April Guys Read/Girls Read Book Clubs

Did you know that we have two parent/child book clubs every month at the Provo Library? They are for children 9-12 and a parent/guardian and this month they will meet on April 24 (girls) and April 26 (guys). These will be the last book club events until the fall so be sure to preregister under the Kids Corner/Program Registration tab on the library website. We have two great books to discuss:

Guys

All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook
by Leslie Connor
HarperCollins, 2016. Fiction. 381 p.
Perry was born at the Blue River Minimum Security Correctional Facility when his inmate mother was still a teenager. He has been allowed to live at the facility ever since because the warden is his official foster parent. Then, one day, a new district attorney discovers that he has been living at the facility and goes on a crusade to try to "free" him. Perry loves being able to live with his mother, and has close friends among both the staff and the residents of the facility, so he is not happy when he gets taken away from them. With determination and the help of some friends, Perry searches for a way to be reunited with his mother again.

Girls

Ella Enchanted
by Gail Carson Levine
HarperCollins, 1997. Fiction. 232 p.
On the day of Ella's birth, the fairy Lucinda gave her the gift of obedience. Ever since she has to do whatever anyone asks her to do. Her mother has always protected Ella from those who might take advantage of her "gift" but when her mother dies, Ella goes on a quest to find Lucinda and break the spell. With the help of her fairy god mother, Ella faces ogres, giants, and her evil step sisters to try to find her own "happily ever after."

Comments

Stand Tall by Joan Bauer

Stand Tall By Siena Siegel by Joan Bauer Putnam, 2002, 182 pgs Realistic Fiction Tree is 12 years old and over 6 feet tall. That would be great if he were a basketball player, but he is not. Dealing with his unusual size is not Tree's only challenge. Tree's parents have recently gone through a divorce, and his grandfather has had his leg amputated as the result of an old Vietnam War injury. The strength of this book is the characterizations. All of the main characters are dimensional and sympathetic. Bauer sets the characters in real and often funny family situations. Best of all is the character of Tree. He is boy with a heart to match his stature. This is a great book for boys or girls ages 9-12, as a read aloud or for individual reading. This book could also be a good Rx book for children whose families are going through divorce, or for anyone who feels like they don't fit in.

Review: Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker

Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker By Heidi Heilig New York: Greenwillow Books, 2025. Fiction. 291 pages. Thanks to Cincinnati Lee's no good, dirty rotten, artifact stealing great great great grandfather, Cincinnati's family is now cursed and Cincinnati feels like it's up to her to break the curse. Which involves trying to steal the artifacts back from museums that her grandfather robbed from graves and archeological sites around the world and return them to their countries of origin. But when Cincinnati's first artifact stealing mission goes awry, she decides it might be more effective to steal an all-powerful artifact herself that she can use to break the curse - The Spear of Destiny. Unfortunately her race for the spear will pit her against art smugglers and thieves intent on finding the ancient artifact themselves. If you are looking for an Indiana Jones read-alike, this is the perfect for you! Heavy on the adventure with similar levels of mysticism to those seen in th...

Review: The New Girl

The New Girl By Cassandra Calin New York: Graphix, 2024. Comic. 261 pages. 12-year-old Lia and her family have just moved from Romania to Montreal, and she's doing her best to keep up with the changes. But, she's homesick. She misses the rest of her family, her friends, and her favorite Romanian treats. She doesn't speak French and her English is shaky, which makes it hard to make friends, even in her international immersion class. And she's dealing with super painful menstrual cramps every month. But before long, Lia starts to hit her stride. She befriends the other bilingual girls in her class, she gets a spot as the artist for her school's magazine, and even has a new crush -- Julien. Though she may be the new girl, Lia is starting to fit in. This slice of life graphic novel is an adorable choice for middle grade readers and young teens. Lia is a likable protagonist and readers will have little difficulty relating to her adjustment to school. The text speaks to a...

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