CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
Alice Bliss – Harrington, Laura (2013 choice for One Town/One Book)
Staff: Amy Balisciano, Lynn Taillon, Steve Trifone, Sue Zwick and Greg Ferry Event: Author Laura Harrington will visit CHS students during the day on November 7 and at an evening event as well.
Alice Bliss, whose father has been deployed to Iraq, struggles to cope with his absence while falling in love with the boy next door and navigating her complicated relationship with her mother.
And The Mountains Echoed - Hosseini, Khaled
Staff: Eileen Dunham, Ann Wellspeak, and Ian Wildermann Event: TBD
The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most.
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Stein, Garth
Staff: Sarah Redford with Judy Xu (NEHS Student) Event: Discussion and Pet Walk (see Ms. Redford to sign up)
Enzo, the dog of professional race car driver Denny Swift, recalls the memories of his life and shares his insight into the human condition that he learned from observing his owner.
Avatar: The Last Air Bender- The Promise (parts 1-3) - Yang, Gene Luen
Staff: Megan Weingart Event: Discussion on how well this book continues with the TV shows original feel and how the story line connects with the current sequel which is the legend of Korra; also, party with the cultural food from the show (something from each of the four nations) and watch either the Avatar finale or the first few episodes of legend of Korra. We would do this the first few days of school.
Aang's Harmony Restoration Movement has Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei on the verge of war over the forced removal of Fire Nation colonists from their homes in the Earth Kingdom. While Aang and Katara work for peace between the two, Toph and Sokka prepare her metalbending school for possible war against the firebenders.
The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club - McNeil, Gil
Staff: Megumi Yamamoto, Erin Griffiths Event: Gathering at Megumi's house complete with knitting lessons
After her husband dies in a plane crash, one week after revealing that he wanted a divorce, Jo Mackenzie packs up her London home and children to move back to her seaside hometown, where she adjusts to live as a single parent while working in her grandmother's knitting shop.
Page 1 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives - Couric, Katie
Staff: Donna Carbone, Vanessa Montorsi, Michelle Piazza Event: Meet at Cheshire Coffee after school in late August/beginning of September to discuss the book
News anchor Katie Couric presents a collection of essays in which prominent individuals, such as Meryl Streep, Suze Orman, Drew Brees, Condoleeza Rice, and Steven Spielberg, offer lessons about life and reflects on the advice she has been given and missteps she has taken.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers - Boo, Katherine
Staff: Tim Galvin Event: TBD
Katherine Boo spent three years among the residents of the Annawadi slum, a sprawling, cockeyed settlement of more than 300 tin-roof huts and shacks in the shadow of Mumbai’s International Airport. From within this “sumpy plug of slum” Boo unearths stories both tragic and poignant--about residents’ efforts to raise families, earn a living, or simply survive. These unforgettable characters all nurture far-fetched dreams of a better life. As one boy tells his brother: “Everything around us is roses. And we’re like the s**t in between.”
Beyond Outrage: What Has Gone Wrong with Our Economy and Our Democracy, and How to Fix It - Reich, Robert
Staff: Leslie Paier Event: Discussion with pizza
In this timely book, Robert B. Reich argues that nothing good happens in Washington unless citizens are energized and organized to make sure Washington acts in the public good. The first step is to see the big picture. Beyond Outrage connects the dots, showing why the increasing share of income and wealth going to the top has hobbled jobs and growth for everyone else, undermining our democracy; caused Americans to become increasingly cynical about public life; and turned many Americans against one another. He also explains why the proposals of the “regressive right” are dead wrong and provides a clear roadmap of what must be done instead.
Bossy Pants – Fey, Tina
Staff: Sarah Redford, Megumi Yamamoto with Zoe Sheehan and Taylor Bond (NEHS Students) Event: Discussion and Comedy Show at Funky Monkey (see Ms. Redford to sign up)
Actress Tina Fey recounts her life, sharing how she managed to fulfill her dream of one day becoming a comedian on television and discussing her childhood, marriage, career, and views on beauty, politics, motherhood, and relationships.
Boy 21 - Quick, Matthew
Staff: Rachel Bevins, Lynn Taillon Event: Food and discussion; location TBD
Finley, an unnaturally quiet boy who is the only white player on his high school's varsity basketball team, lives in a dismal Pennsylvania town that is ruled by the Irish mob, and when his coach asks him to mentor a troubled African American student who has transferred there from an elite private school in California, he finds that they have a lot in common in spite of their apparent differences. Page 2 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
Cross Roads - Young, William P.
