Online Book Club - Take Two

Well, I don't think we did too badly on our first attempt at an online book club, but I think we'll improve with practice. I've arranged it so that we all get emails when when a post or comment is made on the blog. That should make things more real-time interactive. If anyone has suggestions as to how to make this club even better, please let me know.
I would suggest our next title be, My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. This should be available at virtually any library with a children's sections as it is an award-winner and was published in 1959. It tells the story of a boy's experience living in the wild for year. I read it a few years ago and really enjoyed it.
As for future titles, please make suggestions if you have any. It would be fun to read a title that you might have enjoyed reading as a kid.
Send an email or post a comment to let me know if you've got the book. If there is any difficulty getting it, I could always get ahold of some used copies and mail them to you.

Testing Out The New Settings

Hi everyone,
I'm just checking if we all get emails if I make a new post. Leave a comment if you do.
Thanks!
Melissa

Las Ciruellas (Plums)

Evelyn thought Esperanza was very young to be a babysitter.

Madelaine agrees and also thinks the poo-poo was very disgusting and probably smelled bad.

Melissa: This chapter made me (LOL) laugh out loud. I knew what was going to happen when those babies ate the plums. It was only a matter of time before Esperanza was going to have a mess on her hands. And twins! And having to wash the diapers afterward! Yuck! I am extra glad we have disposable diapers now. The dust storm was a scary scene.

Las Almendras (Almonds)

In this chapter, all the camp goes to the jamaica, the dance. Marta comes and tries to convince the people at the camp to strike. Isabelle is about to start school. Once she does, Esperanza will be in charge of the babies.

Melissa: I'm afraid that Esperanza will make a big mistake with the babies. It is not easy to take care of one baby, let alone twins! I know she is 13 and much older than Isabelle, but Isabelle has had much more practice. I hope everything will go alright.

Evelyn: she drew the picture of Esperanza's and Miguel's roses above.
Madelaine: she drew the picture of the roses dancing at the jamaica below.

Cebollas (Onions)

Evelyn - I was very surprised by the camps, especially by the outside bathrooms. That doesn't sound very private. Isabelle seems very nice. She does more work than me and she is two years younger.

Madelaine - WOW, Isabelle is eight, just like me! She knows how to change a diaper and do laundry. I can't do that. I've never learned how. And I don't want to!

Melissa - I can't imagine - twins in cloth diapers. I am so glad I had disposable diapers for my kids. Isabelle is very responsible for her age. I wonder when she gets to play. Her life is not easy. Neither is the life of the grown-ups. I would be sad to have to leave by little babies all day. I would do it, though, if I needed the money to feed them and to give them a place to live. I feel very lucky that I had the chance to stay home with my kids. Not everybody can make that choice. If Momma, Josephina, and Hortensia had stayed home with the babies, they might not have had enough money to feed all the children.

Los Melones (Cantalopes)

In this chapter when they had to cross the border into the USA.
Evelyn thought it must have been very scary to see all the people getting on the train to go back to Mexico. Esperanza just came a very long way and she would not have wanted to go back again, especially alone.
Madelaine: Marta seems mean, like a bully. I agree with Evelyn: the thought of having to go back to Mexico on the train to live with the uncle would have been scary.

Melissa: I was worried that Esperanza and her mother's papers wouldn't be in order and that they would not be allowed into the United States. I liked the way Esperanza's mother stood tall and proud in front of the immigration worker. Marta thinks she knows Esperanza, her family and how she thinks. She is jumping to conclusions about Esperanza. I was surprised to learn that they didn't let people from different countries live in the same camps. Marta said that they did this so that they wouldn't talk to each other and try to band together and strike.

The idea of unions is a bit confusing to kids. Hopefully the story makes it a bit clearer.

At my home in Barbados we had Papaya, Coconut and Guava and lime trees. Have you tried these fruit? Reading these chapters remind me of my home. And I miss these things. I can only imagine how sad Esperanza is. But, she may be happy later when she is settled in her new home. You know what that is like moving from Switzerland to the United States. Her uncles are Bullies. Do you know any bullies in your school? If you had to choose a reward what would you choose? I think my reward is about to come true. A dip or several dips in your hot tub. I know Esperanza and Miguel are characters in a book, but they seem like real people to me. I hope that Miguel gets to work with the trains.