Join other girls and their mothers or other caring adult for lively discussions, activities, and fun. Girls ages 8 to 16 are encouraged to join. Great Reads meets the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm. This program is free but requires registration. Please come call or come into the library to register and also to pick up a copy of the current book.

September 11, 2008
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.
Summary: In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity, and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes Mica High School forever.

October 9, 2008
The Wicked Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House by Mary Chase.

November 13, 2008
Christmas Oranges as retold by Linda Bethers
Summary: The only home little Rose has ever known is the orphanage and every Christmas a generous neighbor donates a box of oranges for the children. But on Christmas morning Rose is brokenhearted when she learns that there is no orange for her. However, Christmas is a time of friendship, love and of miracles.

January 8, 2009
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Summary: All his life Max had been called stupid until Freak came along - with a little body and a big brain. Together Max and Freak were unstoppable and were known as Freak the mighty.

This newly formed book group launches its first year with some exciting and popular reads. Join the group every last Thursday at 7 pm to discuss the book of the month. Everyone is welcome!

Download the schedule here.

Past BookEnders reading and discussion books:

September 27th - The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

This book is the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. It is a profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future where no hope remains, but in which a father and his son, “each other’s world entire,” are sustained by love. It is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of. The story will stay with you long after you have finished reading the book.

October 25th - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

This book, considered to be one of the first mysteries ever written, was published in 1860. It is noted for its suspenseful plot and unique characterization and was inspired by an actual criminal case. This was one of the most popular novels of the 19th century and helped shape the course of English writing. The story contrasts the plight of three optimistic youth against black-hearted villains who will stop at nothing to get what they want. It is a riveting classic that encompasses Victorian England, romance, drama and intrigue.

November 29th - The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

This is the powerful story of how a spur-of-the-moment decision can impact not only the person making the decision but also the lives of many others. It explores deception, family secrets, the influence of the past on the present, the human tendency to rationalize poor decisions and the tenuous nature of human connections. It is about a choice made without a mother’s knowledge that will impact her and reverberate within her life for a lifetime.

January 31 - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

This book presents a poignant view of the recent tortured decades of the Afghan experience. The story covers three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny through the lives of two women. Hosseini gives a forceful, yet subtle portrait of a patriarchal despotism where women are agonizingly dependent on fathers, husbands, and especially sons, the bearing of male children being the sole path to social status. It is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship and an indestructible love.

February 28 - Désirée by Annemarie Selinko

The passions and intrigues of Napoleon Bonaparte’s court are brought vividly to life through an unusual point of view: that of a merchant’s young daughter from Marseilles who became Napoleon’s fiancée and rose to become Queen of Sweden. This is a beautifully fictionalized true story rich in history and romance.

March 27 - The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

Four women rent a castle in Portofino, a remote Italian island, to try to come to grips with their lives and relationships. The women are alike only in the dissatisfaction with their own lives. They explore the differences in their personalities, reassess their goals and reexamine their relationships in a sisterly fashion. This is a novel about life and love and the ability to find joy in the simplest of ways.

April 24 - The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

This book is an intriguing account of a very dysfunctional family. Even though her circumstances as a child were unfortunate, the author writes a thoughtful and sensitive memoir using grace, kindness and a fabulous sense-of-humor. Many readers will find bits and pieces of their own childhood experiences as they read this tale of survival and eventual success.

May 29 - Atonement by Ian McEwan

This is a novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness. The major events of the story takes place on a hot summer day in 1935 where a single event moves a thirteen-year-old child to take steps that will alter the entire household’s lives forever. The author performs a compelling exploration of guilt and the struggle for forgiveness. The reader is forced to examine their own feelings about the subject and question whether something is unforgivable when it totally changes the life of another person. It engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that make it a genuine masterpiece.

The R.E.A.D. (Reading for Education and Discussion) Book Review Group at the Pleasant Grove City Library is a fun way to get introduced to new books and meet new people. From September to May, the group meets on the second Thursday morning of every month at 10:00 a.m. Come and join us. No registration is required.

May 8, 2008 - Age Proof Your Mind by Zaldy S. Tan, Your Memory: How it Works and How to Improve it by Kenneth Higbee and Learn Fast Remember More by David Gamon
{Reviewed by Camille Hadley}

These books are designed to help slow down memory loss or improve memory. The authors give information, resources and advice for improving short term memory and recognizing future problems. There are nutritional and exercise tips that are tried and true and new innovative ideas that are worth trying.

Past R.E.A.D. books:

September 13, 2007 - Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie
{Reviewed by Etta McQuade}

This is the story of the last Tsar and Tsarina of Imperial Russia. It was a bestseller over 30 years ago. The fact that it continues to be read and enjoyed to this day is a tribute to the author and his stellar job at bringing Russian history to life. He describes the tumultuous years of the Romanovs with sympathy and understanding.

Etta's recent trip to Russia will bring a unique perspective to her presentation.

October 11, 2007 - A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
{Reviewed by Yara Wilson}

These humorous stories take place in the 1930s and they introduce the reader to Grandma Dowdel who is as "old as the hills" and as "tough to boot." She is also quite a character, especially to her grandchildren Joey and Mary Alic who have many crazy and outrageous adventures when they come to stay with her.

November 8, 2007 - The Anguish and Adventure of Adversity: Finding Joy in the Journey
by Cheryl Carson
{Reviewed by Cheryl Carson}

Have you ever thought to be grateful for the adversity in your life? Cheryl Carson will show us how as she explains that adversity is a teacher which brings us new strength and wisdom. She writes, "The hollow suffering carves from the soul will someday be a receptacle for our joy. The pain will leave, but the beauty will last."

December 13, 2007 - Holiday Favorites

January 10, 2008 - Jane's Favorites

One of our favorite reviewers, Jane Robinson, will share one of her favorite books with the group.

February 14, 2008 - It's All About Humor
{Presented by Diane Marsh}

Diane will share excerpts and stories from some of the library's most humorous books. Let's get together and laugh.

March 13, 2008 - The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Salvomir Rawicz
{Reviewed by Howard Carpenter}

This book is the author's account of his escape from a WWII Soviet prison camp and his long walk to freedom. It is a riveting adventure story that describes the limits of what the human spirit and mind can endure to survive when combined with patriotism and courage.

April 10, 2008 - The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls
{Reviewed by Tammra Salisbury}

This book is an intriguing account of a very dysfunctional family. Even though her circumstances as a child were unfortunate, the author writes a thoughtful and sensitive memoir using grace, kindness, and a fabulous sense of humor. Many readers will find bits and pieces of their own childhood experiences as they read this tale of survival and eventual success.