Staff: Lori Albino Event: TBD
Anthony Spencer is egotistical, proud of being a self-made business success at the peak of his game, even though the cost of winning was painfully high. A cerebral hemorrhage leaves Tony comatose in a hospital ICU. He 'awakens' to find himself in a surreal world, a 'living' landscape that mirrors dimensions of his earthly life. It is here that he has vivid interactions with others he assumes are projections of his own subconscious, but whose directions he follows nonetheless with the possibility that they might lead to authenticity and perhaps, redemption. The adventure draws Tony into deep relational entanglements where he is able to 'see' through the literal eyes and experiences of others, but is "blind" to the consequences of hiding his personal agenda and loss that emerge to war against the processes of healing and trust.
The Crystal Cave (The Arthurian Saga, Book 1) - Stewart, Mary
Staff: Meg Weingart Event: TBD
Merlin, the son of a Welsh princess, survives a perilous childhood on his way to fulfill his destiny as mentor, advisor, and friend to King Arthur.
Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child - Spitz, Bob
Staff: Courtney Bedocs, Ginger Swan, Ann Wellspeak Event: Discussion with French desserts and clips from "Julie and Julia" movie
Bob Spitz takes us beyond the image of Julia as the tall, eccentric woman with a funny voice who taught America how to cook, to establish her as a genuine rebel and beloved icon, a woman who redefined herself in middle age, helped to change the role of women in America, set the standard for how to create a public personality in the modern media world, and altered the way America eats and thinks of food.
Dirty Little Secrets - Omololu, Cynthia Jaynes
Staff: Kristin Pelz and Lynn Criscuolo Event: We will meet after school in September- to discuss the Author, Author’s blog, and discuss one of the Author’s sentiments “why our family doesn’t fit.”
When her unstable mother dies unexpectedly, sixteen-year-old Lucy must take control and find a way to keep the long- held secret of her mother's compulsive hoarding from being revealed to friends, neighbors, and especially the media.
Don't Put Me In, Coach: My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench. - Titus, Mark
Staff: Scott Detrick and Sue Bavone Event: Blog and Breakfast with the Superintendents (w/Greg Florio's Group)
This book will give readers an uncensored and uproarious look inside an elite NCAA basketball program from Titus's unique perspective. In his four years at the end of the bench, Mark founded his wildly popular blog Club Trillion, became a hero to all guys picked last, and even got scouted by the Harlem Globetrotters. Mark Titus is not your average Page 3 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
basketball star. This is a wild and completely true story of the most unlikely career in college basketball. A must-read for all fans of March Madness and college sports!
Flight Behavior: A Novel - Kingsolver, Barbara
Staff: Sarah Redford, Megumi Yamamoto Event: Hike, discussion and snacks on August 19th
Tired of living on a failing farm and suffering oppressive poverty, bored housewife Dellarobia Turnbow, on the way to meet a potential lover, is detoured by a miraculous event on the Appalachian mountainside that ignites a media and religious firestorm that changes her life forever.
Fly Away - Hannah, Kristin
Staff: Maureen Reed Event: TBD
Tully Hart has always been larger than life, a woman fueled by big dreams and driven by memories of a painful past. She thinks she can overcome anything until her best friend, Kate Ryan, dies. Tully tries to fulfill her deathbed promise to Kate —-to be there for Kate’s children—-but Tully knows nothing about family or motherhood or taking care of people.
For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History - Rose, Sarah
Staff: Julie Barker Event: Tea tasting event at CHS in the fall
In 1848, the British East India Company, having lost its monopoly on the tea trade, engaged Robert Fortune, a Scottish gardener, botanist, and plant hunter, to make a clandestine trip into the interior of China—territory forbidden to foreigners —to steal the closely guarded secrets of tea horticulture and manufacturing.For All the Tea in Chinais the remarkable account of Fortune's journeys into China—a thrilling narrative that combines history, geography, botany, natural science, and old-fashioned adventure.
If I Lie – Jackson, Corinne and I am J – Myracle, Lauren
Staff: Diann Milone, Amy Balisciano Event: Students may read 1 or both; GLBT themes; discussion at coffee house after start of school.
