Two for One

As you may or may not know, I didn't go to work last week.  Don't worry, I did get permission before driving to Colorado to visit one of my sisters and her family.  It just meant that I didn't get the opportunity to update my blog.  As a result, you get the equivalent of two posts today.  You'll see a brief bio about Jane Austen, that's the Super Woman I picked for this month's spotlight, and a set of discussion questions to get you thinking about the book before the meeting.  So, here it goes.

Jane Austen:

On December 16, 1775, George and Cassandra Austen welcomed a new baby girl into their family. She was the seventh of what would be eight children and the second daughter. Her parents named her Jane.

Jane Austen spent a happy childhood at the rectory at Steventon. At the age of ten, she was sent to boarding school for about two years, after which, she continued her education at home. She wrote her first novel, Love and Friendship, when she was about 14. She had a close family and she enjoyed reading her writing to her family, but was shy about letting others read it.

She loved dancing and taking walks in the country. When she was 25, her family moved to Bath, but she didn’t like it. She preferred country life and missed her friends. When her father died in 1805, she was able to get a short novel called Lady Susan published. Jane, her mother and her sister, moved around quite a bit before settling at Chawton, her brother Edward’s estate. It was while living here, that she was finally able to publish some of her novels. These included Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma.

It was 1817 when, after being sick for over a year, Jane Austen died. She was buried in Winchester Cathedral. After her death, that her brother Henry arranged for the publication of Persuasion and Northanger Abby.

Jane Austen is one of the most beloved British authors of all time. Since their first publication, her books have never been out of print and numerous prequels, sequels and movie adaptations have been based on her works.

She is a Super Woman!


And the discussion questions for Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls Book 2 The New Girl:

Did you like the book? Why or why not?

Who was your favorite character?

What was your favorite part?

What did you think of Allie’s rules? Are there any you don’t agree with?

Have you ever had to be the new girl in school? How did you feel? What did you do to try to make friends?

Allie is embarrassed to take her brother to school when he is dressed as a pirate. Have your friends or
relatives ever embarrassed you? How?

Allie's mom and grandmother have a hard time getting along with one another.  Do you ever fight with anyone in your family?
Allie was getting advice from everyone about how to handle the bully. Do you think she handled the situation well? Whose advice would you have followed?

The janitor at the school said Rosemary just feels left out. Have you ever felt left out of something? Have you ever tried to include someone who is being left out?



Remember, these questions are just to get the discussion going.  If you have something else you'd like to talk about, feel free to bring it up in the meeting.

See you Friday at 3:00 pm.

Gloria