Andover High School Book Club
a.k.a.
Rockin' Readers Book Club

Our next book club meeting will be Wednesday, March 27th.  We'll be reading I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.  

About the book:

Meet Ed Kennedy—underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That’s when the first Ace arrives. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger. . . .

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?

**If you're interested in purchasing your own copy of the book, see Ms. Buesing by Thursday, March 7th before school.  The cost is $6.

Also, we chose the next book we'll be reading.  Date yet to be Determined, but sometime in April.

Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein

About the book:

Meet one funny dog—Enzo, the lovable mutt who tells this story. Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: most dogs love to chase cars, but Enzo longs to race them. He learns about racing and the world around him by watching TV and by listening to the words of his best friend, Denny, an up-and-coming race car driver, and his daughter, Zoë, his constant companion. Enzo finds that life is just like being on the racetrack—it isn't simply about going fast. And, applying the rules of racing to his world, Enzo takes on his family's challenges and emerges a hero. In the end, Enzo holds in his heart the dream that Denny will go on to be a racing champion with his daughter by his side. For theirs is an extraordinary friendship—one that reminds us all to celebrate the triumph of the human (and canine) spirit. 

**If you want to get ahead on your reading, You can see Ms. Buesing about ordering this book for you as well.  She'd prefer by Thursday March 7th, but will also order after Spring Break.  The cost is $9. (It is also currently available on Kindle on Amazon for $2.99 - 3/4/13)


Our next Book Club meeting will be on Wednesday, February 27th and we'll be discussing Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.





About the Book:

Ethan has lived in Gatlin, South Carolina, his whole life, as have generations of his family.  If there's one thing he knows, nothing changes.  Enter Lena Duchannes, and suddenly nothing is the same.  Like most southern gothics, this story hides one secret, one that links Ethan's and Lena's families.  Otherworldly elements abound:  Lena, from a family of spell casters, is waiting for her sixteenth birthday to see if she'll be claimed by the Light or the Dark.  Meanwhile, Lena and Ethan, who can read each other's thoughts, are traveling back in time to the Civil War, when two star-crossed lovers meet their fates.  Throw in secret mystical libraries, a literal witch hunt, dead parents, and the snarky girls and sports teams of high school. - Ilene Cooper

If you're interested in purchasing your own copy of this month's book, see Ms. Buesing by Wednesday, February 6th.  She can order you one for $6.


We are planning on seeing Beautiful Creatures as well since it will be coming to theaters 2/14/13

Potential titles we're looking at for the future

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - with a movie tie-in

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion- with a movie tie-in if it's available.



Our next Book Club meeting will be on Wednesday, January 30th and we will be discussing The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.





About the book:

From Publishers Weekly:  Bender's narrator is young, needy Rose Edelstein, who can literally taste the emotions of whoever prepares her food, giving her unwanted insight into other people's secret emotional lives—including her mother's, whose lemon cake betrays a deep dissatisfaction. Rose's father and brother also possess odd gifts, the implications of which Bender explores with a loving and detailed eye while following Rose from third grade through adulthood.

Ms. Buesing will be ordering books on Monday, December 17th from Amazon for $10.20 per copy.  If you're interested in purchasing one, they will be here on Thursday, the 20th and you'd have it to read over break. See Ms. Buesing in the Media Center before Monday, December 17th if you'd like her to order you a copy.  She will need your money before she hands you a book. 

P.S. I think we can create a better trailer :)


Our first  book will be Defect by Will Weaver.  We will be meeting again on Wednesday, November 14th to discuss the book.

We currently own 3 copies in our Media Center and it is a quick read.  If you want to check it out from us, get your name on the hold list so we can let you know when a copy is available.  I'm also working on getting a few extra copies.


We will also post information when we know more about any discounts we might be able to get from Barnes and Noble.


    2012 - 2013 Book Club starting soon!

    First meeting will be held on September 12th immediately after school in the Media Center to briefly discuss dates and ideas for this year's book club! Stay tuned for more info!  All students at Andover High School are welcome!


    Our next book club meeting will be May 8th at 2:30 pm in room A206. See you then.

    • Room by Emma Donoghue - May 8th 2012 at 2:30 pm in room A206
    • Paper Town discussion - April 9th, 2012 at 2:30 pm in room A206
    • Movie night for the premiere of "The Hunger Games"  March 23rd  - stay tuned
    • Marcelo in the Real World - Discussion - February 8th,  2012 at 2:30 pm in room A206
    • Movie Night - January 11, 2012 at 2:30 pm in room A206
    • The Help - Discussion December 13th, 2011 at 2:30 pm in the LMC Media Lab
    • Hold Still by Nina LaCour Oct. 11, 2011 2:30p.m. in the LMC Media Lab
    • Hold Still with ***author visit field trip with Nina La Cour at CPHS-Oct. 13, 2011
    • Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3) scheduled for December 9th 2010
    • Kao Kalia Yang - Author visit - rescheduled for May 19. 2010 
    • Catching Fire discussion (sequel to Hunger Games) - April 28, 2010
    • The Latehomecomer: (encore discussion Feb. 3) 2010
    • Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - December 2009
    • Laika by Nick Abadzis - April 2009 (a graphic novel)
    • The Latehomecomer: a Hmong family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang - February 2009
    • Feed with**author visit field trip with M.T. Anderson - December 2008
    • A Long Way Gone by Ishmeal Beal - May 2008
    • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - Nov. 2007
    • The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wahls - May 2007
    • The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak  - February 2007
    • Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan  Safran Foer  - Nov. 2006
    • Yeh Yeh's House with **guest author and booktalk  - February 2006
    • Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - May 2006
    • My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccout - October 2005
    • The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini  - February 2005
    • The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd  - May 2005
    • Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime by Mark Haddon  - Oct. 2004
    • The Kitchen Boy with **guest author Robert Alexander  - February 2004
    • The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King  - May 2004
    • It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong - Oct. 2003
    • Peace Like a River by Leif Enger - May 2003