself, why you would like to be elected to the position, and what you think you can do for the group.
BOOK DISCUSSION TODAY!
I can't believe today has finally arrived! In just one hour and forty five minutes we will hopefully all be engaged in a lively discussion about Laura Halse Anderson's "Speak." There are so many topics that we can discuss with this book and remember anything we can't get in at the meeting, we can continue on the blog. I added a website to our "Cool Teen Websites," it's called TeensHealth and has a lot of great topics that you may be interested in. See you all later!
Mrs. Hoffman
Mrs. Hoffman
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
BOOK DISCUSSION DATE SET
Just a reminder...we will be meeting on Wednesday, February 20th at 2:45 pm in the PVHS Library to discuss "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. Remember to bring your ideas and suggestions for future book discussions and activities.
Mrs. Hoffman
Mrs. Hoffman
Monday, February 4, 2008
Groundhogs & Romance
Hi all,
Just thought you might like to know that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Feb. 2nd and is predicticting 6 more weeks of winter. Staten Island Chuck, however, did not see his shadow and is prognosticating an early spring. Let's hope Chuck is right. Incidentally, the real reason the groundhogs come out this time of year is that they're looking for a mate.
With Valentine's Day coming up I hope you're looking for a date, too. If you need some inexpensive gift ideas for your special someone, try these:
1. Make some heart shaped cookies
2. Download a special song from i-tunes
3. Make a bookmark with hearts and love stickers
4. Decorate their locker.
5. I love you helium balloons
6. Write a LOVE poem
Just thought you might like to know that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Feb. 2nd and is predicticting 6 more weeks of winter. Staten Island Chuck, however, did not see his shadow and is prognosticating an early spring. Let's hope Chuck is right. Incidentally, the real reason the groundhogs come out this time of year is that they're looking for a mate.
With Valentine's Day coming up I hope you're looking for a date, too. If you need some inexpensive gift ideas for your special someone, try these:
1. Make some heart shaped cookies
2. Download a special song from i-tunes
3. Make a bookmark with hearts and love stickers
4. Decorate their locker.
5. I love you helium balloons
6. Write a LOVE poem
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