Wednesday, December 10, 2014

December Book Club for Grades 3-4: Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

In December, we read Kate DiCamillo's Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures for Grades 3-4 Book Club.Cameron, Marisa, Natalie, Owen, Sean and Spencer were present. This is some of what we discussed.


What’s in a name? Which character do you think has the most fun-sounding name? Which character has a name from classic literature? Which character wants his whole name used at all times? What, if anything, can a name tell us about a character?



-Ulysses
-Ulysses
-Ulysses
-Ulysses
-William Spencer
-Tootie Tickham
-Phyllis
-William Spiver wants his full name used at all times. He pushed his stepfather's truck into a sinkhole when the father would not call him his full name.
-I think that Ulysses sounded like some sort of toilet cleaner. And then I figured out it was a vacuum's name that became a squirrel's name.
-Flora means flowers. Flora is her dad's flower.
-Sometimes they name people Bill Carpenter because that is his profession.



The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto! is Flora’s favorite comic book. It includes special bonus comics at the back of each issue including Terrible Things Can Happen to You! and The Criminal Element Is Among Us. Throughout the story, Flora refers to many of the life skills and themes that appear in her comics. One lesson is CPR. One theme is that “impossible things happened all the time” (page 21). What other things does Flora learn from her comics? Name some of your favorite sayings or lessons from her comic books.

-Terrible things can happen to you.
-The criminal element is among us.
-The thing about shock and not knowing if you are in shock.
-When William Spiver was wearing sunglasses and he thought he had permanently lost his sight.


Let’s talk about superheroes. What makes Ulysses a superhero? Are there special requirements for being a superhero? Are there special things that all superheroes seem to have?


-Ulysses flies. He got Mr. Klaus off of Mr. Buckman's head.
-Ulysses has super strength.
-He can demolish cats.
-He can pick up vacuum cleaners with a finger.
-He can type.
-Superheroes tend to have a talent that no one else has.
-Shooting webs.
-You have to fight crime and put others above yourself.
-They all have to be able to know how to fight crime, have some sort of weapon and have to know a certain skill.



What is the funniest scene in the book for you? Describe it.

-When Ulysses vanquishes the cat, it's very funny to me. Normally, cats try to kill squirrels but this time Ulysses wins.
-When Ulysses went into Rita the waitresses hair. 
-I liked that giant donut scene with Ernie the cook going to defend Rita.
-When Phylis took the typewriter away from Ulysses.



We hear the promise “I will always turn back toward you.” It is repeated many times
throughout the story. What do you think it means?

-If you are far away, you'll stay in contact with others.






Describe the relationship between Flora and William Spiver. In what ways are they the same? In what ways are they different?

-They are different because William thinks that he's blind and Flora likes the comics that she likes. 
-William Spiver and Flora are different. William thinks that if he takes his glasses off, he will be open to the world. Flora doesn't like being called her full name.
-Flora Belle does not like being called Flora Belle and William Spiver likes his full name.
-There are a lot of differences. William Spiver acts like he's blind and is not. Flora says that he's not blind. That's technically opposite.
-Flora is a cynic and sees things negatively. William is hopeful and sees things in a negative light.


On page 216, a miracle is said to occur and William Spiver is able to see again. What do you think happens?

-I don't think he was ever blind. His dark sunglasses made him think that he was blind. When the sunglasses fall off, he is no longer blind.
-Maybe he was lying about being blind and thought people would think he is cool.
-It was not a miracle. He was playing a trick on people.
-I think it was a miracle. I don't know he would say he was blind if he wasn't.
-I think he was faking his blindness.


There are many quirky characters in the story. Whom do you like best and why?

-I like Ulysses because he's an animal.
-I like Ulysses because he can type his poems.
-I like Flora's dad the best because he's weird and awesome.
-I like William Spiver because he pretends to be blind.
-I like Ulysses the best because he knows how to fly, type, open cheese puffs, pick up heavy stuff and demolish cats.
-Ulysses was my favorite because he's cute.


What would you like to see happen next for Ulysses and Flora?

