Welcome to September’s Online Book Club. This month, we’re reading News of the World by Paulette Jiles.
The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.
News of the World is an adventurous story about a man named Jefferson Kidd who travels around Texas giving live readings from the newspaper. After one of his readings, he’s tasked with delivering a young girl who had been captured by a band of Kiowa raiders back to her family. The pair embark on their perilous journey and encounter many dangerous situations along the way.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie version starring Tom Hanks. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the movie. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the movie and not reading the book.
Next week, we’ll be discussing the first seven chapters, so make sure to read those before reading the blog post next week. I hope you’ll check back for the blog post, and I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.
How did you enjoy the reading experience this week? Were you satisfied with the ending? Did you enjoy the book as a whole?
The most shocking part of this section was the part with Frederick Douglass. The description of him was definitely not like any description of him I’ve ever read. Were you surprised by his depiction? I think the biggest tidbit was the fact that Douglass had two women living in his house. I definitely didn’t learn about that in history class. And, it was shocking to think that he would hit on a young, innocent person like Onion. If you’d like to read about the historical accuracy of James McBride’s characterization of Frederick Douglass, check out this article.
Harriet Tubman also makes an appearance in this section. It’s interesting to think that all of these powerful and famous people lived at the same time as one another and interacted with each other. It’s hard to think of these historical figures as actual people who lived actual lives. Apparently, Harriet Tubman and John Brown interacted with each other in real life, and Tubman actually helped Brown plan his attack on Harper’s Ferry. Check out this article if you want to learn more about that.
One thing that drove me absolutely crazy throughout this section was the fact that John Brown acted like he had a strong plan, but he never shared the particulars with anyone. I cannot imagine following a man who would not give the specifics of what he was attempting to do. Do you think he actually had a plan throughout this last section? Was he afraid that no one would follow him once they knew how futile their final fight would be? I just wanted him to be forthright and honest, but he was so secretive.
In this section, we meet Annie. She was definitely an important character to Onion. Were you surprised that he latched on to her so quickly? She sure got a big surprise when Onion jumped off the wagon and showed that he was really a boy.
The attack chapters were so incredibly chaotic. From the shooting of the Rail Man to the loss of a bunch of the fighters, the whole day was pretty much a disaster. The Rail Man was a real person–check out a little biography about him here. Did you have a hard time keeping up all of the action in those chapters? I definitely had a hard time picturing exactly what was happening. I was glad that even though the event didn’t turn out the way John Brown was expecting, he still had hope at the end of his life. He was sure that the enslaved people would eventually be freed. I thought that was nice. The book ended pretty hopefully, I thought. I was surprised that John Brown didn’t find out about Onion’s secret until the very last pages. I can’t believe he was able to hide being a boy for so many years.
What other parts of this last section did you enjoy? Did you have a favorite character? Was there anything you would have changed about Onion’s story?
Before you go, check out the clip below in which James McBride talks about The Good Lord Bird and plays music. It’s pretty neat.
If you liked this book and want to read similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list.
Thanks so much for joining us this month. Make sure to leave a comment to let me know how you felt about the ending of the book. And, join us again next month as we read News of the World by Paulette Jiles. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section!
I confess, I love every part of my job here at Greene County Public Library. That said, some days really stand out as special – and serve as a reminder of how fortunate I am to be entrusted to serve the public good.
Adventure Inside!
This past Saturday was one of those days as we gathered at Fairborn Community Library to dedicate our new Bookmobile. The Bookmobile serves Greene County children to the tune of approximately 5,000 per month. After more than 20 years in service, we needed to retire our existing bookmobile (which was affectionately named Bertha) and replaced it with an amazing new bus, replete with an ADA compliant chair lift, the latest in safety features, and plenty of room for the books our children love. We’ve already dubbed the new bookmobile Dolly, in honor of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
From the Imagination Library to the Bookmobile to 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and the dozens of weekly programs focused on pre- and early literacy, your Library continues its mission to Create Young Readers!
Support and Good Will
We were so grateful to have over 450 people at the event — it was a real community celebration! We were honored to have several Greene County and Statewide community leaders join us at this celebration who I want to recognize here for their ongoing support of Greene County’s children.
