Earlier this year, Readings Doncaster launched its first ever Middle Fiction Book Club, and was met with enthusiasm from young readers and parents alike. Sam Kelly gives us a taste of what the fortnightly book club has been up to, and looks ahead at what’s to come.

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The start of our second term has been a blast. We began with Fantasy Week, where we discussed Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. Debate ensued – I thought that the whole book was a metaphor for imaginary friends, but some members argued that this was a fantasy book and it was all magic. We came to the conclusion that the story works either way, and we all had fun drawing our own imaginary friends.

Our next session explored Kat Wolfe Investigates by Lauren St John, which was wonderful. I love Animal Week, and this book definitely didn’t disappoint, as between the mysteries and suspense was a menagerie of furry friends with whom to meet and fall in love. The club as a whole liked Tiny The F1 Savannah Cat most, but I personally preferred Toby the Chubby Labrador. The only critique of this book was that the mystery did get quite complicated before it was done, and the UK edition has a cooler cover, but nevertheless, this book was enjoyed all-round. Finally, we put our own investigative skills to the test with a code-breaker activity; I must say it’s the quietest the members have ever been in all our meetings while they were all trying to crack my code!

Our next session is this coming Friday 5 July, where we are going back in time for History Week to discuss The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell. We are going to talk about revolutionary Russia and the real historical practice of ‘wilding’.

Our next ‘Meet the Author’ session will be with Judith Rossell, discussing the first book in her bestselling Stella Montgomery series, Withering-By-Sea. This will be on Friday 19 July.

If you are interested in attending, or would like to be added to our email list for ongoing updates, just contact Sam at Readings Doncaster by email (doncaster@readings.com.au) or phone (9810 0891).

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Doncaster Middle Fiction Book Club – Upcoming Sessions

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The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

History Week, Friday 5 July

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Withering-By-Sea by Judith Rossell

Mystery Week – with the Author, Friday 19 July

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Sam Kelly works as a bookseller at Readings Doncaster. She also runs the Doncaster middle fiction book club.