-I would like them to fight different types of crime.
-I would like Ulysses to beat up a robber.
-I want to see Flora and Ulysses fight crime in a comic book/graphic novel.
-I would like Ulysses to turn bad all of a sudden. Ulysses would then lose his power, Flora would get it and then Ulysses would become a criminal by robbing banks and stealing jewelry from jewelry stores. Then, a year later, Ulysses would become good and Flora would become bad. And they would go back and forth over time.

Rank the book:

-Unanimous decision on this book. All 4s!



For January's Book Club, the group voted to read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. "A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future." Book Club will be held on January 7th at 3:00 p.m. Snacks are always provided. Please sign up at the Circulation Desk when you pick up your copy of the book. Thank you!


January 2015 Recommendations for Grades 3-4 Book Club

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford 
A Siamese cat, an old bull terrier, and a young Labrador retriever travel together 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to find their family.
Book Trailer (we are not watching the movie for book club: this trailer is just a good example of what the book is about)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.
Book Trailer (we are not doing the picture book: this trailer is just a good example of what the book is about)

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.
Book Trailer (we are not watching the movie for book club: this trailer is just a good example of what the book is about)

Thursday, November 6, 2014

November Grades 3-4 Book Club: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

For the November Grades 3-4 Book Club, we discussed Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Ava, Cameron, Marissa, Natalie, Shawn and Spencer were present. Here are some excerpts of what we talked about.

How does Ben feel about living with his aunt and uncle and sharing a room with his cousin? 

-He doesn't feel comfortable because his cousin Robbie isn't very nice to him.
-I agree with Spencer. He doesn't like sharing a room because his cousin Robbie doesn't give him much space in the room.

What are the early connections between Ben’s story and Rose’s story?

-Both of them are deaf. 

-Rose worked at the museum that Ben ended up going go.

-Once in the book, Rose's mother smoked and Ben's cousin was pretending to smoke.

-Ben and Rose both feel trapped.


Discuss the meaning of the quote Ben’s mother liked: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” 

-Some people don't have a good life but they try hard to think positively.

-Jamie took Ben to the planetarium. He liked the planetarium.


When do we first learn that Rose is deaf?  How are Rose and Ben's experiences similar and how are they different?

-Ben found out that Rose was deaf when he was on the stairs and he saw Rose signing.

-When Rose's mother wrote a note to her, rather than speaking.

-They both see stars.

-They both have to be able to learn how to communicate rather than speaking and hearing.

-Rose's deafness was permanent and Ben's might not be.


Compare Rose’s encounter with her mother to Ben’s first experiences in New York. Why does Rose run away from her mother? Why does Ben run away from the boy who tries to help him? 

-Rose runs away from her mother because her mother was being mean to her.

-Rose's mother says that she was trying to protect Rose because NYC is no place for a deaf girl to be.

-Ben ran around from home to find his dad.

-Ben ran away from Jamie because Jamie knew where the Kincaid Bookstore was and Jamie didn't tell him though he knew the truth. 


How does the storytelling structure in the book change when Ben finally finds Kincaid’s Bookstore? Describe Rose’s feelings when she sees Ben and realizes who he might be. Describe Ben’s feelings when he realizes his connection to Rose.

-Rose and Ben's stories come together at the same time.
-They both feel surprised.
-Rose and Ben are both a little confused.


Discuss Ben’s thought that “maybe we are all cabinets of wonders” [p. 574]. What does he mean?

-A person can be a cabinet of wonders because they are curious and wonder about all sorts of things.


Why is it important for Rose to take Ben to the Queens Museum to tell him the story of his father? What does the Panorama mean to her and how does it relate to her childhood?

-Daniel's possessions were inside the buildings that made up the Panorama. It is a memorial to him.-The author's cover makes you feel like you are in the book in the book called Wonderstruck.


Compare Ben’s experience during the blackout in Minnesota when he is home alone with the blackout in New York when he is with Rose. What do you think Ben’s next chapter will be—staying in New York or returning to Minnesota?

-Ben's blackout experience was scary in Minnesota. His blackout experience in New York starts out scary but then is fun.
-Staying in NY with his grandmother.
-Maybe he'll split his time between the two places. Just like Jamie does with his parents.



Please rate this book between 1 and 5, with 5 being the best.

Everyone ranked this book a 4!