(l. to r.) Ohio Senator Bob Hackett, Greene County Public Library Board Member Ron Folkerth, Board President Carol Graff, Greene County Commissioner Rick Perales, Ohio State Librarian Wendy Knapp, Bookmobile staff Cameron Chaney, Bookmobile Manager Stacy Westfall, Youth Services Coordinator Kim Bautz, Fairborn Mayor Paul Keller, Board Secretary Joan Dautel, Deputy Director Elizabeth Cusack, Executive Director Karl Colón.
Here they are helping us cut the ribbon for Dolly, sending us on our way to spark the imagination of children across the county.
We were delighted to welcome State Librarian of Ohio Wendy Knapp who spent the morning with us. The stars of the show were our Greene County Public Library Team who serve you each day, including Kim Bautz, Youth Services Coordinator; Stacy Westfall, Bookmobile Manager; Cameron Chaney, Bookmobile Clerk; Christi Cox, Community Engagement Officer; Evan Scott, Community Information Coordinator; and Paige Cobos, Content Marketing Specialist.
From Fairborn Community Library, special thanks go to Head Librarian Jessica Winegarner along with members of her staff: Serene Lawrence, Kristie Miller, Abby Lionberger, Matt Lawson, Nancy Shuttleworth, Tracy Marks, Celise McKee, Caitlin Wichterman, Jen Blair, and Bill Puncer. And, from our volunteers with the Friends of the Fairborn Library: Nawal, Andy, Donna, Cora, Connie, Rebecca, and Jordan. Finally, staff librarian Abby Conner who entertained the crowd as Booker T. Fox.
Greene County Public Library is dedicated to bringing the best possible services to the citizens of Greene County anywhere in Greene County and beyond. Having our community and its leaders come to celebrate that with us inspires us to do more.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Karl Colón
Executive Director
Greene County Public Library
Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Good Lord Bird.
Did you enjoy this section? I felt like it was a little easier to read–maybe because John Brown wasn’t really in it? I did feel nervous for Onion throughout, though, because I was so afraid that he was going to be assaulted, and I was afraid that he was going to be exposed as a boy. Were you surprised that he was able to make it all through this section without everyone finding out that he was a boy?
What did you think of Pie? She was a hard character to like. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard her life was, so I totally understand that she wasn’t a warm and welcoming character. However, I found myself wishing that she could have been a little more dependable for Onion. He spent so much time being confused by her actions. Near the end of the section, he was desperate for her attention, but he didn’t get what he was looking for. She did seem to look out for him, though, in her own way.
I think one of the most affecting part of this second section was the part where Sibonia interacted with the minister while she was in jail. Were you affected by that part? Sibonia’s honesty showed the minister the depth of pain that she and the other enslaved people felt, and it felt like he was finally able to see things from her perspective a little bit. It’s interesting that at the beginning of the conversation, the minister says that an insurrection would be wicked and the killing of white people would be wicked, but he never considered how the wickedness of the institution could warrant such violence. It seemed like he was willing to preach against slavery, but I don’t know if he really considered the personal heartbreak of a person who was enslaved. I just thought that whole conversation was very heartbreaking.
I had a hard time picturing the “pen” that the enslaved people were kept in. In my mind, I kept picturing a barnyard with a big fence around it, but, hopefully, that wasn’t what it was. I wonder if that was a very common thing for a town to have. I’ve never heard of it before. I did a little research and learned that “slave pens” were often used to house enslaved people before they were auctioned off, but that doesn’t seem to be the case in this book. The pen in this book seemed to be more of a neighborhood and people left to do day jobs. If you want to read more about “slave pens,” check out this article and this one, too.
I was very relieved when Owen showed up to rescue Onion. I know being back with John Brown will bring more violence into Onion’s life, but I feel like Onion is still at an age where he needs someone to look out for him, and I think John Brown does that, even though he may not always go about it in a perfect way. I genuinely think John Brown wants Onion to have a successful and happy life. I don’t think Onion got that while he was at Miss Abby’s place.
