~ West County Reads ~

April 23 to May 19, 2007

Page updated 04-25-2007        
You are invited to read

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

by Betty G. Birney


Cover of Seven Wonders, Illustration copyright 2005 by Matt Phelan
Text copyright © 2005 by Betty G. Birney.
Illustrations copyright © 2005 by Matt Phelan.
Hardcover published in June, 2005 by Atheneum Books.
Paperback published in February, 2007 by Aladdin Paperbacks.
Audio CD and Tape published in 2006 by Random House/Listening Library.

Read the first chapter at Betty G. Birney's website.

Read a book review at BookPage.com

More links to Betty G. Birney's website:
About the Seven Wonders book  Betty G. Birney's home page About Betty G. Birney

Presented by the Public Libraries in the towns of
Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Heath, Rowe, and Shelburne.

~ Seven towns reading Seven Wonders ~
Can you discover a Wonder in your town?


Activities



 Read the Book!
Each of the participating libraries has several copies of the book.
Seven Wonders
is 
also available as an Audio Book.
Image of We're Reading! button.
Pick up a We're Reading! button
at the circulation desk and wear it with pride!


Meet the Author!!
Betty G. Birney will be in the downstairs meeting room at the Arms Library in Shelburne Falls on Thursday, May 3, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. She will talk about writing the book, show some pictures, and answer questions.

Please come and enjoy punch and cookies while chatting with your neighbors and sharing your Wonder stories. This event is open to readers of all ages.

Wonder Hunt!
Find and describe a Wonder with a story, photo, or drawing. If you want to share your Wonder, you may bring your story, photo, or drawing to your library for display.

Want to share it online? Submit your work via email to Don Purington at heath@cwmars.org. We will post as many as possible on this website. Please include a phone number.


Mystery Wonders?
Can you locate the "Wonders" in the photo collage displayed in your library?


Word Search
These links will download a printable page in PDF format (uses Adobe Acrobat Reader). The files are large and the download will be very slow with a dial-up Internet connection. Copies of the word searches are available at all participating libraries.
Easier Word Search (Words go left to right or top to bottom; 26 words)
Easier Answer Sheet
Harder Word Search (Words go in all directions; 40 words)
Harder Answer Sheet


I wonder what you’re reading…

Image of pyramid and sphinx.                     Open book image.


Who is Reading?


The Griswold Memorial Library (Colrain) Adult Book Club discussed the book at their April 11th meeting.

Mohawk Middle School's Seventh Graders will write wonder-essays after reading the book. The essays will be printed, bound, and distributed to our public libraries.

Teachers and school librarians will be reading the book to students in the local elementary schools.

People of all ages will enjoy this book.

"This is a wonderful book for all ages. I absolutely love the wisdom, flow, perspective, and profound storytelling ability of this author... I have already begun a second reading of this story, and I am sure I will reread it many more times during my life as well. I believe it is my favorite of all the new books I have read in the last ten years. I literally could not put it down until I had finished it, and even dropped it into the kitchen sink at one point while combining daily chores while reading. This is a meaningful story of the heart and speaks directly to the meaning of life. I recommend it for everyone". --J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles [A Customer Review on Barnes & Noble.com]

Explore the Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Forgotten Wonders     Modern Wonders     Natural Wonders

Seven Wonders of the World - from Wikipedia

Complete Listing of World Wonders

An online effort to elect 7 New Wonders of the World - Winners will be announced 07-07-07


I wonder... what else can I read? 

Try these suggestions.



Please visit or call one of the participating libraries for more information.
Questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this website may be
addressed to Donald Purington, Heath Free Public Library Director, by emailing him at heath@cwmars.org

Heath Free Public Library Home Page