For Book Club in December, we will be reading Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo. "Rescuing a squirrel after an accident involving a vacuum cleaner, comic-reading cynic Flora Belle Buckman is astonished when the squirrel, Ulysses, demonstrates astonishing powers of strength and flight after being revived." Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, December 3. Books will be available behind the Circulation Desk within the next few days. As always, snacks and good conversation will be provided at Book Club!

December Recommendations for Grades 3-4 Book Club

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo:
Rescuing a squirrel after an accident involving a vacuum cleaner, comic-reading cynic Flora Belle Buckman is astonished when the squirrel, Ulysses, demonstrates astonishing powers of strength and flight after being revived.


Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh:
Eleven-year-old Harriet keeps notes on her classmates and neighbors in a secret notebook, but when some of the students read the notebook, they seek revenge.


Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry: 
In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.


Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren: 

Pippi is an irrepressible, irreverent, and irrefutably delightful girl who lives alone (with a monkey) in her wacky house, Villa Villekulla. When she's not dancing with the burglars who were just trying to rob her house, she's attempting to learn the "pluttification" tables at school; fighting Adolf, the strongest man in the world at the circus; or playing tag with police officers. Pippi's high-spirited, good-natured hijinks cause as much trouble as fun, but a more generous child you won't find anywhere.


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

September Discussion for Grades 3-4 Book Club

September's Grades 3-4 Book Club was held on Wednesday, September 3rd at 3:00 p.m. We met to discuss the book Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman. Present were: Ava, Cameron, Ellery, Marisa, Mary, Megan, Natalie, Sophia and Spencer.


Below are some snippets of our conversation. The questions are taken from www.media.bloomsbury.com.


First, a quote by the author Neil Gaiman:

‘I think, and this is speaking as a dad, that dads do not get a fair crack of the whip, their fair acknowledgement in fiction. Normally we die before the story starts just to keep things interesting for our young heroes and heroines. So I decided that I was going to write a book in which dads get to do all of the really cool, important and exciting things that dads normally get to do on a daily basis, like get captured by pirates, rescued by a time-travelling Stegosaurus in a balloon, captured by people in a jungle who are going to sacrifice you to Splod, a volcano god . . . go into the future and meet magical ponies, get attacked by wumpires. There’s spaceships involved. There’s even a bucket of piranhas. And I thought I would put all of those in, and also have a book in which a dad got to do the important dangerous thing that dads get to do best of all, which is go down to the corner shop and come back with some milk’.


The narrator and his sister question some parts of their dad’s story e.g. the narrator wonders how piranhas, freshwater fish, could have been circling the pirate ship, and how a Stegosaurus could ‘nip up a rope ladder’. What do these questions tell us about the narrator’s character? Do you think the dad’s answers are satisfactory? Would you have asked for further explanation? 

-That the dad was really crazy. And that he likes to exaggerate a lot. 
-The boy doesn't believe in make-believe and he's cautious about what he believes.
-I might believe my dad. But if he got in a mood where he started telling a bunch of stories, I might not have believed.
-I don't think that aliens are living on another planet. Pirates don't exist anymore. I do believe in a stegosaurus time traveling.
-I don't believe that the stegosaurus is real!
-Aliens might exist but I don't have proof.     
-Pirates do exist.
-People do sail places and don't go on land. Modern pirates.



Professor Steg uses interesting descriptive names for objects e.g. she calls coconuts ‘hard-hairy-wet-white-crunchers’ and she calls her hot-air balloon a ‘Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier’. What names would Professor Steg give the following? 

-Hairdryer: "automatic-hot-air-machine-blower-thingie-that-blows air into your face"
-Gum: "chewy flavored gummy stuff", "chewy flavored thing that lasts a long time", sour-gummy-thingie"
-Snake: "Mr Squiggles", "slithering scaly creature that eats other animals and it sleeps with its eyes open", "slippery scaly slimy thingie that slithers a lot"
-Book: "thing that you read", "thing that you go into with a lot of words that has weird picture things", "flat light floppy thing"


What did you think when the brightly colored ponies appeared in Dad’s story?

