An update from our sixth Stone Soup Book Club meeting! This week, in Book Club, we began discussing Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper. This is the story of a 10-year-old girl with Cerebral Palsy. She is extremely intelligent but struggles to communicate her thoughts—she cannot speak, write, or walk. We began our session talking in small groups about the importance of words. We discussed the role words play in our lives, whether words are more valued verbally or written, and how we might try to communicate without the ability to speak or move our bodies. We went on to discuss the strength of Melody as the main character and the role of the many companion characters the author uses to tell her story. We also talked about what we considered the core themes of the book, including perseverance, courage, strength, the importance of friendship, and our deep human yearning to communicate with others. Next week, we are so excited to be joined by Adam Gidwitz, author of The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, for the first part of our session. Please come prepared with a few questions about the book, if you read it, or writing more generally. Since we have only a short time with Mr. Gidwitz, please keep in mind that everyone may not have the opportunity to ask a question directly. Following our time with Adam Gidwitz, we will continue discussing Out of My Mind and conclude by voting on the next one or two books we will read in Book Club. The Participants: Anya, Georgia, Lena, Vishnu, Rachel, Lucy, Joanna, Djin, Enni, Kaya, Allegra, Arianna, Katie, Zoe, Penelope, Em Jay, Isabel, Chloe The Stone Soup Book Club is open to all Stone Soup contributors and subscribers, age 9-13, during the COVID-19-related school closures and shelter-in-place arrangements. We meet every Wednesday for one hour via Zoom to discuss our chosen book.
Book Club Report: The Inquisitor’s Tale, by Adam Gidwitz (cont.)
An Update from our fifth Stone Soup Book Club meeting This week, during our 5th meeting of the Stone Soup Book Club (13 May, 2020), we discussed The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, by Adam Gidwitz. Our fantastic Stone Soup contributor, Anya Geist, led the session through a stimulating discussion on the various themes, plot twists, and favorite characters of this complex story. We discussed book banning, tolerance and diversity, religion, race, and a range of other interesting themes the book touches upon. We also spent time discussing how the perspective and structure of the book affects the story. Gidwitz takes an intertextual approach to the narration with a range of quirky characters telling of their own encounters with the main characters and their own versions of key events. I think we all agree this is part of what makes the story so very rich and exciting! The Participants: Anya, Lucy, Georgia, Joanna, Allegra, Chloe, Djin, Rachel, Chloe, Enni, Penelope, Kaya, Vishnu, Arianna, Sophia, Isabel The Stone Soup Book Club is open to all Stone Soup contributors and subscribers, age 9-13, during the COVID-19-related school closures and shelter-in-place arrangements. We meet every Wednesday for one hour via Zoom to discuss our chosen book. Next week, we will begin discussing our 3rd book, Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper. Hope to see you all there!
Book Club Report: The End of the Wild, by Nicole Helget (cont.)
An Update from our Third Stone Soup Book Club meeting! On Wednesday, April 29th, we were lucky enough to be joined by author, Nicole Helget, as we continued to discuss her book, The End of the Wild. Participants offered a range of penetrating questions that opened our discussion to everything from Nicole’s inspiration for the book and particular characters, to suggestions for approaching the craft of wiring fiction, to practical tips for tackling writer’s block! We all learned so much. Among those suggestions that stand out most clearly in my mind, Nicole shared that she believes each chapter in a work of fiction should always start with setting–even if only briefly. Otherwise, as she explained, the story unfolds in blackness for the reader, with no movie reel running in their imagination as they read. Before beginning, Nicole advised, you should develop your main character and determine how many companion characters will accompany them on their journey throughout the story. Your core mission, as a writer, is to decide on what it is your main character wants that they don’t have and let this drive your plot. Finally, don’t be afraid to edit! As Nicole advised, whatever doesn’t serve your story, no matter how attached to the writing you might be, must go. It was a fascinating and informative session and we’re so grateful to Nicole for joining us. The Participants: Anya, Abhi, Allegra, Arianna, Chloe, Djin, Enni, Ever, Georgia, Joanna, Lena, Lucy, Michaela, Penelope, Rachel, Raeha, Simar, Sophia, Tristan. The Stone Soup Book Club is open to all Stone Soup contributors and subscribers, age 9-13, during the COVID-19-related school closures and shelter-in-place arrangements. We meet every Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. PST for one hour via Zoom to discuss our chosen book. Next week, we will begin discussing our 2nd book: The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or the Three Magical Children and their Holy Dog, by Adam Gidwitz. Hope to see you all there!
