March Grades 3-4 Book Club: The One and Only Ivan

For March's Book Club, we read the Newbery Medal winner, The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate. Cadence, Cameron, Claire, Dylan, Eleanor, Isabella, and Lillian were present. This is some of what we discussed, based on the publisher's reading guide.







1. Why does the sign for the Big Top Mall show Ivan as angry and fierce? 

-Because he is supposed to be a fierce gorilla from the wild
-It attracts people
-When silverbacks beat their chests, it is impressive


2. What are the characteristics of Stella and Bob that make Ivan call them his best friends? What do Ivan and Stella have in common? How are they alike, and how are they different? 

-Because Bob likes to sleep on Ivan's belly. 
-They will always be together, no matter what
-Ivan and Ruby are alike in that they both go to zoos
-They have been in domains for a long time
 

3. Discuss the special bond between Julia and Ivan. Why is she different from all the other children who come to see his shows? 

-Julia has always been there for him. The other kids leave and don't visit again. Julia and Ivan have a bond of friendship. 
-Ivan has always liked to paint ever since he was little. Julia always brings him pencils, crayons and paints. He likes her so much because she keeps believing in his art. Mack just wants to sell them.

4.Why is Ivan’s art important to Mack? Why is it important to Julia? 

-Mack just wants to sell it for money (with a frame). It's important to Julia because it's important to Ivan.
-Julia likes his paintings because she likes to paint too. Mack sells it for $60 with a frame. 


5. What is the importance of the television in Ivan’s cage? What does he learn from watching the television? Why does he like Westerns, and what does he learn from the nature shows? 

-One day he saw a gorilla on the TV. He had always thought he was the only one. But now he knows he's not.
-Because he loved his family and he wanted to see other pictures of gorilla.
-He learns about gorillas and he misses the wild. He starts to remember about Tag and all of the fun things he used to do. He remembered what he was named in the wild and Tag too.  -He liked Westerns because he learned about romance.


6. Why is Bob so independent? What events in Bob’s life have shaped his personality? How does Bob’s experience with humans compare to Ivan’s? 

-Bob got tossed out of a truck. He hides whenever people come. But he does like Ivan's furry tummy.
-Bob was thrown out of truck and into a ditch. He survived. 
-The poachers killed Ivan's parents and then his sister died of heartbreak.
-He lived with Mack before he was at the Big Top Mall.  

7. Compare the personalities of Mack and George. How are they alike, and how are they different? What is the meaning of “family” to each of them? 

-George is nice and kind to everyone. Mack was nice at first when he had his wife and raised Ivan as a baby. But, one day, his wife went out and he put Ivan in the domain. And then he became mean. When Ruby came along and he used the claw stick on her, that was mean.
-George is understanding of Ivan because he helped Julia put together Ivan's picture. 
-Family means "home". 
-George is very caring and he wants to keep his job and not get fired because his wife is sick.


8. Why does Ivan promise Stella that he will take care of Ruby when he knows how hard it will be to keep that promise? How does Ivan know that Stella is gone before anyone else does? 

-He wanted to make Stella happy.
-He knows that she's gone because they've been together for a long time. He knew that she was close to death.

9. Discuss the importance of memory in this story. How does Ivan’s perception change when he begins to remember more of his own history?  What was Ivan’s name in the forest? Why is it important for him to remember his name and his life as a baby gorilla? 

-Mud was his name. It was important to remember who he was because he almost forgot how to be a gorilla. But remembering helped him.




10. Why is Ivan reluctant to join the other gorillas when he arrives at the zoo? How does he learn to be a true gorilla? What does he need to do to be accepted by the others? How do you feel when you are in a situation with other children you don’t know? 

-He needs to act like a leader.
-He needs to act like a Silverback.
-He's nervous and scared. He hasn't been around other gorillas in a really long time. He's supposed to be a leader like his father was. 


11. Discuss the theme of belonging in this story, from the point of view of each of the characters. What is the meaning of belonging for each of them? What does the idea of belonging mean to you?

-Belonging to Ivan is being with Bob, Stella and Ruby.


On Wednesday, April 6, we will be meet in order to discuss Switch by Ingrid Law. This is the third companion book in the Scumble series. 

