BOOK CLUB PANIC

[penmage]

I'm suddenly having a panic attack. My teen book club is meeting this weekend, and I haven't picked the next book for us to read, and suddenly I'm riddled with panic. I haven't read enough books. I don't own enough books! What do I pick?

You know and I know I've read a billion books, but suddenly I can't think of anything and everything I think about seems wrong. Getting a second opinion would help, I think.

Here's my criterion: the age group is 11-14, girls. They're all really strong readers. The book we pick should be high level, but free of any content parents might find objectionable, what with me being married to the rabbi and all that. No sex, no major profanity.

Our previous reads have been The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu and Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson.

I'd like to read with them something that they probably haven't already read, so I'd prefer a newer title--also because it will be easier for them to find copies of a book that's newer on the market.

PLEASE TO GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS.

Comments

[akamarykate.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this is too young, or too "schooly" in terms of the historical content, but one book that springs to mind is The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963. It's funny through most of it, and there's lots of nonschool stuff to talk about with the family relationships--I guess my one caveat would be that it's told from the POV of a boy, and if you want to get them reading about more empowered female protagonists, this might not be the book. But my gifted 4th graders always loved it as a readaloud (not as part of the curriculum, just for fun).