Young Critics Book Club

Written in rich, free-verse poems, this moving tale follows a young Vietnamese girl leaving her war-torn homeland for America in 1975. With Saigon about to fall to the communists, 10-year-old HA, her mother, and her brothers are forced to flee their beloved city and head to the United States. But living in a new country isn’t easy for HA, and she finds adapting to its strange customs challenging.

Orphan, clockkeeper, and thief Hugo lives secretly in the walls of a busy Paris train station. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life and his most precious secret are jeopardized. A cryptic drawing, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s late father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

The Young Critics had an engaging and heartfelt discussion this month, with ten participants diving into a graphic novel memoir by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. The emotional journey of two boys separated from their mother during the war in Somalia struck a chord with everyone. As they created star ornaments and enjoyed “scattered stars” cupcakes, the Critics were enthusiastic about the possibility of meeting the author in Lancaster, PA.

The Critics discussed the book Wonder by RJ Palacio. They were very insightful about the main character, Auggie’s struggles at school and the difficulties of the other kids accepting a kid with facial deformities. The theme tonight was kindness. We painted kindness rocks to place around the community. The stones are labeled “If found, tag Parkland Community Library on FB with #YoungCriticsBookClub.” Please join the next session on July 18. Please join us anyway if you did not finish reading the book!

Our ten critics discussed the Historical Fiction Novel Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani. The story was written through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl writing to her mother. In August 1947, India became free from British rule. Suddenly, travel was dangerous as Hindus and Muslims who had been living peacefully with one another now became enemies. Much of the story revolved around food, so our snacks for this program were authentic Indian snacks. Most of the group was unfamiliar with these flavors, but they enjoyed them! We all enjoyed crafting our diaries.

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