October Grades 3-4 Book Club: Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater

In October, we met to discuss Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater. Cadence, Cameron, Clare, Ellie, Eloise, Isabella, Linden, Sage and Spencer were present. This is what we discussed.

Because of a Unicorn Incident at her school (it was an accident!), Pip is spending the summer with her Aunt Emma at the Cloverton Clinic for Magical Creatures. At first, it’s all fun, games, and chatting with Hobgrackles, but when Fuzzles appear and start bursting into flame at the worst possible places, Pip and her new friend Tomas must take action. If the mystery of the Fuzzles isn’t solved soon, both magical and unmagical creatures are going to be in a lot of trouble! 

The foreword in Pip’s guide says, “a good researcher will continue to study and discover magical creatures across the globe.” Name a topic that would make you want to trek around the globe to learn more. 

-Horses
-Magical creatures but more varieties in this book
-Landmarks
-Animals
-Pro-skaters and Super Crown
-Animals

Bubbles says that Tomas and Pip seem to be the same kind of weird. How are you and your friends the same kind of weird? 

-Nolan and I are the same kind of weird because we do funny Pokemon trades and tell jokes to each other.
-Erin and I both want to be fashion designers so we talk about fashion a lot
-A friend of mine and I make a mess in my backyard.
-My friend Emily and I are both interested in the same thing.

The illustration on page 20 shows the many items Pip carries in her pockets. What items would you carry in your pockets? 

-Cookies
-Magic staff, instant mechanical weapons, strange cookie used for training dragons, mini-snack machine, a small time machine, a phone that can remember anything in the whole world, the African savanna shrunken, knife, armor, magical gear
-Flashlight, cell phone, batteries
-Phone, bubble gum, hair tie
-Techdeck, miniature skateboard that can turn into a larger skateboard, spare hats, button that can turn into a mansion
-Spy watch, spy pen, spy suit, spy glove/bracelet 


Pip likes interesting things, but Tomas is pretty sure he is allergic to interesting things. Discuss the similarities and differences between Pip and Tomas. 

-Different because Tomas has over 300 allergies, floats in the air when a magical creature is nearby
-Tomas doesn't have a ponytail
-Pip loves magical creatures and Tomas is allergic to them; Pip can talk to magical creatures while Tomas cannot
-Pip isn't afraid of anything and Tomas is afraid of everything



Why do you think Pip is so surprised that her aunt trusts her with Regent Maximus? 

-After the "Unicorn Incident", Pip thought that no one would trust her with magical animals anymore

Most people think of Fuzzles as “pests,” but Pip realizes that they want to be treated like “pets.” Think of a pest that would make a good pet in real life. Explain. 

-A skunk would make a good pet. They don't do anything to cause mischief.
-A skunk would be a good pet because it could drive predators away with the threat of a stink bomb.
-A mouse could make a good pet because they're cute.
-Termites would make a good pet because they could show you how to burrow and dig.
-Ants would make good pets because they would clean up your mess.
-Vultures eat a lot of meat so they would eat any meat leftovers you have and maybe vegetable too.
-Praying Mantis
-Spiders


How do Tomas’s allergies end up helping? 

-The Grim that was eating the Fuzzles was found because Tomas was flying in the air
-In the beginning, when Pip first met Tomas, he used his eyedrops to extinguish the flames.
-In the end of the story, Tomas was floating in the air and was able to find the Grim



How is Regent Maximus different from the unicorns at Pip’s school? 

-The unicorns at the school were show-offs who were just interested in getting attention. Regent Maximus is scared of everything.

What is your favorite magical creature in the book? Why?

-I liked Bubbles because he's grumpy like me (especially in the mornings)
-Baby Grim because he's cute
-I liked the Grim
-Fuzzles because they were cute and added to the plot, the baby Grim is a cute mix between a puppy and a ninja dog
-The Grim because he's big and black but he's also a baby and that's cute
-I liked the Fuzzles because they are cute.


In November, we will be reading A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd. 

The Pickles are new to Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, a town which legend says was once magic--but Felicity is convinced the magic is still there, and with the help of her new friend Jonah the Beedle she hopes to bring the magic back.

Please pick up your copy of the book at the Circulation Desk. Don't forget to sign up each month for Book Club so that Miss Lisa knows how many people need to be fed!

November Grades 3-4 Book Club Suggestions

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Thirteen is when a Beaumont’s savvy hits—and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, Mibs Beaumont is eager to see what she gets. But just before the big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. And now all Mibs wants is a savvy that will save him. In fact, Mibs is so sure she’ll get a powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus with her sibling and the preacher’s kids in tow. After this extraordinary adventure—full of talking tattoos and a kidnapping—not a soul on board will ever be the same.


A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd


Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.

But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster.

Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.



