March Meeting

Beyond the Cherry Tree by Joe O' Brien

 

 

 

Josh Bloom is on a field trip with his class to Cherry Tree Manor; while the house and gardens are beautiful, what really interests the class is the fact that Manor's owner, General Edgar Pennington, disappeared mysteriously exactly twelve years to the day before their visit to the Manor …

To Josh, it seems like there's something spooky about the manor. None of the other kids feel it, but Josh seems more attuned to the house, which leads him to discover something in the General's library that sends him on an adventure of a lifetime.

Josh thinks he is on a journey to find the missing General, but soon discovers that it's his own destiny that he is really searching for … there are links between him and the missing General that he never could have guessed … Josh quest takes him to the enchanting land of Habilon, full of danger, excitement and magic.

Will he ever return from the land beyond the Cherry Tree?

 

 

Really great March meeting, we were lucky enough to have the author of the book we were reading for this month Joe O' Brien call in. Joe read some pieces from his book and told us about where he gets his ideas from and inspiration for his books and characters. We were able to ask lots of questions and it really brought the book to life

 

Also Check out Joe O' Brien's blog he mentioned his trip to Ballyroan Library in it. We loved

"Under the Cherry Tree"It has lots of very different characters and a fast moving story. Joe also has a series of books based on Alfie Green which are great and lots of our book club members have read them and are big fans

 

 

Meeting from the 26th of February

The Firework Maker's Daughter by Phillip Pullman

 

 

 

What Lila wants to be more than anything else in the world is . . . a Firework-Maker!

But firework-making is not just about being able to make Crackle-Dragons and Golden Sneezes. There is also one special secret: every Firework-Maker must make a perilous journey to face the terrifying Fire-Fiend!

Not knowing that she needs special protection to survive the Fire-Fiend's flames, Lila sets off alone. Her friends, Chulak and Hamlet - the King's white elephant - race after her. But can they possibly reach her in time?

Thanks to everyone for coming to our last meeting. Everyone who came along had read this book and I think enjoyed it. Really great story. We had a lot of discussion about where the book might be set but agreed on somewhere in Asia. Lila wants to be a firework maker like her dad and sets out on a trip to Mount Merapi to get the royal sulphur that she will need but doesn't realise what danger she is in. She has many adventures along the way while her friend Chaluk tries to save her...  Is Lila completely bonkers setting off to climb into a haunted volcano by herself? We thought so!

I think our book club would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something different to read, it contains magic and adventure and it's not a very long book so it can be read quite quickly.

After chatting about the book we did some crosswords based on the story and then we had a quiz. We divided up into two teams, well done to Alex's team who won by two points, very close!

If anyone is interested in reading more books by Phillip Pullman check out his website, he has also written some books for teens and adults. We have most of his children's books in the library.

Our next book for our March meeting is "Beyond the Cherry Tree" by Joe O'Brien.
For anyone who didn't get their copy yet  it is available from the library desk, just ask for the Junior Book Club Book

 

Also don't forget World Book Day is on Thursday 5th of March! Happy Reading

For our January meeting on the 15th we read "The Lion the witch and the wardrobe" by C.S Lewis

Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over sixty years.

Thanks to everyone who came along to our last meeting. We just want to say a goodbye to Charlotte who is going to be moving house, maybe  you can check out what we are reading through this blog.

"The lion the witch and the wardrobe" is a great read and  I think a lot of us really enjoyed this story. There are lots of interesting characters including the White Witch who was a favourite! Lucy first discovers the world of Narnia while hiding in a wardrobe in a big old house she and her brothers and sister have been sent to stay in during World War 2. She goes back and tells  Peter and Edmund and Susan all about it, but they don't believe her. Eventually they all get transported to Narnia through the wardrobe and find a magical land ruled by the evil White Witch!

The White Witch gives Edmund enchanted Turkish Delight to put a spell on him. We also had some magical Turkish delight of our own to get into the spirit of things ! Not everyone's favourite but fun to try

 

 

I also found some magical maps of Narnia in the library and in case anyone ever gets lost there we handed out copies

 

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in the Narnia series and some of us are going to try some of the other books. FYI many of the books have been made into movies.

 

Our book for next month is "The Firemaker's Daughter"  by Phillip Pullman, if anyone missed the last meeting and needs to pick up a copy please ask for it at the library desk. Our meeting next meeting  will be on  Thursday the 26th of February, see you then!