Much like an English or composition class, a great theatre program encourages students to read and analyze their scripts, delving into the worlds their characters inhabit. Alongside an improvement in reading comprehension, theatre requires critical thinking and analysis.

Below is our Hart’s Book Club monthly list and description of each book. Each month we have 4 meetings to discuss what we’ve learned, enjoy book related activities/crafts, and a snack is always included. Your child is responsible for reading the book on their own time, they will never be expected to read out loud in book club meetings. Every final meeting we enjoy a movie night! Our prices is $40 a month with all supplies, your book and snacks included. Visit our scheduling and make-a-payment page to sign-up! Your child can join at any time throughout the year.

Hart’s Book Club

February

March

  • Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a 2011 contemporary fantasy debut novelby American author Ransom Riggs. The story is told through a combination of narrative and a mix of vernacularand found photographyfrom the personal archives of collectors listed by the author.

    This book follows sixteen-year-old Jacob Portman after a family tragedy. He travels to a mysterious island in Wales, where he discovers an abandoned orphanage. The place holds eerie secrets and peculiar children who might still be alive. As Jacob uncovers their stories, he faces monsters, both real and metaphorical.

April

  • A Wrinkle in Time is the story of Meg Murry, an adolescent girl who is transported on an adventure through time and space with her younger brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin O'Keefe to rescue her father, a gifted scientist, from the evil forces that hold him prisoner on another planet. At the beginning of the book, Meg is a homely, awkward, but loving girl, troubled by personal insecurities and her concern for her father, who has been missing for over a year. The plot begins with the arrival of Mrs. Whatsit at the Murry house on a dark and stormy evening. Although she looks like an eccentric tramp, she is actually a celestial creature with the ability to read Meg's thoughts. She startles Meg's mother by reassuring her of the existence of a tesseract--a sort of "wrinkle" in space and time. It is through this wrinkle that Meg and her companions will travel through the fifth dimension in search of Mr. Murry.

May

  • James Henry Trotter is a happy four-year-old boy—that is, until his parents take a trip to London, where an escaped rhinoceros eats them. In the aftermath of this tragedy, the newly orphaned James is forced to move in with his evil aunts, Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge. They’re cruel, selfish people. They put James to work and never let him play with anyone. He’s not allowed to leave their desolate garden at the top of a hill, so James becomes increasingly sad and lonely.

    The novel picks up again three years later, and James is sadder and lonelier than ever. When he asks his aunts if they can take a trip to the seaside—where he lived with his parents—they threaten to punish him. Distraught, James runs to a secluded corner of the garden, where an old man in a green suit emerges from the laurel bushes. The old man offers James a bag full of magic green crystals and tells James that ingesting the crystals will make wonderful things happen. But before James can consume the crystals, he trips over the roots of his aunts’ barren peach tree, and the crystals, as though they’re alive, burrow into the ground.

June

  • The story revolves around Mrs. Frisby, a widowed field mouse, who faces a dire predicament. Her son, Timothy, falls dangerously ill just as her family needs to move from their winter home to avoid the farmer's plow. Seeking help, she encounters a group of highly intelligent rats who possess extraordinary abilities thanks to a scientific experiment. Together, they devise a plan to save her home and her son.

July

  • "Matilda" by Roald Dahl tells the story of a brilliant and kind young girl named Matilda Wormwood, who is neglected by her crude parents and mistreated by the tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull. Matilda discovers she has telekinetic powers and uses them to stand up for herself and her beloved teacher, Miss Honey. Ultimately, Matilda helps Miss Honey reclaim her inheritance and escapes her unloving family, finding happiness with Miss Honey.

August

  • Shhh! It’s a surprise!

September

  • Sophie is an eight-year-old orphan living in a gloomy orphanage. One fateful night, she cannot sleep and ventures to her window. In the darkness, she spots a shadowy figure—a giant! Before she knows it, the giant swoops in and snatches her away. Fear grips Sophie as she assumes she will end up as the giant’s dinner. However, the giant, known as the Big Friendly Giant (BFG), is not like the others. He is kind-hearted and has a peculiar speech pattern, often mispronouncing words in a comical fashion. He explains that he doesn’t eat humans; instead, he consumes revolting snozzcumbers. Sophie learns that most giants enjoy devouring children, and she finds herself needing to escape this terrifying fate.

October

  • In this Other World, Coraline finds alternate versions of her parents who seem perfect but are actually sinister beings trying to trap her. Coraline must use her wit and courage to navigate this eerie realm and save herself, her parents and the souls of other children trapped there. Coraline rescues them and safely seals the door to the Other World, ensuring that no one else will fall prey to its dangers. The story ends with Coraline feeling empowered and grateful for her ordinary life, having learned the importance of bravery, family, and appreciating what she has.

November

  • This book follows the journey of Mary Lennox, a spoiled child who becomes orphaned and moves to England. In her uncle’s mansion, she discovers a hidden garden. As she tends to the garden, she learns about friendship, love, and healing, transforming her life and those around her.

December

  • C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, published in 1950, enchants readers with the magical tale of the Pevensie siblings and their discovery of the enchanting land of Narnia. The novel is the first book in Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia series. The setting of Narnia is integral to the narrative, providing a rich and imaginative backdrop filled with talking animals, mythical creatures, and a timeless battle between good and evil. Lewis’s world-building captivates readers, drawing them into the wintry enchantment of Narnia and allowing the story to unfold against a canvas of wonder and adventure.

    The novel takes place during World War II and covers the wartime evacuation of children from London to the English countryside. Lewis uses the escapism offered by Narnia as a compelling counterpoint to the harsh realities of war, offering readers a transcendent refuge where courage and virtue prevail over darkness. The novel's historical context adds depth to its themes of resilience and hope in the face of adversity.

    Today, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe maintains its status as a beloved work in children’s literature. The timeless themes of bravery, sacrifice, and the triumph of good over evil continue to resonate with readers of all ages. The novel’s enduring popularity is further solidified through various adaptations, including film and television productions, ensuring its place as a classic in the literary canon.

January 2026

  • George and Harold have created a new breed of justice. When Greg the police dog and his cop companion are injured on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history, and Dog Man is born. With the head of a dog and the body of a human, this heroic hound digs into deception, claws after crooks, rolls over robbers, and scampers after squirrels. Will he be able to resist the call of the wild to answer the call of duty?

    Dav Pilkey's wildly popular 'Dog Man' Series appeals to readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes, including empathy, kindness, persistence, and the importance of being true to one's self. This new series may use conventional spelling, but it is still full of all the same humor and fun of George and Harold's previous graphic novels!