Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Will the jury think it was a time to kill?

Carl Lee Hailey (played in the movie by Samuel L. Jackson) is on trial for murdering the young men who abducted and assaulted his daugher. To complicate matters, Hailey is black; the men he killed are white. And this is all taking place in Canton, Mississippi.

Jake Brigance (played by Matthew McConaughey) takes on Carl Lee's case, despite the danger to him, his family and his career.

Ellen Roark (played by Sandra Bullock) is a spunky law student from Massachussets who offers to help Brigance with the case.

The author, John Grisham, was a lawyer before becoming a writer, and nearly all of his books feature a riveting court case and/or the struggles of a young lawyer. If you like this book, you may also like The Firm and The Testament. His book A Painted House is a step away from this theme.

Join us for the discussion of A Time to Kill on Wednesday, October 14, in the library after school.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Nothing gold can stay.

Our first book of the year is The Outsiders. The book is narrated by Ponyboy, a greaser who lives with his two older brothers. The greasers, known as such because of the hair oil they use, are often taunted by the town's Socs (short for Socials). After Ponyboy and Johnny are seen walking a couple of Soc girls home, they are jumped by the girls' boyfriends. This sets in motion a series of events that changes things forever. As Cherry Valance says, "Things are hard all over."

The meeting to discuss The Outsiders will be held after school in the library on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

Film and Food Friday will be Sept. 18.

We hope to see you at both!