September Prompt: September Already?

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Yes, it's September and it's 'Back to School' here in the Book Club.

Between the Pages wonders .... what books have you read where 'back to school' plays a part?

Mean Girls, by Micol Ostow, is based on the screenplay, and is a scripted copy of it.* I remember Mean Girls, the movie, and think ... is it really like that? Hmmm. "Cady Heron grew up home-schooled in Africa with scientist parents as her teachers, monkeys as her classmates and the African plains as her playground. But when her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land: high school." Yes, it was very strange for Cady ...

* Around 90% of the lines in the book are what is said in the film, the 'script', and the rest are slight variations of what's in the movie. It also has filler text explanations of what you would visually see in the movie.

Then there is the How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Reagan and Jill Wildish, written sort of tongue in cheek, and the kids give tips and tricks for getting their teacher ready for the new school year. Ooops.

You are welcome to write about your book, or post a picture about the book and its contents. The graphic does not have to be original, but be sure to give credit to whoever created it.

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There is no deadline as such for these prompts but if you’d like it to count towards your chance of earning the award for a specific year, we’ll need it by the end of that school year. If you’re comfortable sharing, then post below. If not, email your story to us via hol.bookclub @ gmail.com (without the spaces).

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[Aura Nightmoon]

I read All's Fair in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson a while back. The book is about a girl who has been homeschooled her entire life and travels with her family to work at Renaissance Faires. I thought the book was interesting because I've also been homeschooled my whole life. Going into middle school or any school for the first time is scary for Raina, the main character in the book. She has to deal with her family that isn't what might be considered normal for other people while navigating peer groups and finding where she fits in and belongs.

I liked this book because I remember when I went to a school for the first time to sit the PSAT, a muggle preliminary exam, I was terrified. I didn't go to that school, and I was put in a classroom with students that had no idea who I was. Even though I wasn't attending the school as Raina does in the book, I was still part of it for that test day, meaning my breaks were with people I didn't know, and I had lunch in a cafeteria that I didn't even know where I was allowed to sit. It was nice to read something relatable. Not only that, but Raina discovers things about herself and her family that make her stronger and happier in the end.

[River Fenwick]

I've read As If on Cue by Marisa Kanter, which starts as a back-to-school atmosphere, being only two weeks into the new school year. The main characters are Natalie, her best friend Henry, and her long-term rival Reid. Natalie and Henry had written a play over the summer in an attempt to save the school's drama club after some budget cuts to the arts department. Natalie saw it as unfair, as the band kids remained safe from the budget cuts while theatre, choir, and arts all had cut budgets. The play they wrote was to be offered as a low-budget option and to show how serious the arts community is about restoring funding to the department for all those to enjoy. They named the play "Melted", which is very similar to Frozen. Reid ends up playing a part in this play from the rivalry with Natalie, as they have a prank war which results in a punishment of Reid becoming the co-director of Melted, as well as the play being turned into a musical instead. As Natalie now has to work together with Reid on the play-turned-musical, she doesn't know if she can trust his intentions, as their pranks may cross the boundary into this final act of attempting to save the drama club.


3.31.2025 - Beans sent - Tarma