"Running Out of Time" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Our book for January is Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix:

Jessie lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana, in 1840 -- or so she believes. When diphtheria strikes the village and the children of Clifton start dying, Jessie's mother reveals a shocking secret -- it's actually 1996, and they are living in a reconstructed village that serves as a tourist site. In the world outside, medicine exists that can cure the dread disease, and Jessie's mother is sending her on a dangerous mission to bring back help.
But beyond the walls of Clifton, Jessie discovers a world even more alien and threatening than she could have imagined, and soon she finds her own life in jeopardy. Can she get help before the children of Clifton, and Jessie herself, run out of time?

Copies are floating around, and also available at the local libraries. Please leave comments if you have a copy available or need a copy.
Book club will be held on January 26th, 7:00 PM at Johanna's house. Please do your best to be on time. Let Mindy know if you have any questions.

Christmas Party/ December Book Club

For December we will be having our annual Christmas party in conjunction with our regular book club. This month we will be reading The Autobiography of Santa Clause by Jeff Guinn.

Where exactly did Santa Claus come from? How did he meet Mrs. Claus? Who named the reindeer? We've all asked these questions and a million more, and Jeff Guinn uses a wonderful mix of scholarship, fantasy, folklore, and faith to answer them all. According to this "authoritative" autobiography, St. Nicholas began giving gifts in the third century A.D. and never looked back. John H. Mayer's warm and leisurely reading certainly puts one in mind of the classic nineteenth-century Claus, but it's the generous sprinkling of facts that draws one in. Did you know the Roman calendar had only 10 months and 355 days and that Christmas caroling was introduced to the world in the thirteenth century? A fine way for the whole family to receive a dash of history and humor relating to holiday cheer.

We will also be doing a book exhange this year. Please bring a wrapped book to exchange at the party. We will have the chocolate fountain again! The following items are a suggestion only. Bring what you want if you don't like your list item.

• Mindy- chocolate
• Krista- bananas
• Caron- peanute butter goodness, ie: cookies, pb balls, ect.
• Linda: large marshmallows
• Leah- potato chips
• Angie- strawberries
• Shanna- cinnamon bears
• Becca- pineapple
• Amy- pretzels
• Ann- angel food cake/pound cake
• Missy- gummy orange slices
• Johanna- brownie bites

Book club will be held on December 15th, 7:00 PM at Krista's house. Let me know if you have any questions. See you all there!