Before you go, check out the video below. James MrBride shares a little more information about the creation of the book, and then actors from the miniseries version share their experience with the story.
I hope you were able to enjoy this section and are excited to finish the book for next week. Make sure to let me know any of your thoughts and impressions in the comments section!
Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Good Lord Bird by James McBride.
How did you enjoy the beginning of the book? I really enjoyed the prologue–I thought it was an innovative beginning to a story, and I really wanted to keep reading, but then the first couple of chapters were a little hard for me to read. I think John Brown’s dialogue made it hard for me to get into the story. He just talked so much differently than any person I’ve ever encountered. And, I think it was a little hard to read because Henry is recounting this story when he is an old man, so he’s not as clear of a narrator as he might be if he were telling the story as it was happening. I also think it was hard to keep all of the characters straight. After a couple of chapters, I got more into the narrative, but it did take me awhile. When I was struggling with the reading, I watched an interview with author, James McBride, and it helped me understand the writing better–especially Henry’s speaking pattern. Check out the interview below if you’re curious about how McBride started the writing process for this book.
Onion was a very interesting character in this first section. His whole situation with John Brown was just so insane. First, John Brown rescues Onion, but really, it didn’t seem like Onion wanted to be rescued. He certainly didn’t want to fight for his freedom. Then, John Brown assumes that Onion is a girl and won’t listen to any hints to the contrary. Finally, John Brown gives Onion his nickname–a nickname that I’m not sure Onion even cares about. It appeared that John Brown had the very best intentions towards Onion, but he wasn’t willing to listen to the help that Onion actually needed. I think there’s a good lesson in that about making sure the help you’re offering to people is the help they actually want and need, not just the help that you think they need. I just felt frustrated on Onion’s behalf throughout.
In the video above, James McBride describes this book as a comedic book. Did you feel like this section was very funny? I didn’t find it especially funny. John Brown was kind of a comedic character just because he was so over the top, but other than that, I didn’t see much humor in this first section. There was a lot of violence and gore, though. That part where Brown and his men kill that man and his sons by chopping off their heads was especially gruesome. I understood that, from John Brown’s perspective, the violence was necessary. To him, slavery wouldn’t end without bloodshed. But, his tactics appeared, at least in this first section, to be very chaotic and unorganized. It didn’t seem like he had an clear plan of attack, but that could be just because we’re only hearing his plans from Onion’s perspective, and Onion probably wouldn’t have understood all of the tactical plans.
Throughout this section, there are mentions of the Good Lord Bird. Were you curious what a Good Lord Bird looked like? Check out this site to read more about the ivory-billed woodpecker, and then check out this site to see a picture of two preserved birds.
This section ends somberly with Fred dying and John Brown leaving Onion, apparently for two years. I’m interested to see if Onion is going to continue to live as a girl throughout the next section, and I wonder how that will play out. And, I’m curious to see what John Brown is up to during their absence. Hopefully, he is a little more organized in his attacks in the next section.
I hope you enjoyed this first section! Please let me know what parts stood out to you, and let me know if you enjoyed something that I didn’t mention! Make sure to read Part II before joining us next week! I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.
We’re excited to announce our new Free Little Fiber Library here at Beavercreek! Just like those roadside Free Little Libraries, this is a place where yarn crafters and fiber artists can exchange yarn and other supplies. Just imagine knitting needles and yarn balls instead of paperback books.
The inspiration for this came from an adorable yarn shop outside Philadelphia called Wild Hand. You can read about their little fiber library here. It was an instant success and even Martha Stewart took notice!
First Free Little Fiber Library outside Wild Hand. Image source: https://wild-hand.com/products/little-free-fiber-library
As an avid crocheter myself, this idea instantly appealed to me and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to create one here!
Here at Beavercreek, we have a thriving craft community as well as a yarn crafters group that meets every Thursday morning (more on that here). Our hope is that crafters can now exchange supplies and donate that yarn they bought for the exciting new project that never became a reality. Because let’s face it, we all have that bin in our closet full of yarn we couldn’t wait to buy, but never made anything with.
Once you’ve registered, pick up your kit from the adult services desk at the Beavercreek library.
