March Meeting Wrap-Up

The Book Buddies Book Club met yesterday afternoon to discuss our March book Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by Barbara O'Connor.  We had a great discussion followed by our very own spelling bee!

We began by talking about the main character, Bird, how we would describe her and who she is as a person.  We all found Bird to be kind, happy and someone that we would want to be our friend.  We spent time discussing Bird's relationships in the book, with Miss Delphine (a good friend to her and a good listener), her parents (who don't really seem very interested in Bird), and Harlem (who turns out to be a great friend).   We especially felt bad for Bird that her father has to travel so much for work and that she doesn't get to see him very often.  We talked about friends we know and even our own situations in which a parent is absent for various reasons and we don't get to see them very often.  It made us think about how important it is to have both our parents in our lives.

We talked a lot about Harlem's problems, his sad relationship with his mother and his growing relationship with Mr. Moody, his father.  We thought about what a tough spot he found himself in, needing glasses and not feeling like he could tell anyone.  Many of us decided that even though it was a risk, he should have told someone sooner about his vision problems instead of pretending to be dumb at school.  We know that there are always adults in our lives who are willing to help us no matter what the circumstances.

We discussed one of the major themes of the book, that not everyone or everything is as it seems, that you have to look beyond the surface of things to the heart of what is there.  People can definitely surprise you.  One of my favorite lines in the book is Bird's realization about Harlem: "I realized that all those times when he looked like he was glaring at the world out of meanness, well, he was just trying to see, is all."

Some of the other surprises we found in the book were Mr. Moody's apartment (we loved Bird's description of it), that Mr. Moody was interested in being a good dad to Harlem and that Miss Delphine got a rose tattoo on her ankle!

One of our book buddies readers asked some really good questions during the discussion.  She asked about our favorite part of the story (the spelling bee, when Miss Delphine gets a tattoo, Bird visiting Mr. Moody's apartment), what prizes we'd like to win in a spelling bee and who we related to more, Bird or Harlem.

We agreed that even though Bird and Harlem didn't end up winning the spelling bee, Bird achieved her dreams of Fame and Glory because she learned how to make and be a great friend.

Overall it was a terrific meeting with a lot of interesting discussion.  We finished up by having a very informal spelling bee of our own which was a lot of fun.  We have many terrific spellers in our group and everyone did a great job and worked well together.

Thanks to all the Book Buddies members who attended and I look forward to another great meeting next month!

Book Buddies Interview with Barbara O'Connor

Back in March 2010 the Book Buddies Book Club read Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia for the first time.  I haven't repeated a lot of books over the years but this year I decided to mix in a few old favorites along with some new material.  Fame and Glory was one I wanted to revisit because it's such a terrific book and I remember the book club having a lot of fun with it the first time around.

One of the fun things we had a chance to do last time was to interview the author, Barbara O'Connor!  We've interviewed over a dozen authors over the years - it's always such a fun thing to do and a real treat when authors take the time out of their busy schedules to talk with readers.  Ms. O'Connor was delightful and answered all of our questions thoughtfully and with enthusiasm. 

So here we are again and I thought I would re-post the transcript of our 2010 interview. 

Enjoy!

March Author: Barbara O'Connor

Barbara O'Connor is the wonderful author of our March book, Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia.  She lives nearby in Massachusetts and writes biographies in addition to children's chapter books.  Find out all about her at her website and read a terrific interview!

Some of her other books for children include:

On the Road to Mr. Mineo's (2012)

Summer days drift by slowly in Meadville, South Carolina - that is, until Sherman the one-legged pigeon flies into town and causes a ruckus. First Stella, who's been begging for a dog, spots him on top of a garage roof and decides she wants him for a pet. Then there's Ethel and Amos, an old couple who sees the pigeon in their barn keeping company with a little brown dog that barks all night. The pigeon lands smack in the middle of Mutt Raynard's head, but he's the town liar, so no one believes him. And when Stella's brother Levi and his scabby-kneed, germ-infested friends notice the pigeon, they join the chase, too. Meanwhile, across town, Mr. Mineo has one less homing pigeon than he used to... 

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester (2010)

After Owen captures an enormous bullfrog, names it Tooley Graham, then has to release it, he and two friends try to use a small submarine that fell from a passing train to search for Tooley in the Carter, Georgia, pond it came from, while avoiding nosy neighbor Viola.

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis (2009)

In Fayette, South Carolina, the highlight of Popeye's summer is learning vocabulary words with his grandmother until a motor home gets stuck nearby and Elvis, the oldest boy living inside, joins Popeye in finding the source of strange boats floating down the creek.

Greetings from Nowhere (2008)

In North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains, a troubled boy and his mother, a happy family seeking adventure, a man and his lonely daughter, and the widow who must sell the run-down motel that has been her home for decades, meet and are transformed by their shared experiences.

How to Steal a Dog: a Novel (2007)

Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.

March Book

The March book will be... Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by Barbara O'Connor!  We will meet to discuss the book on Monday, March 25th @ 3:30pm in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.

Copies of the book are available at the children's desk or can be requested through the Ocean State Libraries Catalog.

Registration is required. If you would like to join Book Buddies (for readers in grades 3 - 6) we would love to have you! To sign up, call the Children's Desk at 401-847-8720 ext. 204 or email me at cgould@newportlibraryri.org.

Hope to see you all in March!

Author Barbara O'Connor

Barbara O'Connor is the author of our March book selection, Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia. She has a wonderful website and has written many other books for children that you might enjoy:

Me and Rupert Goody (1999)

Eleven-year-old Jennalee is jealous when a slow-thinking black man arrives in her Smoky Mountains community and claims to be the son of Uncle Beau, the owner of the general store and Jennalee's only friend.

Moonpie and Ivy (2001)

Twelve-year-old Pearl feels hurt, confused, and unwanted when her wild, irresponsible mother leaves her with Aunt Ivy in a little country house in Georgia and then disappears.

How to Steal a Dog: a Novel (2007)

Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.

Greetings from Nowhere (2008)

In North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains, a troubled boy and his mother, a happy family seeking adventure, a man and his lonely daughter, and the widow who must sell the run-down motel that has been her home for decades, meet and are transformed by their shared experiences.

The Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis (2009)

In Fayette, South Carolina, the highlight of Popeye's summer is learning vocabulary words with his grandmother until a motor home gets stuck nearby and Elvis, the oldest boy living inside, joins Popeye in finding the source of strange boats floating down the creek.