the big house book club

okay, you totally missed out on meeting like the coolest author ever! darlene & i met up @ copperfield's books in petaluma and heard author laurie halse anderson talk about reading writing, and what it was like when she was a teen. it was great to get the inside scoop on her books, like the one we just read -- twisted -- and her new one -- wintergirls -- both of which you can borrow from the big house library anytime! and it was so awesome to have her autograph our copies and take pictures with us. she even took a picture of us and uploaded it to her website from her i-phone! we had the best time and wish you had been there, but since you weren't, at least you can look at our pics, it's the next best thing to being there. :)

we knew there had to be a better way to k.i.t. than the bulletin board... well, now we've found it! =)

it's our very own social network! =) it's not a group of friends on facebook or myspace. it's our own space. on ning. =)

nings are password-protected, invite-only, safe-havens online.  free from perps, pervs, online predators, and spam, nings rock hard core!  

our network is open only to casa students (and after this year, maybe, alumni) who are also big house book club members. e-vites have been sent out to current clubbers. so if your friends want to join, well, we can't blame them, now can we?! =)

seriously, just tell the anyone interested in our club and our ning that they need to email me and ask to join. and while they're at it, tell them it'd be nice if they'd stop by the library for an old-fashioned face-to-face chat, too. =) call me old school, but i still find a hello and a handshake quaint. =)

c u online on ning soon! =)

there's lots goin' on this week w/ our book club! =) 
   

"talk to me!"
the talk back page... is now called the bulletin board since that's a better description of what it's being used for. =)

"show me the money!"
fundraising... we're gonna have to fundraise -- i.e., start selling stuff for cash -- if we want to be able to buy new books. unfortunately, generous benefactors willing to finance our every reading whim aren't beating down our door. so if it's new books we want, sorry but we're gonna have to work for 'em! but in the meantime, please include a copy of our book club wish list into your letter to santa! =)

"B.Y.O.B."
meeting format... since we can't currently afford to all read the same book, bummer, let's switch up how we do things and make the club B.Y.O.B. -- in this instance, that means "Bring Your Own Book!" =)

hey b.c.! i had to re-do the ballot for book 2. titles still only availabe in hardback were eliminated because of cost. but we won't even be able to afford paperbacks if you guys don't bring back book #1! seriously. like asap. please. we've got to have the goods to trade for cash. so bring back your old book and vote for a new one. click the polls tab above to cast your ballot today! =) 

well, in case you missed the announcement last thursday, last friday was our first potluck. yeah, we probably should have reminded you more maybe, but it has been plastered on our homepage for about a month now, so i don't feel too badly about it. but we did miss those of you who couldn't make it. a lot! 

here's a quick recap of what went down: we introduced ourselves, watched a video of sarita reading from the dead & the gone, read an email i got from sue pfeffer (the author of the book!), passed out autographed stickers that ms. pfeffer mailed us (she's so nice!), shared what we loved about the book (it made darlene cry!), recorded (like 3 times!) a video thank you card for ms. pferrer, and we talked about what to read next.  click here to see pics of the potluck! 

so, yeah, we did a lot, and we did it all while stuffing our faces w/ slice after slice of delicious dominoes pizza (whom we profusely and graciously thank for their very generous educator's discount)! =)

we do not have a next meeting scheduled yet because a lot of you still haven't turned in your books yet. we can't buy new books until we have the old ones back to trade in. so turn them in. like asap. please. thank you! =)

hey there happy readers! are you finishing up the book?! =) awesome! i can't wait to talk w/ you all about it! and "you all" is getting bigger again! we've got 4 more new members! that brings us up to 28! that's just totally awesome! let's give a warm book club welcome to sonja, lovepreet, joanna & jovanni! =) you guys better read fast! the rest of these guys have had like forever to finish this one and some are still not done yet. they say they're always busy w/ homework! like i'm supposed to believe that! (kidding! kidding!) anyway, just read already, and come see me to have your pic taken pls. thx! c U n 2 weeks: next mtg: fri nov 14th: @ lunch in the lib! =)

p.s. btw, happy halloween! if you're not going out trick-or-treating tonight, your loving librarian recommends curling up in bed w/ a good book, where the ghosties can't get ya! start w/ this list of  scary stories for teens.