I’m pretty excited about this month’s craft kit! I had never done macrame before and I thought this would be a good way to learn. Macrame seems to be all the rage right now and I wanted to jump on the bandwagon – and bring you all with me!
My goal with each craft kit is to introduce a skill that you can practice on a small scale. Hopefully, you can then take your new skill and apply it to bigger projects in the future!
I have to admit, there was a steeper learning curve to macrame than I anticipated. It’s not difficult, but it took a few tries to get the knots to look the way they are supposed to. I used the below video to make the sample keychain.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND watching the video at 0.25 speed. You can do this by clicking settings, then playback speed and changing it to 0.25 (see below).
Unfortunately, one thing the video doesn’t show you how to do is put the bead on. I did that by unfolding one side of a paperclip and sticking it through the hole of the bead. Then I put the remaining loop around the cord and pulled it through the center of the bead. See below pics. It took a fair amount of tugging to get it through.
Once the bead is on, it’s smooth sailing until it’s time to make the tassel. The video shows you what to do and I just used a small crochet hook to pull the cord through the middle of the tassel.
If you’d like to buy more supplies, click the below images.
I hope you love your keychain and I would be thrilled to see it!
You can email me pics at mcrumbacher@gcpl.lib.oh.us or post them to our Facebook page and tag us!
Welcome to August’s Online Book Club! This month, we’re reading The Good Lord Bird by James McBride.
The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.
The Good Lord Bird is a thrilling story about a young boy who meets John Brown and unexpectedly gets thrown into Brown’s antislavery crusade. The young boy, called Onion, must also pass as a girl in order to survive. The story is both funny and challenging, and the action will have you on the edge of your seat.
If you want to follow along with us but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the televised version starring Ethan Hawke. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the movie. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the movie and not reading the book.
Next week, we’ll be discussing Part 1, so make sure to read those before reading the blog post next week. I hope you’ll check back for the blog post, and I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments section.
What did you think of this last section? Did you enjoy the ending? Did you feel like it was how you would have ended the story? Did you wish for anything to be different?
This last section begins with Buck working under the new, ill-prepared owners. It’s surprising that the dogs were able to survive for as long as they did. Is it bad to say that I wasn’t sad when they fell through the ice at the end of chapter 5? I was sad that the dogs were lost, but I wasn’t sad that the people were lost. They were horrible. They treated the dogs horribly and weren’t responsible enough to have dogs.
I really enjoyed reading chapter 6! Finally a break in the brutality of the novel! I loved reading about the way that Thornton and Buck interacted with each other, and I loved that Buck was finally able to love and play. Buck definitely seems to be a kind of dog that I wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley. I couldn’t believe the way he fought so ferociously to protect Thornton. Did you suspect that Buck would be able to carry that heavy sled all by himself? I really can’t imagine it. Buck seems to be a mythic character capable of anything. His ability to take down that moose near the end of the book seemed mythic. He was sure patient to keep following the moose and waiting for it to fall and die.
What do you think would have happened to Buck if Thornton hadn’t died? Do you think he would eventually headed the call to be completely wild, or would he have kept coming back to Thornton? I feel like he would have kept going back and forth. He was so crazy with grief when Thornton died. That definitely killed the remaining humanity in Buck. He turned completely wild after that. Do you think he had a pleasant life? The end of the book seems to hint that he was fruitful and was a successful wild dog. I hope he was happy.
Do you think you would enjoy reading another book like this? I didn’t enjoy the violence, but I didn’t mind that the main character was a dog. If you’d like to check out books and movies that are similar to The Call of the Wild, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list.
Are you curious about how the movie version and the book compare? Check out this article that explains the differences between the book and the movie. After that, check out this site that’s selling first edition copies of The Call of the Wild. Is the price more than you expected?
Finally, before you go, check out this article to find out how Jack London worked to end animal cruelty in entertainment. I thought it was really interesting that he cared about this issue.
I hope you enjoyed the end of the book. Thanks for following along this month–I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the book. Join us again next month as we read The Good Lord Bird by James McBride. I hope to hear from you in the comments section!
