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2004 Discussion Groups Homepage

One of the benefits of reading one book as a community is that there are lots of people ready to discuss the book with you. Below are the public and private groups that met to discuss The Giver in 2004.

Check out the links at right for tips on leading groups, as well as sample discussion questions.

Public Groups

These groups held open meetings—readers were welcome to drop in.

Barnes & Noble
Location: Barnes & Noble Café
Dates:
    Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2pm
    Wednesday, Oct. 6, 7pm
    Sunday, Oct. 10, 2pm (Teens)
 

Centre County Library & Bellefonte School District, co-sponsoring a teen discussion 
Location: Bellefonte Middle School Library
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 13, 3:30pm
 

Schlow Memorial Library
Location: Schlow Memorial Library
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 21 2:30pm
 

State College Area School District Community Education
Location: Mt. Nittany Middle School Library
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 20, 7–9pm

 

Private Groups

The following private groups discussed The Giver.

Aaronsburg Library
Contact: Krissy Norton & Zack NewellLocation: Aaronsburg Library located at 114 W Plum St in Aaronsburg
Description: All interested adults and teens who love to read and discuss their favorite books.

Book Babes   Hospitality Winner!
Contact: Joyce Sipple
Location: Alternate homes -third Tues. of month
Description: We're a mix of former and current SCASD personnel: counselors, teachers, administrators, and paras.

Books & Company   Hospitality Winner!
Contact: Michele Chernega
Location: Member's homes
Description of Event: We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in February. We have a couple of traditions other than our once a month book discussion meetings. One is a January "Resolution Dinner." We also do a December book exchange with each person having the option to read a poem before they open their gift book. We used to have one Black Moshannon cabin summer pot luck/sleepover too! Sorry, no new members at this time. Start your own club, it's easy!

Centre County Big Brothers Big Sisters Program
Contact: Kristen Hazlett, 237-2224, x113
Location: TBA Date: Ongoing
Description of Event: The Big Brothers Big Sisters Program strives to place positive role models with children in our community. We will organize a group of Bigs and Littles who will be given copies of the book, and then we will meet for book discussions. We participated last year and read To Kill a Mockingbird. All of the children and volunteers enjoyed it, and are looking forward to participating again this year!

Centre Hall Book Group   Hospitality Winner!
Contact: Leagh Anderson
Location: Centre Hall-Potter Twp. Elementary School in Centre Hall
Description: Our group is open to anyone residing in Penns Valley School District who enjoys reading and would like to meet new people. Our first meeting is on Thursday, October 14 at 7:00 pm.

Centre Hall Library Book Club
Contact: JA Babay, librarian
Location: Centre Hall Library
Description: A newly formed book club that is beginning with this year's Centre County Reads selection. We will be meeting about The Giver on Sept. 28 and Oct 12 & 26. Our roundtable on September 14 will lay the groundwork for future meetings and selections.

Community Academy of Lifelong Learning
Contact: Callie Kingsbury
Location: TBA
Date: October - TBA
Description: Discussion group on "The Giver"

Community Reading Club  Hospitality Winner!
Contact: Leagh Anderson
Location: Faith United Methodist Church, Bellefonte, Pa.
Description: Our group will begin meeting on Tuesday, October 5 at 7:00 in Bellefonte. This group is open to anyone who enjoys reading and would like to meet new people.

Haymarket Book Group   Hospitality Winner!
Contact: Pat Moyer
Location: Member homes
Description: Our small group of nine members formed in 1995 in a new neighborhood. Our book selections focus on social concerns, classics, or women's issues. There are no children, husbands, knitting or other distractions allowed, but we do have dessert and just a half hour of social time before starting the discussion.

Laurel Circle Residents at Centre Crest
Contact: Kim Sample
Location: Laurel Circle Library
Description: A group of elderly men and women who enjoy literature. We will be meeting on Wednesday afternoons for a discussion of the assigned chapters and the Recreational Therapist will read the book aloud on Wednesday evenings for those unable to read small print.

Marvelous Dynamic Book Club  Hospitality Winner!
Contact: Sarah Braxton
Location: Private homes
Description: We are a mother-daughter book club that meets monthly. As we enter our second year together, the daughters are 10 - 12 years of age.

No Name Book Group   Hospitality Winner!
Contact: Helen Dempsey
Location: Members' homes on rotating basis
Description: Our book group, which has about 15 members, has been meeting for almost 8 years. At the present time we are not looking for new members. Some of the books we've read include Blind Assassin, Life of Pi and Middlesex. Last year when we read To Kill a Mockingbird some of the members brought food related to the book, including one excellent Lane Cake. We enjoy the social part of the meeting, but even more important to us are the lively and thoughtful discussions we have each month. this is one great group of women!

Orlando Avenue Reading Circle   Hospitality Winner!
Contact: Christina O'Hara
Location: Member homes, The Golden Wok, or Panera's
Description: The group has been meeting for ten years or so. We are women with families who have broad interests. Our book selections have spanned classical British and American novels, plays, popular fiction, young-adult fiction, biography and non-fiction. We always appreciate reading something new and having new members join. Lately we have met over soup and bread in each others' homes on Sunday evenings, occasionally going out. This October, we will meet at Golden Wok to pick our books for the year and we look forward to including the Centre Reads book for the second year running.

Port Matilda Reading Club
Contact: Leagh Anderson
Location: Port Matilda Elementary School
Description: Our club is open to anyone residing in Port Matilda, Philipsburg, and Julian area. Our first meeting is on Thursday, October 4 at 7:00 pm at the Port Matilda Elementary School.

SCI Rockview
Contact: Phil Bareiss/Ellen Coffman
Location: Restricted access Date: 9/30/04
Description: Discussion group.



Hospitality Winners

Companies from around the county donated refreshments for eight lucky discussion groups, and we drew the winners at our September 25 Kickoff Event:

Book Babes won coffee for 8 from Brewer's Café

Books & Company won a dozen bagels from Irving's

Centre Hall Book Group won a $10 gift card from Giant.

Community Reading Club won coffee, cappuccino, and tea for 8-12 from Equinox Café

Haymarket Book Group won a $30 gift card from Wegman's.

Marvelous Dynamic Book Club won  beverages on site from Celebrity Deli .

No Name Book Club won a $30 gift card from Barnes & Noble Café

Orland Avenue Reading Circle won cofee and scones for 10 from Webster's


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