Pax Discussion Questions - Chapters 12-22
In this club we read middle grade fiction appropriate for ages 6-12, but anyone is welcome if you enjoy children's literature! I will be posting discussion questions weekly based on the book we are reading and I will also provide activities that relate. Please comment on the discussion questions so we can stay connected through reading!
May's book is "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker! Available instantly through hoopla digital as an eBook and an eAudiobook.
Discussion Questions - Chapters 12 - 22
- Why did Vola move into her grandfather's house? Why has she stayed so long?
- What does Vola do for Peter, other than help his leg? How is Peter helping Vola?
- How is the war affecting each character? Pax, Bristle, Runt, Peter & Vola?
- Why does Peter believe Pax is still alive?
- How do you think the story will end?
Share your answers to the questions below in the comments and tell us what you think of the book so far!
This week, read the rest of the book for our final questions and activity next Monday, May 25!
APL Reader's Corner with Tessy & Justine
**Video may contain spoilers**
Join APL staff each week for a discussion of some of their current reads! Each week they will discuss a book from a different genre. Join the discussion live on at Facebook.com/AuroraLibrary each Friday at 1 p.m. (MST) and leave your thoughts in the comments below!
The next discussion will be at 1 p.m. on May 22, 2020 on our Facebook page and will feature "All Out: the No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages" by Saundra Mitchell (available instantly on hoopladigital.com).
Other upcoming titles, all available instantly from hoopla digital, include:
- May 29, "A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals #1" by Alyssa Cole
- June 5, "The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers
- June 12, "The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest" by Melanie Dickerson
- June 19, "Fire Logic" by Laurie J. Marks
Review of "The Winter People" by Jennifer McMahon
by Nicole S.
After moving to Colorado earlier this year my friends back in Wisconsin still wanted to keep in touch and what better way than a book club! Thanks to technology I have been able to virtually attend the meetings and we catch up and of course talk about what we thought of the books we picked for the meeting. I decided to also share my thoughts of these books to the awesome readers like you!
The first book we kicked off for our 2020 book club was “The Winter People” by Jennifer McMahon. I am a big fan of thriller/suspense novels so I was very pleased to find a thriller/ghost story novel on our list of books.
Jennifer McMahon is a New York Time’s bestselling author of works like “Promise Not To Tell” and “Island of Lost Girls”. The majority of her books could be categorized under thriller/suspenseful fiction with some elements of paranormal activity.
“The Winter People” takes place in West Hall, Vermont, which seems to be a place where strange happenings occur. It all seems to start with a woman named Sara Harrison Shea. In 1908, she is found dead behind her house not long after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Then, in present day with 19-year-old Ruthie who happens to live in Sara’s old farmhouse with her mother Alice and younger sister Fawn. One day Alice vanishes without a trace. While Ruthie and Fawn try to gather clues about their mother’s whereabouts, they happen upon a copy of Sara Harrison Shea’s diary. The story jumps back and forth between the diary entries in 1908 and present day where similarities may come to pass and history may be doomed to repeat itself.
I greatly enjoy narratives like this that jump back and forth. At first it may be a little hard to keep track of all the characters in play in the story but once you get going you find it easier to sort out the events in 1908 with Sara, her husband Marty and their daughter Gertie, and present day which includes Ruthie and Fawn. McMahon does a great job of weaving the separate stories but ultimately entwining them. Add in the chilling ghost stories and the missing people and you get hooked. I found myself wanting to keep reading Sara’s diary entries more than Ruthie’s accounts in present day because that seemed to be where the real story is.
You feel for these characters, especially Sara, due to the loss of her child, Gertie. You sympathize with her actions and justify her means of coping with the sudden loss. The story twists and turns because you wonder whether ghosts really exist in this town and if it’s “cursed.” However, the one flaw I found was that the ending seemed to be underwhelmed. The story wraps up rather quickly and the decisions made by some of the characters didn’t seem to be realistic. All in all, if you enjoy multiple narratives from different points in time with a thriller and suspense feel to it – this is your book! If you have read "The Winter People," tell us what you thought of it in the comments!
