The Wise Owl Tween Book Club meets every month to discuss a book! The first 10 readers who register will receive a copy of the book to keep, limited to one copy per household. To make the most out of the author visit, please finish reading the book by the time of our discussion.

We will be meeting in person in the Balboa Room at Central Library, with an option to Zoom in from home.

Our book this month is Amber and Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz!

The book is available to check out from the library here.

The Newbery Medal–winning author of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! gives readers avirtuoso performance in verse in this profoundly original epic pitched just right for fans of poetry, history, mythology, and fantasy.

Welcome to ancient Greece as only genius storyteller Laura Amy Schlitz can conjure it. In a warlike land of wind and sunlight, “ringed by a restless sea,” live Rhaskos and Melisto, spiritual twins with little in common beyond the violent and mysterious forces that dictate their lives. A Thracian slave in a Greek household, Rhaskos is as common as clay, a stable boy worth less than a donkey, much less a horse. Wrenched from his mother at a tender age, he nurtures in secret, aided by Socrates, his passions for art and philosophy. Melisto is a spoiled aristocrat, a girl as precious as amber but willful and wild. She’ll marry and be tamed—the curse of all highborn girls—but risk her life for a season first to serve Artemis, goddess of the hunt.

Bound by destiny, Melisto and Rhaskos—Amber and Clay—never meet in the flesh. By the time they do, one of them is a ghost. But the thin line between life and death is just one boundary their unlikely friendship crosses. It takes an army of snarky gods and fearsome goddesses, slaves and masters, mothers and philosophers to help shape their story into a gorgeously distilled, symphonic tour de force.

Blending verse, prose, and illustrated archaeological “artifacts,” this is a tale that vividly transcends time, an indelible reminder of the power of language to illuminate the over- and underworlds of human history.

Thank you so much to the Friends of the Children's Library for sponsoring events like these to help us bring more fun programs to our readers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still sign up even though all the copies of the books have been given out?

Yes! Our budget allows us to provide copies of the book to the first 15 registrants, but anyone is welcome to read the book and join us for the discussion in person or on Zoom. You should still register (on the waitlist) so you can receive the Zoom link, reminders, or updates in case changes occur, and to be notified about the next books.

The book is also available to check out from the library here. 

What does it mean to be waitlisted?

That just means you weren't one of the first 15 registrants eligible to receive a free copy of the book, but you are still welcome to join the discussion in person or online! You should still register to receive the meeting link and updates!

When and where are books handed out?

Books are handed out the previous month so readers have plenty of time to read the book in time for the author visit! Registration opens up a few days before the month begins so we can have an idea of interest and demand. Then the books for the next month are usually handed out during the current month's book discussion.

If you are not able to make it to the discussion and need to pick up next month's book, they will be available at the Children's Research and Information Desk at Central Library. Please try to pick up books early enough to give readers enough time to finish reading by our meeting!