March 2015 Book Club Meeting

This month’s Book Club meeting will be our 1st Ever (and maybe our last…we’ll see how this goes) Night of Poetry!  (I am so excited!!!!  I think this is gonna be so fun, but I’m trying not be too nerdy about my excitement so I don’t scare you gals off!)

Here’s the plan (your assignment, should you choose to accept it…)

1.         Read The Oxford Treasury of Classic Poems by Michael Harrison AND/OR Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (see note below)

2.         Be prepared to discuss the book(s) you read

3.         Pick a poem to memorize, either from one of the two books selected for the month or another poem of your choice.  The length and content of the poem is up to you. 

TIP:  If you’re having a hard time picking a poem I have a suggestion…  Ask your parents or grandparents what poems were influential in their lives – or what poems they had to memorize in their “younger” years – then pick from those.  Memorization of something multi-generational will be much more meaningful and more easily retained.

4.         Memorize it over the next 4 weeks.

5.         Come to March’s Book Club meeting prepared recite your chosen poem.  Costumes and dramatization are welcome! 

6.         Oh, we’ll also discuss the 2 books. 

Date: Tuesday, March 24th

Time: 7:30pm

Location: Becky’s house

Bring a snack to share

Note:  Love That Dog wasn’t originally voted for at our December Annual Book Selection Meeting and therefore is completely optional reading for March.  I suggest it now only because it’s an adorable, quick little read – it literally took me 30 minutes to read – and it has a great message of how poetry/literature can be loved by even the skeptic.  

Hoping you're looking forward to this night as much as I am!...

-Melissa P.

Summary of “The Oxford Treasury of Classic Poems”

"I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by..." Classic poems are those that endure, striking a responsive chord in generation after generation of children. Poems your grandfather loved are probably the same poems that your children will find irresistible.

Summary of “Love That Dog”

Jack hates poetry. Only girls write it and every time he tries to, his brain feels empty. But his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, won't stop giving her class poetry assignments -- and Jack can't avoid them. But then something amazing happens. The more he writes, the more he learns he does have something to say.