Also, if you enjoy the Vermont setting like McMahon seems to, check out her other novels, “The Invited” and “The Night Sister”.
Click here to view McMahon's works and place a hold with your library card.
Check back for my next review of our second book club pick, “Into the Water” by Paula Hawkins.
May Family Book Club
with Tess
In this club we read middle grade fiction appropriate for ages 6-12, but anyone is welcome if you enjoy children's literature! I will be posting discussion questions weekly based on the book we are reading and I will also provide activities that relate. Please comment on the discussion questions so we can stay connected through reading!
May's book is "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker! Available instantly through hoopla digital as an eBook and an eAudiobook.
Discussion Questions - Chapters 1 - 11
1. Pax and Peter have a close relationship. Do you have a pet that you feel close to? Would you travel to find them if they were lost?
2. Do you like that the chapters take turns between Peter and Pax's point of view?
3. What do you think of the other foxes that Pax meets? Can he trust them?
4. Do you understand why the vixen does not trust Pax?
5. There is a war starting between the humans, which is why Peter has to go live with his grandfather. Do you think this will be a major theme in the book? Do you think it will keep Peter and Pax apart?
Share your answers to the questions below in the comments and tell us what you think of the book so far!
Review of "The Last to Die" by Kelly Garrett
Review by Janelle H.
Synopsis:
It all started out as a game. Just a way to have fun. We figured as long as we had rules, it wouldn't be a problem.
RULE #1: Only break into one another's houses.
RULE #2: Only take stuff that can be replaced.
It worked for a while. Whoever's turn it was to break in got a rush, and the rest of us laughed over the trophies they brought back. But then someone went too far. Lives got ruined. Someone is dead. And I might be next.
Janelle's Review:
This book starts out as a typical "bored youth needing some excitement"; what it ends up being is a plot-twist thriller. You meet several characters that are all intertwined, whether it be by family, friendship or romance. While set mostly in a character’s basement or school, it keeps moving forward at a steady pace. As the book progresses, the red herrings are vast, especially after the death of a main character. Following along with prejudiced clues and teenage logic , you find yourself knowing they are wrong, but wondering who it could possibly be. When the end of the mystery is revealed, you do have a slight aha moment, but also a “well done, author" moment. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a surprise ending with a touch of drama.
This book reads like:
"One of Us is Lying" by Karen McManus
"Ten" by Gretchen McNeil
Ready to read?
Check out the audiobook version of this book instantly with your library card from hoopla digital!
Need a library card? Sign up for a virtual library card here!
Have you read this book? Tell us what you thought of it in the comments below!
Want to read along and join the discussion? Check out "A Snicker of Magic" by Natalie Lloyd on Hoopla Digital!
Share your answers to the questions below in the comments and tell us what you thought of the book!
Chapters 20-27 + epiloge
- When Felicity and her mama eat the Blackberry Surprise ice cream, they talk about factofabulous memories. Will you share one of your factofabulous memories?
- Aunt Cleo says that only fools run away from what they fear. Do you agree?
- What did Felicity forget at the Duel? What did she do instead?
- What happened at the Duel to break the curse?
- Did you enjoy this book? Why or why not? Give your opinion of the novel!
Vote for the May book!
Vote for the book you would like to read in May by leaving a comment below with the title you want to read! All titles are available instantly from hoopla digital!
"Because of Winn Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo
The summer Opal and her father move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket—and comes out with a dog… named Winn-Dixie. The dog is big and ugly but with a sterling sense of humor. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known and she spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship—and forgiveness—can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm.
"The Willoughbys" by Lois Lowry
Abandoned by their ill-humored parents to the care of an odious nanny, Tim, the twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and their sister, Jane, attempt to fulfill their roles as good old-fashioned children. However, it is an unquestionably ruthless act that sets in motion the transformations that lead to their salvation and to happy endings for not only the four children, but their nanny, an abandoned baby, a candy magnate, and his long-lost son too.
"Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. They leave Pax behind but Peter can’t stand the guilt; he packs for a trek to get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to one another against all odds.
**Video may contain spoilers**
Join APL staff each week for a discussion of some of their current reads! Each week they will discuss a book from a different genre. Join the discussion live on at Facebook.com/AuroraLibrary each Friday at 1 p.m. (MST) and leave your thoughts in the comments below!
The next discussion will be at 1 p.m. on May 1, 2020 on our Facebook page and will feature "We're Going to Need More Wine" by Gabrielle Union (available instantly on hoopladigital.com).
Other upcoming titles, all available instantly from hoopla digital, include:
- May 6, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling (available on hoopla through April 30)
- May 8, "The Wild Geese" by Mori Ōgai
- May 15, "The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben
- May 22, "All Out: the No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages" by Saundra Mitchell
- May 29, "A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals #1" by Alyssa Cole
Into the Unknown with Brandon F.
A repetitive day-to-day routine can be great for some, but quite mundane for others. Some people want mystery and intrigue. Some people want lively debate and to be challenged. Finally, some people want to delve, Into the Unknown.
Join your local Aurora Public Library librarian Brandon as he brings his club to the virtual space for the very first. Some of you may have already attended a session in person but for many, this is an exciting first-time experience. If you have an interest in the paranormal, extraterrestrial, unsolved and all things fantastic, then this club is for you. Enjoy a narrated presentation from Brandon with visual material and links to fascinating video footage.
Brandon does not claim to be an expert in any of these fields, but he is a dedicated fan going on 15 plus years of all these subjects. He values an open-mind mixed with an analytical approach. Debate and discuss with Brandon and fellow members. This is not a program to prove or disprove any subject. This is a program to discuss the merits of both sides and to see the perspective of others.
Brandon will first be presenting recaps of his previous in-person sessions, and will then go into new material for those long time club members at home.
See below links for additional footage (video matches title of related slide)
- What’s in the mist
- Fallen Angel
- Slowdown
- Julia
- That’s a big fish
- Rumble in the Jungle
- Icy Waters
- 8 out 10 for form
- Get them doggies rolling
- Thunderbird
- Ocean Noodle
Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know what other topics you would like to explore!
"A Snicker of Magic" by Natalie Lloyd
Chapters 11 - 19
Want to read along and join the discussion? Check out "A Snicker of Magic" by Natalie Lloyd on Hoopla Digital!
Discussion Questions:
- Felicity’s talent is to see words; Frannie Jo seems to hear music around her; Mama used to paint and Uncle Boone can see color in music. Do you think Aunt Cleo has a talent? Can you guess what it could be?
- We now know what "a snicker of magic" means. Do you remember what Jonah said it is?
- Can you think of someone in your life that could use some help from the Beedle? How could the Beedle make a difference?
- Now that we know Felicity is related to the Threadbare Brothers, do you think her family is cursed? Do you think she’ll be able to figure out how to break the curse?
- Jewell Picket’s Lube & Dye is a mechanic shop AND a beauty parlor. What a weird combination! What kind of combo shop can you think up (two of your passions put together)?
- Make a prediction - do you think Felicity will be able to persuade her mother to paint the Gallery?
**Video may contain spoilers**
Join APL staff each week for a discussion of some of their current
reads! Each week they will discuss a book from a different genre. Join
the discussion live on at Facebook.com/AuroraLibrary each Friday at 1
p.m. (MST) and leave your thoughts in the comments below! (See
discussion questions below - questions may contain spoilers!)
The next discussion will be at 1 p.m. on April 24, 2020 on our Facebook page and will feature "Truth or Beard" by Penny Reid (available instantly on hoopladigital.com).
Discussion Questions for "Wuthering Heights"
- Why does Emily Bronte have so many different people telling this story? What is the effect of hearing the story filtered through so many different narrators? Are there characters that never get to tell their points of view?
- Do you continue to root for Heathcliff even knowing all of the horrible things he does? Why or why not? Do you think he is cruel? Is his cruelty justified?
- Are there any characters who are truly likable or sympathetic?
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