If I Lie: Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Shunned by everyone she knows, Quinn loses her friends, her reputation, and her identity. Because Carey’s not just any guy— he’s a Marine who’s serving overseas, and beloved by everyone in their small, military town. But Quinn didn’t cheat. She could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. So she stays silent, and waits for Carey to come home.
I am J: J, who feels that he is a boy who was mistakenly born a girl, hides who he is from his family and the world, but after he loses his best friend, J decides to stop hiding, whatever the cost.
Illustrated Books – Various authors
Staff: Laurie Vicario, Michael Earley See attached sheet for details
Page 4 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
Page 5 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
The Inferno - Brown, Dan
Staff: Corri Pelletier Event: TBD
In his international blockbusters The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown masterfully fused history, art, codes, and symbols. In this riveting new thriller, Brown returns to his element and has crafted his highest-stakes novel to date. Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon finds himself on the run in Florence and in possession of a series of codes, created by a brilliant scientist obsessed with Dante's classic poem "The Inferno," that may unlock a terrifying secret that could devastate life on earth.
The Last Lion, Winston Spencer Churchill, Defender of the Realm, 1940 – 1965 - Manchester, William and Paul Reid
Staff: Pam Missal Event: TBD
Biography of Winston Churchill covering the years 1940-1965, focusing on his time as prime minister, organizing military response, defense, and last years.
Lean In - Sandberg, Sheryl
Staff: Maureen Reed Event: TBD
Sandberg's (COO, Facebook.com) experience as a woman in the workforce began with her time as an early employee at Google before she held the position of chief of staff at the U.S. Treasury Department. In light of her enormous successes, Sandberg's awareness of how few women hold positions of power in today's companies has increased her determination to help women advance. This book offers her take on ways for women to improve their situation, such as being more self-confident, acquiring a mentor, remaining engaged, getting more help at home, etc.
The Night Circus – Morgenstern, Erin Staff: Megumi Yamamoto and Barb Canning Event: Discussion and snacks the first week back at school
A circus known as Le Cirque des Reves features two illusionists, Celia and Marco, who are unknowingly competing in a game to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters, and as the two fall deeply and passionately in love with each other, their masters intervene with dangerous consequences.
No Easy Day: The Autobiography of a Navy SEAL: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden - Owen, Mark
Staff: Jeff Solan Event: We will have lunch and watch the documentary "Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden". This will take place on 8/8/13 at CHS from noon-2:30pm.
A memoir of a former member of Navy SEAL Team 6 about his career in the military, including his firsthand account of the successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden.
Page 6 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
Our World and Beyond and Back: The Psychic's Guide to the Other Side - Sylvia Browne
Staff: Theresa LeBrun Event: Food and Discussion TBA
The author, a renowned psychic, answers questions about how psychic energy works in the world, how it impacts everyday life, and how people can tap into the power of psychic energy.
Outliers - Gladwell, Malcolm
Staff: Greg Florio, Superintendent of Schools Event: Breakfast with the Superintendent on August 15 at 8 a.m.
The author explores why some people are high achievers and others are not, citing culture, family, and upbringing as possible reasons some people are not as successful as others.
Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational Story - Blanco, Jodee
Staff: Jennifer Thompson Darcy, Miranda Wheeler, and Rick Sansoucy Event: Discussion around bullying prevention and response to the book. We will then focus on how lessons introduced in the book can be applied to the students’ lives here at CHS; Guidance conference center 1st or 2nd week of school.
The author, a victim of bullying, provides an account of her miserable school career, telling how her experiences as an outcast affected her life, and sharing her perspective on the events as an adult.
Power of One - Courtenay, Bryce
Staff: Rachel Bevins Event: August discussion
A boy in South Africa during World War II, Peekay turns to two men, one black and one white, to show him how to find the courage to dream, to succeed, to triumph over a world when all seems lost.
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary - Winchester, Simon
Staff: Tom Manning, Joanne White Event: TBD
Explains how the "Oxford English Dictionary" was created and discusses the relationship between the editor and one of his most influential contributors, a psychotic murderer in one of England's cruelest asylums.
Proof of Heaven: a Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife - Alexander, Eben
Staff: Taryn DiSorbo Event: TBD
Dr. Alexander Eben discusses the near-death experience he had while he was in a coma.