-What the heck? Why the heck are they here?
-Why are they in the story?
-The little girl asked if there were ponies in the book earlier in the story.
-I think that the dad added them in to make his daughter happy.  

Which character was your favorite? Why? Would you have liked to read more about any of the characters?

-Professor Steg
-I would want to read more about Professor Steg and hear about her funny names. I would also want to know if she invented anything else.
-I would want to read more about the dad because he made up such a great story
-I want to know about Prof Steg because she invents cool stuff
-I wanted to know more about the sister because she hardly talks.
Do you believe the dad’s story? If you think he made it all up, what do you think inspired his story? (Clue: think about the things in the kitchen, and look closely at the illustrations of the children). If you don’t believe him, why do you think he made it up?

-I think he made it all up because he took so long at the store.
- No, because there was a golden doubloon at the bottom of the milk.
-I think he made it all up by looking at the stuff around the kitchen.


Did you think this was a funny book? Which parts did you think were the funniest? How does the author make things funny? 

-I thought that funniest part was when they met the wumpires.
-I thought it was funny when the dad saw the stegosaurus.
-It was pretty funny.  
Imagine the dad and Professor Steg press the button one more time and find themselves in a different time and place (e.g. an underwater world millions of years ago, Stone Age Britain, Ancient Egypt, or another planet – it could be anywhere you like, at any time in history!). 

-They would go to a talker planet and everyone talks
-A weird looking snake-head monkey, legs of chicken and a hawk and the talent of a bald eagle land.
- A floating land where everyone floats. 
-A fart land where everyone farts.
-In the future, there would be a world where everyone had alien antennae sticking out of their foreheads and live on Planet Zog: half alien/half human.
-A really long time ago on Planet Rabona and the dad would have met a girl named Eva 9 and an alien named Rovender. The dad wouldn't have understood anything.
-I think that I would go to someplace where everything is made out of candy and people are sour patch kids. Everyone is a kid.
-Candy Cove.
    

Rating: 

-4
-2
-3
-3
-3
-3
-3
-1.5
-3
-1

The next Book Club for Grades 3-4 will be held on Wednesday, November 5th at 3:00 p.m. We will be discussing Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. "Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City, and meets there Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures." Books will be available behind the Circulation Desk at the library. Please be sure to sign up so that Miss Lisa knows how many snacks to get!

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Book Clubs


Don't forget that with the change of grades, it means a change of Book Club group for some of you! If you are going into 5th grade, you will now be part of the Grades 5-6 Book Club. So, be prepared to read The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier for Wednesday, September 10th at 3:00 p.m.!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

July Discussion for Grades 3-4 Book Club



In July, we discussed the book The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver. Kelsey, Rileigh, Cecilia, Natalie, Abigail and Estelle were present.





If I could be a character from this book it would be:
-I would be Mirabella because she wears wigs.
-I would want to be the Spindler Queen because it would be cool to be a queen for a day. You can direct your kingdom and make everything your way.
-I would be Liza because of all of the adventures she had.
-I would be Liza because she had so many adventures and she was brave. I would want to be the main character.
-I would be the broom. Because it's awesome.


Would you travel to Below in order to retrieve the soul of a loved one?
-Only if it wasn't my brother. He's really annoying. If it was Kelsey or Rileigh or a baby cousin, I would.
-It depends.
-If it was my sister, maybe. If it was my friend, then no. No way for my brother.
-I would travel for a friend and for my brother because life would be really boring without him. I would go for Estelle and Abby.
-I would go for my sister. I would not go for any boys. I would go for anyone sitting at this table.


Did you like the number of adventures that happened in the story (ie. the number of times that Liza almost died)?-I think that it was just the right amount of adventures. It made you want to read more.
-I thought it was too many adventures. There wasn't very much down-time in the story. You almost wonder when she is going to save her brother because she's always trying to not die.
-I liked all of the events because, without them, the book was really boring. I am glad that all of those things happened.
-Yes. Because.


What do you think about the ending of the book? Was it a good conclusion to all of the adventures?

-I don't think it was because I was expecting more. It leads up to such a good ending. But it just ends with her brother not remembering anything and waking up in bed.
-I agree with Natalie.
-Yes.


Do you think that the nice creatures from The Below (Mirabella, etc.) should have come Above to live?