Jack: The True Story of Jack & the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff

All his life, Jack has longed for an adventure, so when giants turn up in the neighbor's cabbage patch, he is thrilled! Soon Jack is chasing them to a land beyond the clouds, with his little sister, Annabella, in tow. The kingdom of giants is full of super-sized fun: puddings to swim in, spoons to use as catapults, monster toads to carry off pesky little sisters. . . . 

But Jack and Annabella are on a mission. The king of the giants has taken something that belongs to them, and they’ll do anything—even dive into a smelly tureen of green bean soup—to get it back.

September Grades 3-4 Book Club: Nurse, Soldier, Spy by Marissa Moss

For September's Book Club, we read Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, A Civil War Hero by Marissa Moss. Cadence, Cameron, Eloise and Lillian were present.

Why did Sarah Emma Edmonds start dressing as a man? 

-Because she wanted to go to war.
-She dressed as a man because she was escaping from an arranged marriage. 


What did she do as a man that she couldn’t as a woman? 

-She fought in the war.
-She was in the army.
-She was able to travel freely.


Imagine what a woman’s life was like in the 1860s. What things do you think women can do today that they couldn’t then? 

-They can go into the army.
-They can walk down the street without anyone else.
-Women can vote.
-They can be president.
-They can wear comfortable clothes.
-Women can wear pants.
-Women don't have to wear corsets.


Why did Sarah Emma Edmonds enlist in the Union Army? 

-Because she wanted to live like a boy.
-She wanted to help the army.
-She wanted to be in combat.


Why did other women disguise themselves as men in order to enlist? 

-The women dressed up so that they could be with their husbands.



What kind of character do you think Sarah Emma Edmonds had? Describe her personality. 

-Serious.
-A good person because she helped people.
-She was brave. Dangerously brave. Exquisitely brave.
-Fierce.


If you wanted to learn more about the Civil War or Sarah Emma Edmonds, where would you look?

-A biography.
-On the internet.

Rate this book between 1 and 5 with 5 being the best.

-4
-5
-4
-4


In October, we will be reading Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater. We will be meeting on Wednesday, October 14 at 3:00 p.m. Books will be available behind the Circulation Desk. Please register for the Book Club at the Desk so that Miss Lisa can buy enough snacks!

October Grades 3-4 Book Club Suggestions

Life of Zarf: The Trouble with Weasels by Rob Harrell

Love fractured fairy tales? Zarf is a troll who lives among fairy tale characters. After the King goes missing, Zarf’s arch nemesis, Prince Roquefort, takes over the kingdom. Zarf must team up with his best friends to save the day. 

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgrin

Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a flair for the outrageous that seems to lead to one adventure after another!

Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater

An exciting new series full of magical creatures, whimsical adventures, and quirky illustrations. Pip is a girl who can talk to magical creatures. Her aunt is a vet for magical creatures. And her new friend Tomas is allergic to most magical creatures. When things go amok -- and they often go amok -- Pip consults Jeffrey Higgleston's Guide to Magical Creatures, a reference work that Pip finds herself constantly amending. Because dealing with magical creatures like unicorns, griffins, and fuzzles doesn't just require book knowledge -- it requires hands-on experience and thinking on your feet. For example, when fuzzles (which have an awful habit of bursting into flame when they're agitated) invade your town, it's not enough to know what the fuzzles are -- Pip and Tomas also must trace the fuzzles' agitation to its source, and in doing so, save the whole town.

August Grades 3-4 Book Club: The Terrible Two by Jory John and Mac Barnett

For August's Book Club, we read The Terrible Two by Jory John and Mac Barnett. Those attending were Andrew, Cadence, Eloise, and Henry.  Here are our thoughts...

Who if your favorite character in the story? Why?:

-Niles because he's pretty funny at first. He's a serious character and it's pretty impressive how he tricks everybody by making them think he's a goody-two-shoes.
-Stuart because he just goes along with everything, even when he's been pranked. He thinks everything is funny. 
-I like how Stuart only yells certain words. 
-I kind of like Miles. He was the main character but he didn't go big with his pranks.


Did you feel bad for Miles when he moved to a new town and realized that his role of prankster had already been taken?:

-A little bit bad. He didn't want to move and then he wasn't the thing that he thought he'd be when he got to the new town.

Do you think that Principal Barkin was a good principal? Why or why not?: 

-Because he blamed Miles for stuff he didn't do.
-He wasn't a good guy but I bet if you were a principal and all of these bad things happened, you might act a little bit like Principal Barkin might did. Principal Barkin was somewhat justified in thinking that the new kid did it.
-He was horrible. Some of the people before him as well. No one ever canceled school even if the situation called for it.


What was with Josh Barkin getting away with being a bully? Why was he allowed to be so mean to other kids?

-Because his dad is the principal.
-He didn't know that his kid was bad. Whenever he was with his dad, he acted nice and innocent.
-No one ever bothered telling on Josh because they knew he wouldn't get in trouble.

Have you ever pranked someone? Did it turn out like you planned?

