The Night Gardener

"A story helps folks face the world, even when it frightens 'em.  And a lie does the opposite.  It helps you hide." - Molly, p.278, The Night Gardener

We had a special set up on the table in our program room:  a small forest of trees -- a version of the Sourwoods, and a gardener's spade.  It certainly set the tone for the discussion!  One participant said Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener was a book she couldn't read at night -- very nightmare inducing!

We watched a short video interview with Jonathan Auxier and learned that it was a little sketch of Molly, going to bed in a drafty room with wind blowing through, and dry leaves, and a Thump! Thump! Thump! that started him on the journey that led to the creation of this story.  No wonder we all found this story scary...

We wondered why Auxier's little portrait of Molly didn't make it into the book -- it is illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith.  But it was fascinating to learn Auxier's writing process -- he has over 30 sketch books and is already sketching stories for his upcoming book.

Speaking of stories, I had a story to tell about how I found the Secret series.  I was browsing in the Masonville Library Teen Annex when I picked up Teresa Toten's Shattered Glass because of the cool record on the cover.  I read the back cover -- after a fire destroys the orphanage she grew up in, Toni leaves for the city to discover her past.  It sounded intriguing. I  tucked it into my basket.  Then I saw Vicki Grant's new book Small Bones. It has a cool vintage looking cover with polka dot shoes.  I love polka dots and I'm a fan of Vicki Grant so I read the back cover: "Dot was happy living through her daydreams until the orphanage she calls home burns down..." What!?!!?!

It was then I noticed the similarity of these book covers -- the back cover's silhouette of a girl and the website:  www.readthesecrets.com.  Wow!  I knew these books had to be our next bookclub choice! 

Teresa Toten in an interview with the Montreal Gazette spoke about how she got the idea for the series -- she was envious of Seven Series that Eric Walters developed around the story of a grandfather who leaves his 7 grandsons 7 tasks to complete.

Each book club member was welcome to browse the 7 books that make up this wonderful "Secrets" series from Orca Book Publishers. If a front cover grabbed them, or a back cover description, the book was their choice.  Since we aren't meeting in March, we'll all have time to read at least one or two titles from this series. If you missed the February meeting -- drop by my office to select a book!

So I'm really looking forward to April 20 when we learn all about these 7 girls leaving the burnt wreckage of their orphanage and the safety of their friendships with each other to go out into the big, wide world.    Dot, Toni, Malou, Cady, Tess, Sara & Betty.  Seven girls.  Seven authors.  Teresa Toten, Eric Walters, Vicki Grant, Kathy Kacer, Kelley Armstrong, Nora McClintock & Marthe Jocelyn.

Read more about this exciting series here: www.readthesecrets.com.   Look forward to seeing everyone Wednesday, April 20. 

Sadly, I am announcing that our final Masonville Mother Daughter Book Club will take place on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.  We've seen many families thrive in this bookclub -- and eventually move on to highschool and beyond.  We hope to reinvent the book club as a tween bookclub (Grades 6 - 8) in the fall. 

Thank you for all the wonderful times we've spent together reading!  Here's to a lifelong love of reading -- and to all the mothers and daughters who have shared the joys of reading in the Masonville Mother Daughter Book Club since September 2008.