-I thought that Liza would have kept Mirabella as a pet.
-I thought Mirabella would come above and visit.
-I though Liza would make a goodie-basket with pinks, a mirror, a new hat, a wig, etc. for Mirabella.
 


Do you think that Liza's fighting parents was put in the story for a specific reason?
-No.
-Yes. So she could give her mother the seeds of hope.
-And give her father the glasses.


Did you like the author's style?
-Yes. Because I like adventures and mysteries.


On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate this book?

-3 because I liked it but didn't.
-4 1/2 because I liked almost everything but the Spindlers. They freaked me out.
-I would give it a 4 3/4 because I really like adventure and mystery. 
-I would give it an 8 out of 5.


We will be reading Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer for Book Club in August. Please note that we will be meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27 in order to accommodate vacation schedules. 

"In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. The doctor tried every remedy, but nothing cured the young Puritans. He grimly announced the dire diagnosis: the girls were bewitched! And then the accusations began.

The riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people’s lives and ruined hundreds more unfolds in chilling detail in this young adult book by award-winning author and illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer."

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

August Recommendations for Grades 3-4 Book Club

I've been told that the kids entering 5th grade (who will actually become part of the Grades 5-6 Book Club after this session!) must read at least one non-fiction book for school this fall. Here are some suggestions for books to read for Book Club that will cover this requirement. 



Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty by Tonya Bolden

Published on the anniversary of when President Abraham Lincoln’s order went into effect, this book offers readers a unique look at the events that led to the Emancipation Proclamation. Filled with little-known facts and fascinating details, it includes excerpts from historical sources, archival images, and new research that debunks myths about the Emancipation Proclamation and its causes. Complete with a timeline, glossary, and bibliography, Emancipation Proclamation is an engrossing new historical resource from award-winning children’s book author Tonya Bolden.

The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World by Nathaniel Philbrick
After a dangerous journey across the Atlantic, the Mayflower's passengers were saved from certain destruction with the help of the Natives of the Plymouth region. For fifty years a fragile peace was maintained as Pilgrims and Native Americans learned to work together. But when that trust was broken by the next generation of leaders, a conflict erupted that nearly wiped out Pilgrims and Natives alike. Adapted from the New York Times bestseller Mayflower specifically for younger readers, this edition includes additional maps, artwork, and archival photos.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance by Jennifer Armstrong
In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and 27 men sailed from England in an attempt to become the first team of explorers to cross Antarctica from one side to the other. Five months later and still 100 miles from land, their ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice. The expedition survived another five months camping on ice floes, followed by a perilous journey through stormy seas to remote and unvisited Elephant Island. In a dramatic climax to this amazing survival story, Shackleton and five others navigated 800 miles of treacherous open ocean in a 20-foot boat to fetch a rescue ship.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World vividly re-creates one of the most extraordinary adventure stories in history. Jennifer Armstrong narrates this unbelievable story with vigor, an eye for detail, and an appreciation of the marvelous leadership of Shackleton, who brought home every one of his men alive.


In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. The doctor tried every remedy, but nothing cured the young Puritans. He grimly announced the dire diagnosis: the girls were bewitched! And then the accusations began.

The riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people’s lives and ruined hundreds more unfolds in chilling detail in this young adult book by award-winning author and illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

July Recommendations for Grades 3-4 Book Club

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis: With love and determination befitting the "world's greatest family," twelve-year-old Deza Malone, her older brother Jimmie, and their parents endure tough times in Gary, Indiana, and later Flint, Michigan during the Great Depression.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver: A mix-up involving the greatest magic in the world has tremendous consequences for Liesl, an orphan who has been locked in an attic, Will, an alchemist's runaway apprentice, and Po, a ghost, as they are pursued by friend and foe while making an important journey.

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver: Accompanied by an eccentric, human-sized rat, Liza embarks on a perilous quest through an underground realm to save her brother Patrick, whose soul has been stolen by the evilest of creatures--the spider-like spindlers.

