January Meeting Wrap-Up

The Book Buddies Book Club met on Monday afternoon to discuss our January book, The Star Maker by Laurence Yep, and to celebrate the Chinese New Year. We had a wonderful discussion, enjoyed snacks including fortune cookies, and made a terrific firecracker craft.

The Star Maker is set in 1953 so we began by discussing how we related to the historical setting. Some liked seeing how kids lived differently then than we do now. We all agreed that the story could have been set in 2012, that it felt current and that Artie's struggles were not unlike our own. The only thing we felt was specific to 1953 was the kid's widespread use of firecrackers which are illegal today!

Some felt that the book got off to a slow start but that it really picked up as it went on. We all liked that Uncle Chester kept his promise to Artie and that Petey was forced to apologize for being such a jerk.

We all thought that Artie shouldn't have let Petey tease him into making a promise he couldn't keep but thought it was really important for Artie to come through, not only because Petey would have made his life miserable but also because it's very important to keep your word; if you commit to something you should see it through.

We thought that Uncle Chester probably learned his lesson about gambling after losing the watch he was so proud of and that Mimi will be a good influence on him in the future.

Overall we really enjoyed The Star Maker and look forward to reading more from Laurence Yep!

Thanks to all the Book Buddies members who attended.