Page 7 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
The Secret Life of Bees - Kidd, Sue Monk
Staff: Karen Sova Event: Watch the movie and have a discussion about how the book relates to the movie and symbolism
Fourteen-year-old Lily and her companion, Rosaleen, an African-American woman who has cared from Lily since her mother's death ten years earlier, flee their home after Rosaleen is victimized by racist police officers, and find a safe haven in Tiburon, South Carolina, at the home of three beekeeping sisters, May, June, and August.
The Storyteller - Picoult, Jody
Staff: Terry Morneault and Maureen Massucci Event: Meet after school the first week we get back to school; discussion and bakery treats!
Sage Singer must decide what to do after she begins a relationship with Joseph Weber and he makes a confession about his past to her. Picoult gracefully explores the lengths we will go in order to protect our families and to keep the past from dictating the future.
Summer Comic Book Club – Various Authors
Staff: Swanson, Matt Event: See attached sheet for details
Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel - Shteyngart, Gary
Staff: Dawn Demeo, Ralph Zingarella, Tom Manning, Lorraine Schumacher, and Sarah Redford Event: TBD
Thirty-nine-year-old Lenny Abramov, living in a society in which books are not valued, immortality is highly sought after, and America is in a credit crisis, falls in love with twenty-four-year-old Eunice Park and attempts to convince her that holding on to one's humanity in a cruel world is still important.
Trident K9 Warriors: My Tale From the Training Ground to the Battlefield with Elite Navy SEAL Canines [Hardcover] - Ritland, Michael and Gary Brozek
Staff: Steve Trifone, Judy Senft Event: TBD
Provides an inside look at the dogs that serve as highly trained K9 warriors doing detection and apprehension work in battlefield conditions as elite Navy SEAL canines, with anecdotes from the author's experience as a Navy SEAL and a trainer and supplier of working and protection dogs.
The Walking Dead (Books 3 & 4) - Kirkman, Robert
Staff: Rachel Bevins, Kim Christensen, Kristen Haase, and Michelle Kochiss Event: Discussion at school in September
Rick Grimes, his family, and the other survivors find a prison and decide it would be safe to hole up there, but they discover that the prison isn't exactly uninhabited and isn't so safe after all. (Vol. 3) Rick Grimes and the rest of the survivors continue to live in the prison, but relationships begin to shift and change, which alters things forever. (Vol. 4)
Page 8 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
Page 9 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
Wonder - Palacio, R.L.
Staff: Dan Lee, Ann Wellspeak Event: TBD
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunts and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.
Yes, Chef: A Memoir - Samuelsson, Marcus
Staff: Sarah Peters Event: Discuss the book & cook/share a meal.
World-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson chronicles his life, covering his birth in Ethiopia, his adoption into a Swedish family at age three, learning to cook from his Swedish grandmother, working at the most demanding and cutthroat restaurants in Switzerland and France, and the opening of the beloved Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem.
Zeitoun - Eggers, Dave
Staff: Chris Brown, Director – Pupil Personnel Service Event: Our group will include a former CHS student who graduated from Fairfield University in 2012 and made two trips to New Orleans doing volunteer work while attending Fairfield. She witnessed firsthand the personal and physical aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She also had the opportunity to meet Dave Eggers and hear about his perspective on what occurred in New Orleans after the hurricane. We will most likely have a pizza dinner when we discuss the book in late afternoon or early evening. The date for our discussion is planned for late July.
Details the experiences of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian-American and New Orleans resident, and his family, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and describes how he was arrested and falsely imprisoned because of his ethnicity.
Page 10 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
Illustrated Book Club – Sponsors: Michael Earley and Laurie Vicario
We are hosting an illustrated book discussion and field trip. We will bring a collection of our favorite illustrated books and would like the students joining us to bring their favorites. The group will travel on a field trip to the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, MA the week of August 12th-16th; transportation will be provided. Students should bring their lunch; there is a lovely area for a picnic. Everyone will share their favorite book and discuss how the illustrations support the story. Cost for the event is $6 (fee for the museum).