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman: New York high school student Elizabeth gets an after-school job as a page at the "New-York Circulating Material Repository," and when she gains coveted access to its Grimm Collection of magical objects, she and the other pages are drawn into a series of frightening adventures involving mythical creatures and stolen goods.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

June Grades 3-4 Book Club: Eight Keys

Eight Keys In June, we discussed the book Eight Keys by Suzanne Lafleur. Olivia, Riley, Kelsey, Rileigh, Cecilia, Natalie, Abigail, Molly and Evan were present.

When Elise’s father found out that he was dying, he wrote letters to Elise for her future birthdays up to her twelfth. We each wrote a letter to someone for them to read five years from now. The letters were entertaining and eye-opening.

Why might Amanda be targeting Elise and others?

-I think she was bullied herself and she wanted other people to feel what she felt.
-Amanda's older brother bullied her.
-Elise and Franklin were easy targets because they do stuff that other kids might think are weird. Bullying Elise and Franklin was easy because they didn't defend themselves.

What does Elise do in response? What could she have done differently? What might have happened if she had acted differently and why did she choose to react as she did instead? Remember that she did try telling a teacher about the problem.

-I think that Elise should have told a teacher. Again. 
-I would have told my mom before Elise did with her aunt. Elise told her aunt a long time into the bullying. It would have been a little better.
-If I tell my mom that something is bothering me, she'll step in for me. The teacher needs to step it up a notch.
-If I were in Elise's place, I would have told Aunt Bessie the first time it happened.

Elise starts casually insulting Franklin as a school year goes on. Is this bullying? How does it differ from how Amanda treats Elise?

-Elise is playing around with Franklin. It's different how Amanda treats Elise. She squashes her lunch, dignity, her courage, her hope.
-I think Elise is just teasing Franklin. Franklin knows that they're still friends and she's just kidding around.
-Franklin didn't know that Elise was teasing.
-I think that the author dragged the subject of Franklin to much into the book.
-I object. I liked it! I think it was good to know what Franklin was feeling.


 In July, we will be meeting to discuss the book The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver. "Accompanied by an eccentric, human-sized rat, Liza embarks on a perilous quest through an underground realm to save her brother Patrick, whose soul has been stolen by the evilest of creatures--the spider-like spindlers."-summary. Books will be available behind the Circulation Desk and snacks are always provided at Book Club meetings! I hope to see you in July!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

June Recommendations for Grades 3-4 Book Club

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Rescuing a squirrel after an accident involving a vacuum cleaner, comic-reading cynic Flora Belle Buckman is astonished when the squirrel, Ulysses, demonstrates astonishing powers of strength and flight after being revived.



In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz

Frog joins cousins Jack and Jill in leaving their own stories to seek a magic mirror, encountering such creatures as giants, mermaids, and goblins along the way. Based in part on fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.




The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz

Sister and brother Jorinda and Joringel fight to keep their promise to stay together throughout a new series of gruesome, twisted, Grimm-inspired stories


May Grades 3-4 Book Club: A Tale Dark and Grimm

May's book discussion was about the book A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz. Ten participants were present. Thanks to Abbie, Alexandra, Eva, Evan, Julia, Kelsey, Molly, Natalie, Olivia, and Rileigh for attending! Please read some of the comments about the book below, taken from the author's website.

*Please note that we will be having a Skype session with the author on Thursday, May 29th at 3:00 p.m. at Melrose School. Please talk to Mrs. Casey in order to get a permission slip to attend!



1.  What do you think of the narrator of A Tale Dark and Grimm? Would the story be the same without him?


-No
-Because he intersects at the right time and says the right things
-He's funny
-It wouldn't be the same without him because the narrator pulls the whole story together. He puts the humor into the story.
-I liked how he butts in during the middle of a story. It happens a lot when he gets to a good part.


2. Why do you think the author decide to put "The End" at the end of many of the stories? Does his decision to do that change the way you read the book?

-To me, it doesn't change how you read the book. 
-It changes it a little bit because it makes it funny. 
-The end of the story seemed like it might not be the end.
-I didn't think "The End" was really the end of the book.


3. In "Brother and Sister", Hansel continues to hunt animals even though he knows what he is doing is wrong. Why does he continue? Have you or your friends ever continued to do something that you knew was wrong? Why did you continue? What was the result and how did you feel about it?

