"I had known Elliot since we were in kindergarten, and I had seen a lot of stuff happen to him. I never really joined in, but I never tried to stop it either, not that I could have." (Page 17) "…everyone knows about feeling alone…If a few people persecute somebody, most of us pretend [...]

  "The new girl stood up. People started whispering. "I am from near Manila. In the Philippines," she said, and sat down. The whispers turned into giggling." (Page 27) Questions: How must if have felt for Catalina to be laughed at and whispered about on her first day in a new school? What motivates people [...]

  "For some reason, sometimes when you are new or different in some way, people decide to tell lies about you. I don't know why…I'm somebody people have been telling untrue things about." (Page 63) Discussion: People often think of bullying as physical harassment, but telling lies and spreading rumors can also be bullying. What [...]

David’s parents reveal a secret about the operation that makes the Uglies become Pretties.  What shocking news did they reveal to Tally?  Why did the Specials want the Pretties to be different from the Rusties?  On page 285, Tally finally tosses the pendant into the fire?  What does this action symbolize?  Why has she changed [...]

A novel in cartoons 4 stars “Like I said, I’ll be famous one day, but for now I’m stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons.” Greg is tired of being picked on, sick of being considered a loser, and more than ready to impress all the hot girls at his middle school. Told [...]

Pages 100-200 Once she finally arrives at Smoke, Tally is surprised at how happy she is to see Shay again. Life at Smoke is very different from life at Uglyville. What are some of the differences? Though life at Smoke can be very difficult, Tally is finding enjoyment and happiness there. At this point in [...]

  "Middle school…was basically a place you tried to survive…Everybody was rushing around and you hardly knew anybody, and there were predators. Even some of the kids you knew started turning into them. Plus, a lot of kids at our school were changing and making these tight little cliques, and if you didn't fit in [...]

Theme: Feeling like an outsider/the importance of "fitting in" http://www.adl.org/education/   Russell states on page 3 of The Revealers: "…when seventh grade started I found out I was out. It was like everyone else took a secret summer course in how to act, what to say, and what groups to be in, and I never [...]

    Tally has decided to turn over her coded message from Shay to the Specials.  Do you view this decision as an act of betrayal?  Why or why not?

     “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  What is the meaning of this cliche?   Does this reflect the ideals of the society presented in Westerfield’s Uglies?

     A tale of two bullies A tale of two bullies  4 stars- love how they have more in  common than anyone would have had ever expected   Eigth graders Mick and Boot hate each other. They have been enemies from the moment they laid eyes on one another.  It’s the first week of school [...]

    3 1/2 stars – An especially good read for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one Hard Hit can be read in one day – the compelling story that’s told in verse flows easily on paper – but is hard-hitting emotionally.  Mark Warren is a sophomore in high school.  His life [...]

Peak by Roland Smith  4 stars – Peak never thought about how much trouble he could get into when he began climbing skyscrapers and spray painting murals of mountains on the sides of buildings.  To him, they were works of art.  He also loved the thrill of the risky climb.  When Peak is caught and [...]

This month’s Book Club reading selection is Uglies by Scott Westerfield: Please remember to post to at least 3 questions: Pages 1-971.       Most people are unhappy with some aspect of their physical appearance.  In this novel, 16-year-olds are provided with an incredible opportunity – cosmetic surgery that will transform them to become physically perfect.  Tally [...]

 Penny hates her life.  While it seems that everyone else is enjoying their high school years, all Penny dreams of is an escape.  Why not leave forever and never look back – just as her mother did after Penny’s 4th birthday?  She would never be as pretty as her sister Tara.  Or as popular as [...]

 If you enjoy fast-paced mysteries, Acceleration will have you hooked from the first page.  Seventeen-year-old Duncan hates his job.  He has to sort through lost and found articles at the Toronto Transit.  He works in a dark, grim basement with no one to keep him company except, Jacob – a seventy-something, cranky, quiet old man.  [...]