This is the schedule of books being read and discussed by Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers book club over the next few months. Tutor-learner teams are encouraged to pick up these FREE books and audio books and then make plans to attend one of these exciting and rewarding discussions. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion.
A Mercy by Toni Morrison (Discussed at the February 23 meeting, books & audio available January 26)
In the 1680s the slave trade in the Americas is still in its infancy. Jacob Vaark is an Anglo-Dutch trader and adventurer, with a small holding in the North. Despite his distaste for dealing in “flesh,” he takes a small slave girl in part payment for a bad debt. The girl is Florens, who can read and write and might be useful on his farm. Rejected by her mother, Florens looks for love, first from Lina, an older servant woman at her new master's house, and later from the handsome blacksmith, an African, never enslaved, who comes riding into their lives. A Mercy reveals what lies beneath the surface of slavery. (224 pages)
The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller (Discussed and the March 30 meeting, books and audio available February 23)
Set in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials of the late 1600’s, this play is the story of a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife's arrest for witchcraft. The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lie and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. The farmer, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others. (160 pages)
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (Discussed at the April 27 meeting, books and audio available March 30)
This is Dashiell Hammett's classic tale of murder in Manhattan, which became the popular movie series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, and both the movies and the novel continue to captivate new generations of fans. Nick and Nora Charles are Hammett's most enchanting creations, a rich, glamorous couple who solve crimes in between wisecracks and martinis. (208 pages)
The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back by Kevin Salwen (Discussed at the May 25 meeting, books and audio available on April 27)
It all started when fourteen-year old Hannah Salwen saw a homeless man in her neighborhood at the same time that a glistening Mercedes Benz pulled up. She said “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.” Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. As a family, they made the decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too. (239 pages)
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain (Discussed at the June 29 meeting, books and audio available May 25)
This short story by Mark Twain satirizes the pomposity of small town virtues that really aren't what they seem. A stranger sets out to ruin Hadleyburg's reputation as "the most honest and upright town in all the region." His scheme involves a fake bag of gold coins and notes that lure leading townsmen into greed and eventual public ridicule. (70 pages)
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tutors: You're Invited to Join Us for a Tutor Roundtable Discussion in 2011
Tutor Roundtable Schedule
January to June, 2011
Project Read's monthly Tutor Roundtable meetings are an opportunity for volunteers to engage in an open and rewarding discussion with other working tutors and Project Read staff. At these informal meetings, you'll be able to share your success stories and offer encouragement to your fellow tutors. You will also pick-up some fresh instructional strategies to enhance your tutoring skills. And of course, we will provide some tasty pizza and drinks to support the conversation.
Here are some upcoming dates for Tutor Roundtables--they are held in the Conference Room of the Project Read office at the Main Library.
Tuesday, January 4, 6:00-7:30
Saturday, February 5, 1:00 – 2:30
Tuesday, March 8, 6:00 – 7:30
Saturday, April 2, 1:00 – 2:30
Tuesday, May 3, 6:00 – 7:30
Saturday, June 4, 1:00 – 2:30
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