Service Project Details

About this time every year, the Library sets up a large Christmas tree in the foyer.  But this is not your typical Christmas tree.  It is decorated only with a few lights and a random hat or scarf.  Then, almost if by magic, the hats and scarfs grow and multiply and some even turn into other things like mittens or socks.  We soon have an abundance of snug winter clothing enveloping the tree.  We harvest a few here and there, but the number keeps growing.  But what to do with this fabulous bounty?   The Library gives the wonderfully warming items to the Dove center who so lovingly provide a safe harbour to those in need.  The comfy gloves and scarfs then find homes with those who need them. 

I thought it would be fantastic if our service project we will be doing in conjunction with the December meeting became a part of that tradition, so we will be making fleece blankets to donate with the other items we recieve.  I'm excited for this meeting and hope that you will make time in your busy holiday schedule for us!
See you December 16 @ 3pm!

Gloria

Meeting Notes: Everything on a Waffle

Our last meeting for Everything on a Waffle was blast!  We snacked on mini-waffles topped with syrup, peanut butter, Nutella, yogurt and chicken salad.  It was all very tasty, even the chicken salad. While discussing the book, we talked about the differences between the various adults who took care of Primrose.  Uncle Jack was the favorite.  We also talked about what it's like when you believe something that no one else does.  It can be lonely, but it's better to stay true to yourself.

There are going to be some differences in our next meeting.  Because December seems to be such a busy month, I decided to combine the Junior and Senior chapters of the Mother Daughter Book Club.  Because of that I had to pick a book myself ahead of time so both groups will be reading the same book. I decided on...

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.  In this hilarious Christmas tale, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids - probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won't believe the mayhem - and the fun - when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!

I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I do.  It's a wonderful story to help you get the Holiday spirit.  We will meet on December 16, 2011 at 3:00 pm.  Along with the book discussion, we will be doing a small service project to help those in need.  I hope to see you there!


Gloria

Get Talking: Everything On A Waffle

Here are just a few questions to get you thinking.  Also, don't forget to bring your favorite or an unusual waffle topping to the meeting this week!  I look forward to seeing you there!

Primrose has many adults influencing her life. Which was your favorite and why?

What do you think about Primrose losing a finger and a toe? Do you think it is a symbol for anything?

Throughout the story Primrose asks the adults she meets if they have ever known anything deep inside without doubt. Some say they have but most do not. Do you ever know something that others don't believe?

"And at heart I was a pacifist. Well, not at heart. My mother says no one is a pacifist at heart. At heart, we’re all violent raging wolves, but in our actions we can be pacifists.” What do you think of this statement? Do you think that we are all violent and angry on the inside? Do you ever feel this way? And, if you do, do you show it or not?

Uncle Jack takes care of Primrose after her parents disappear. Why does he do this?

Do you think Miss Bowzer and Uncle Jack will become friends?

This book is full of recipes. Have you tried any of them? Do you want to?

After Primrose's parents are lost at sea, she lives with Miss Perfidy. What do you think of their friendship?

What would you like served on a waffle?

What do you predict for Primrose's future?

Book Blurb: Everything On a Waffle

Everything on a Waffle, tells the story of an eleven-year-old girl named Primrose Squarp. Primrose's parents disappear in a typhoon, but Primrose refuses to believe they are dead and doesn't attend their memorial service. 

While she defends her family's survival,her custody situation moves around from aging neighbor Miss Perfidy to her preoccupied uncle Jack. The only thing that remains constant is her enjoyment of a restaurant called the Girl on the Red Swing, where each menu item is served on a waffle. Restaurant owner Kate Bowzer takes Primrose under her wing. She teaches her how to cook (recipes are all cited in a notepad) She doesn't question or criticize her, even through her odd predicaments, such as accidentally setting the class guinea pig on fire.

Primrose is taken from the custody of her uncle "Uncle Jack" to an older couple. While she likes them, she is involved in a variety of accidents. Through her oddities and accidents, Primrose becomes a town curiosity, with neighbors questioning her emotional state. But even through all of this, Primrose never gives up hope in finding her parents and being a normal family again.

About the author

Polly Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She went to college at the Canadian College of Dance in Toronto, studying with the Royal Academy of Dance and later becoming an R.A.D. teacher.
After graduation, she lived in New York City and Montreal before settling  in Metchosin, British Columbia, with her husband, Arnie Keller, and their two daughters, Emily and Rebecca. They have a dog, Andrew, and a horse, Zayda. They live on a hilltop with an assortment of deer, rabbits, two ducks who visit their pond daily—and the occasional cougar and bear.
Polly Horvath has written many books for children that have won awards in both the United States and Canada including a Newbery Honor, National Book Award and The Vicky Metcalf award for her body of work. Her books have been picks of both Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah amd have been translated into over twenty five languages.