-I was at my friend's house and he and I put ice water in balloons on a string and cut the string to land on people who then fell on a blanket. It only worked out okay. The water balloons missed them but a bucket of water hit them. They were mad.



Do you think that Miles and Niles's final prank was a good one? Why or why not? 

-Uh, yeah. Because they can't get down stairs.
-It was well-planned but not good. Cows to miss a school day? It's a big risk. All that planning.
-Yeah, because the cows couldn't get out. They finally missed a day of school.
-They covered their tracks well.



If you could change a scene in the story, which one would it be? Why?:

-Everything was kind of necessary in the book.


Are you excited to hear that this is a series and there will be more adventures for Miles and Niles?


-I wouldn't read more.
-They could add more main characters.
-It's hard to top stuffing a ton of cows in the school.
-Less cows for the next prank.

Please rate this book from 1-5, with 5 being the best:

-4
-3
-3.5
-2

Here's a link to making your own Prankster's Notebook: https://www.abramsbooks.com/pdfs/academic/terrible_two_activities.pdf

The book for the next Book Club meeting is Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds  by Marissa Moss. We will be meeting on Wednesday, September 9th at 3:00 p.m. Copies of this book will be available behind the Circulation Desk within the next few days. Please come with recommendations for October's Book Club selection. Thanks!

September Grades 3-4 Book Club Suggestions

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his own way.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.

Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero by Marissa Moss

A story of a nineteen-year-old woman who disguised herself as a man to avoid an unwanted marriage and who distinguished herself as a male nurse during the Civil War, and later as a spy for the Union Army.

July Grades 3-4 Book Club: Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

In July, we discussed Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff. Andrew, Clare, Ellie, and Owen were present. Please find some of the comments about the book below. 


1. In the magical kingdom where Rump is set, a name determines a person's destiny. How do you think names affect people? If you had a different name, do you think that you or your life would be different?
-I think that I would have a different destiny if my name were different. When you have a bad name, you probably won't have as good as a destiny as other people.
-In the book, only one person could have a name, like Red.




2. Rump thinks that he isn't smart, mostly because of his name. Do you agree? Does Rump's belief about himself change how he sees the world? How does this affect the choices he makes?
 
-When Rump goes on the journey to rescue Opal, he gets courage even though he has his name. He does make smart decisions.
-I don't think he's stupid at all. He makes good decisions sometimes.
-The bullies are not being smart.




3. What events or actions from the original Grimm Brothers' tale of Rumpelstiltskin are explained or clarified in Rump? What liberties did the author take in changing the original tale?


-It adds more details to the story.
-This one is definitely different.
-Red. The pixies. The gold. Red's granny.
-Yonder and Beyond.


4. The original Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale is written from the third-person point of view, while Rump is written from Rump's first-person point of view. How does that affect the two stories and what we understand about them? How might point of view affect other stories, or even history?


-In the third person, it often moves to a different character. In the first person, it stays with the same character. If you do third person, you learn from different perspectives. In first person, you learn more detail.
-Rump talks about his destiny, which you wouldn't know in third person.
-In the original story, Rumpelstiltskin's reasons for doing things are not obvious.




5. What are pixies? Would you consider them to be helpful or harmful? How does their presence change the story or cause certain events to happen?


-The pixies are little fairy things. They are both harmful and helpful. They bite but they can help you find gold. They are greedy.
-Near the end, Rump finds their helpfulness.
-The pixies are pests. They change though. They used to sing and dance and be happy but now they are just pests trying to find gold because there is so little gold for them to find.
-They are like little fleas trying to steal your gold. They try to bite. They are harmful and they are harmful.




7. Throughout the story, there are many secrets that are kept and revealed. Instances of someone keeping an important secret from someone else. What reasons do each of these characters have for keeping a secret? Does trying to keep the secret accomplish what each character hoped it would?


-I think that not telling Gran about the gold was hurtful because she had so much stress and she died.
-I wouldn't trade the gold to the fat greedy miller.
-I would say that Rump should have traded with someone nice. Rump kept going back to the greedy miller who wouldn't have given him a better bargain.



8. What other fairy tales were mentioned in Rump? 

-The Witch of the Woods
-Red is Little Red Riding Hood


10. Do you think that the author should write a sequel or companion book to Rump?

-No
-Yes



11. On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate Rump?

-7
-10
-9.5 
-10

We will be meeting on Wednesday, August 5th at 3:00 p.m. to discuss The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John. Please remember to sign up at the Circulation Desk when you pick up your copy of the book!

Miles Murphy is not happy to be moving to Yawnee Valley, a sleepy town that’s famous for one thing and one thing only: cows. In his old school, everyone knew him as the town’s best prankster, but Miles quickly discovers that Yawnee Valley already has a prankster, and a great one. If Miles is going to take the title from this mystery kid, he is going to have to raise his game.

It’s prankster against prankster in an epic war of trickery, until the two finally decide to join forces and pull off the biggest prank ever seen: a prank so huge that it would make the members of the International Order of Disorder proud.