Some of the illustrators and books being considered:
Graeme Base - The Eleventh Hour Tommie DePaola - Strega Nona Ezra Jack Keats - The Snowy Day David Macaulay - Black and White Jerry Pinckney - The Lion and the Mouse Patricia Polacco - Pink and Say Maurice Sendak - Where the Wild Things Are Dr. Seuss - How the Grinch Stole Christmas Chris Van Allsburg – The Polar Express David Wiesner –Tuesday
Page 11 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
Summer Comic Book Club – Sponsor: Matt Swanson
Since comics read very quickly and are usually ongoing stories instead of just one book I am going to present a selection of options that students can chose to read. I am going to run the club through Edmodo. I will give each student who wants to participate a class code. Each of the books will get a post from me to start and students can discuss and comment as they read each book. I will focus on collected editions to start but over the summer I will post additional issues or other collections that students might be interested in checking out. They can also post their finds to Edmodo and make recommendations to their fellow students. We will have party when we return to school.
Group Code: 8uzgfp
Titles
Severed by Scott Snyder & Scott Tuft, Art by Attila Futaki Genre: Independent, Horror In this horror story from Batman writer Scott Snyder, 12 year-old Jack Garron runs away from home to find his biological father, a wayward minstrel. Along the way he meets up with a traveling salesman whose winning smile hides horrifying truth. Suspenseful and creepy.
Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction Art by David Aja and Javier Pulido Genre: Superhero The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster Avengers film, Clint Barton - aka the self-made hero Hawkeye - fights for justice! With ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he's out to prove himself as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! SHIELD recruits Clint to intercept a packet of incriminating evidence - before he becomes the most wanted man in the world. You won't believe what is on The Tape! What is the Vagabond Code? Matt Fraction pens a Hawkeye thriller that spans the globe...and the darkest parts of Hawkeye's mind. Barton and Bishop mean double the Hawkeye and double the trouble...and stealing from the rich never looked so good. One of the past years best books and an Eisner Award nominee for 2013. The series continues in volume 2: Little Hits.
The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman Genre: Independent, Graphic Art As an act of violence spirals out of control to encompass the entirety of the news media, a cult has emerged from the errors and retractions that have ruined careers, marriages and even lives. Under direction from his cult master, The Hand leads an army of followers committed to revolution, willing to die for their cause. If you liked V for Vendetta check this out.
Runaways, Volume 1: Pride and Joy Genre: Teen Hero, Manga Inspired
Page 12 of 13 CHS Summer Book Clubs All annotations courtesy of Follett Library Resources (www.titlewave.com)
All young people believe their parents are evil ... but what if they really are? Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico - whose lives are about to take an unexpected turn. When these six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains, the shocked teens find strength in one another. Together, they run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy. The first season of this book continues into volume 2: Teenage Wasteland and volume 3: The Good Die Young.
Manhattan Projects volume 1: Science Bad by Jonathan Hickman Art by Nick Pitarra Genre: Independent, Alternate History, Sci-Fi What if the research and development department created to produce the first atomic bomb was a front for a series of other, more unusual, programs? The series continues in volume 2.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection by Ed Brubaker, Art by Steve Epting Genre: Superhero, Spy Read the story that inspired next year’s Captain America sequel! Cap is awakened in the dead of the night by agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., who need the kind of help only he can provide. But the corpse he finds on the Heli- carrier brings him face-to-face with the unthinkable, and opens doors to terror and manipulation he never dreamed possible! The questions plaguing Captain America's dreams and memories have been answered in the most brutal way possible. And in the wake of this brutality, General Lukin makes his first all-out assault - tearing open old wounds and threatening to make new scars that will never heal!
Batman volume 1, The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder Art by Greg Capullo Genre: Superhero Following up last summer’s collection, Batman The Black Mirror, Scott Snyder brings Bruce Wayne back to the cape and cowl. After a series of brutal murders rocks Gotham City, Batman begins to realize that perhaps these crimes go far deeper than appearances suggest. As the Caped Crusader begins to unravel this deadly mystery, he discovers a conspiracy going back to his youth and beyond to the origins of the city he's sworn to protect. Could the Court of Owls, once thought to be nothing more than an urban legend, be behind the crime and corruption? Or is Bruce Wayne losing his grip on sanity and falling prey to the pressures of his war on crime? The story continues in The City of Owls
I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly Art by J.M. Ken Nimura Genre: Independent Barbara Thorson, a girl battling monsters both real and imagined, kicks butt, takes names, and faces her greatest fear in this bittersweet, coming-of-age story called "Best Indy Book of 2008" by IGN.
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