-Hansel continued to hunt because he had turned into a beast. 
-He turned into a beast because he didn't listen to the tree.Each day, he hunted things that were bigger and bigger.
-I didn't know it was Hansel at first.
-He kept hunting because he was turning into the beast. It made him hunt and hunt.
-Hansel inherited the beastness from his dad.
-It's a habit to continue doing things that are bad. Maybe Hansel was a bad habit that started.
-When my brother and I were wrestling, he got hurt. I felt bad about it. 
-Once I was swinging on the tire swing. My mom told me to stop and not do it anymore. 
-A girl I know had an Instagram account and was hacked. The hacked post was inappropriate. She can't tell her parents that her account got hacked because she'll get in more trouble.



4. How would you characterize the parents in this book? How are they similar in other fairy tales you've read and how are they different? Why do you think so many fairy tales have parents like the ones in A Tale Dark & Grimm?
-I think that the parents are connected so that the story keeps going. They try to make the parents greedy, selfish or even cannibals.
-I like the widow.
-I like the people who cared for Hansel.
-I don't think that the parents change how I read the book.
-I think a lot of fairy tales have parents in them because it makes them more interesting. If Cinderella's mother hadn't died, her dad wouldn't have remarried and gotten a wicked stepmother.


5. What in this book made you laugh? Do you like humorous stories? Do you think the humor helped or hindered the book?
-When Hansel became the Devil's grandmother.
-I thought all of them were funny.
-I don't have a favorite. The humor helps the book because it makes it more of a children's book and less scary.
-It needed the humor because you needed a break from the scary. A good children's book has humor.
-When the narrator interjects comments, it makes it funny. It's hard to take in all of the horror at once.
-One of the funny parts was when Gretel landed on the ravens' backs and they got mad at her. The funny parts make you feel happy even if terrible things happening.
-I think that the humor helped the book a lot because it made it more of a children's book. It made it better and easier to read.
-My favorite humorous part was when they were fighting the dragon and it snuck up behind them. And then the dragon got drunk.
-I think that the funniest part was when Hansel dressed up as the Devil's grandmother. And when the dragon got drunk.
-My favorite humorous part was when the narrator said not to have little children around. 
-The dragon getting drunk, the ravens and when Hansel had to become the Devil's grandmother to get out.
-When the dragon was drunk.


6. The worlds in fairy tales are very different from those most people live in today. So, why do people still enjoy reading them? Why might fairy tales still be important in people's lives?
-It makes you think how nice this world is. It has you think of how good this world is. Most of the fairy worlds are pretty sad and unhappy.
-The kids had no idea why they had their heads chopped off.
-The world here is much better than that in the story.
-The fairy tales might seem better because of fairies, gods, and nice goblins but then there are fire-breathing dragons and palaces destroyed. It makes you think what a great life and world we have. 


7. Some questions we might ask the author during the Skype session...
-Can you please write more books for us to read?
-Why did you decide to do Grimm fairy tales?
-What inspired you to write books and Grimm books?
-Why did you decide to write books that are gruesome and people die a lot?
-Can you write books about a real-world place but magic is intertwined but not necessarily a fairytale place.
-Are you working on a new book, not associated with Star Wars.
-Are you married? Do you have kids? If you do, how many?
-What's your favorite sport?
-At what age should children read your books?

-What was your favorite book as a kid?
-Would you like to make a movie out of your books?

Book Club will meet on June 4th at 3:00 p.m. We will be discussing Eight Keys by Suzanne M. LaFleur. : "When twelve-year-old Elise, orphaned since age three, becomes disheartened by middle school, with its bullies, changing relationships, and higher expectations, keys to long-locked rooms and messages from her late father help her cope." Please pick up your copy of this book behind the Circulation Desk at the library.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

April Grades 3-4 Book Club: Wonder by R.J. Palacio


We had an interesting book discussion about Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Nine participants were present. Thanks to Abbie, Alexandra, Evan, Julia, Kelsey, Molly, Natalie, Olivia, and Rileigh for attending! Please read some of the comments about the book below, taken from the author's website.

