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.!

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."

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.

Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer 

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.

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.

June Grades 3-4 Book Club: 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!

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.