Throughout Wonder, Auggie describes the way that many people react to seeing his face for the first time: by immediately looking away. Have you ever been in a situation where you have responded like this to seeing someone different? Having now read Wonder, how do you feel about this now? 

 -I have looked at someone weirdly (on the subway). After having read the book, I know that there are two sides to every story and will try to keep my feelings to myself.
-I saw a girl with a skin condition at a museum and I couldn't stop staring at her. 
-I remember when I was little and there was a girl at a store. She had burned skin and casts all over. I screamed and hid. Now I try not to do things like that.
-I was a playing street hockey outside of my house. A girl walked outside of my house walking a dog. The dog was all scratched up and missing fur. I was staring at it and then I could see that the owner was looking at me.
-Once, I saw a man whose eyes were moving all over the place. I was staring at him and screamed a bit. Now, I would try to keep my feelings to myself.
-Everyone agreed that they would apologize to the people that they had stared at before.


How would you describe Auggie as a person in the first few chapters of the book? What about the final few chapters? Has he changed significantly? Are there any experiences or episodes during the story that you think had a particular effect on him? If so, how?

-I think people got used to his face toward the end of the book. He wasn't as sad anymore.
-I think he changed a lot. One of the events that changed him was when the other kids beat him and Jacob in the woods during the field trip. 
-I think that at the beginning of the book, Auggie was pretty babyish. After he went to school, he learned about life, friendship and other stuff people learn.
-I think that he relied on his mom too much at the beginning of the book. He didn't have much of a life of his own. But when they got beat up in the woods, everyone sort of rallied around Auggie. People became much more friendly.
-In the beginning, Auggie didn't really know what to expect in the real world. He didn't know the reality of life. In school, he learned about friendships.
-I have to agree. AugustI didn't have a life before he went to school. His parents and sister always took care of him so he didn't have to do anything for himself.
-At first, no one stood up for August. Even the kids who were asked to be friends with August weren't great to him. By graduation, he was rewarded. All of the people cheering for him made a big difference. People who took the time to get to know him ended up liking him.


Look at the emails between Mr Tushman, Julian’s parents and Jack’s parents in the chapter ‘Letters, Emails, Facebook, Texts’. Up to this point in the story we have seen how the children at Auggie’s school have reacted to him. Is Mrs Albans’ attitude towards Auggie different? What do you make of her statement that Auggie is handicapped? Do you think she is correct in saying that asking ‘ordinary’ children, such as Julian, to befriend Auggie places a burden on them?

-It's not too much pressure to ask someone to be friends with someone. 
-I don't think that it's pressure because all he's asking is for someone to be nice to him at the beginning of school.
-I don't think it's bad to be friends with someone. Some of the characters were really mean to Auggie.
-I imagined a kid at our school as being kind of like Auggie. That's what I thought about when I read this.
-There was a consensus that no one liked Mrs. Albans.


The precepts (rules to live by) from the book:

"When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind."   —Dr. Wayne Dyer
"Your deeds are your monuments."   —Inscription on ancient Egyptian tomb
"Have no friends not equal to yourself."   —Confucius
"Fortune favors the bold."   —Virgil
"No man is an island, entire of itself."   —John Donne
"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."   —James Thurber
"Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much."   —Blaise Pascal
"What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful."   —Sappho
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."   —John Wesley
"Just follow the day and reach for the sun."   —The Polyphonic Spree

"Everyone deserves a standing ovation because we all overcometh the world."   —Auggie Pullman


Precepts that some of the Book Club members shared:

"Keep your bad feelings about other people to yourself. Think about how you would feel if you were that person."

"Treat others how you want to be treated."


"Every once in awhile shine a little."

"Everything in the world deserves some sort of animal love in their life. Also some animal hate. With all good comes bad."

"Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you."

"Always obey Evan."

"Always be kind, not goody-two shoes."

"If you were to choose being happy or always right, choose happy."

"Hope."


The next Grades 3-4 Book Club will meet on Wednesday, May 7th at 3:00 p.m. We will be discussing A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.
"In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches. Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after."- summary

May Grades 3 & 4 Book Suggestions

One-Third Nerd by Gennifer Choldenko "Fifth grade is not for amateurs, according to Liam. Luckily, he knows that being more than one-t...