"Gypsy Beaumont's magical savvy switches to its opposite when she learns that her mean and decidedly non-magical grandma has Alzheimer's and is going to move in with her family" - summary

Please be sure to register for Book Club each month so that Miss Lisa knows how many snacks to buy! 

February Grades 3-4 Book Club: Scumble by Ingrid Law

For February's Book Club, we read Scumble by Ingrid Law. Cadence, Cassidy, Claire, Ellie, Isabella, Lillian and Maida were present. This is some of what we discussed, guided by questions on the author's website.


At the beginning of Scumble, readers learn that Ledger’s parents have postponed committing to attending Fish Beaumont’s wedding due to their fears about Ledger’s savvy. Of what are they afraid? Do you feel their fear is reasonable?

-It was close to his 13th birthday and his savvy of breaking things could have ruined everything. They were especially worried that he might ruin something at the ranch.
-Their fear was reasonable because it was a wedding.
-The book is awesome.

Ledger believes his father’s biggest dream is that Ledger’s savvy will make him lighting fast as a runner. Why does Ledger feel so disappointed when his savvy doesn’t give him this extraordinary ability? What does he fear about his father’s reaction?

-He feels like he's letting his dad down. He's not the good son his dad wished for.
-He thinks that his dad might get mad because he wanted to be able to run with him. And win the marathon.
-Ledger might also be disappointed because he wanted to be like his friend Brian.



Consider Uncle Autry’s ranch, the Flying Cattleheart. What are some specific elements about the ranch that make it so special? Is there a place that you find particularly magical and special? If so, explain what makes your place so important to you.



-The jars that Grandma Dollop has make it special.
-They have some of the endangered butterflies.
-Grandpa Bomba made the spot
-The tree that Sarah Jane's mom made
-They made a moat
-In Montana, at my Grandma and Grandpa's house, we have our own room of stuff to play with.
-I like Virginia because that's where a lot of my cousins are
-My special place is my bedroom because it's my place to be by myself sometimes
-Alaska because I have many relatives there
-I like going to my grandparents house because they have toys and an indoor pool
-The Newport Ice Skating Rink because I love to ice skate


Part of being a member of a “savvy” family is that “family rules said keep quiet” (p.4). Why is it so important that this “gift” remain a secret? What might be the consequences of others learning about the special savvies held by family members?  

-They might try to hurt the family members in order to find out more
-If a newsreporter finds out, they might put it in a newspaper and everyone will know about it
-They might murder them to find out why they have a savvy
-Someone could trick them into doing something that they wouldn't normally do
-They may be taken in to study them and their genes


Consider the savvies of Ledger’s extended family; if you could select one of these, which one would you chose? What makes that particular gift appealing to you? 

-Samson's invisibility because it would be good for hide and go seek
-I liked the mom in Ledger's family that could make anyone do whatever she wanted
-I would like to be like Rocket so when the power goes out, I can turn it back on
-I would control things with my hands and mind because I could scare people on Halloween


Ledger’s parents decide to leave him and his sister, Fedora, with Uncle Autry for a portion of the summer; what do you believe their motives are in doing so? Do you think they’ve made the right decision? 

-I wouldn't have left him there because they were wary of having Ledger go to the wedding in the first place
-He wrecked the barn


Describe Sarah Jane. Do you find her to be a likeable character? Why or why not? 

-Sometimes but sometimes not. She stole the jar.
-She's sassy
-She helped Ledger break into her dad's office
-She was so-so


Sarah Jane’s newspaper, the Sundance Scuttlebutt, is the source of much consternation on the part of her father. Why is he so determined to have Sarah Jane discontinue creating her work? 

-Because her savvy is writing and he doesn't want her knowing about it.


What can be guessed about Samson Beaumont’s choice to use his savvy—why do you believe he rarely “shows himself” to anyone but Grandpa Bomba? What does his willingness to be visible at the end of the story indicate?  

-He wanted to protect the butterfly house because Grandpa Bomba really liked it
-Samson isn't a child anymore


 
In what ways are Rocket and Ledger alike? How do these similarities interfere with their understanding of each other? 


-They destroy stuff so it's hard on them. They need to learn to control it.


Ledger’s sense of worth is largely based on what he believes his family expects of him. What are some specific things he does to slowly begin to believe in himself? What lessons do you believe Ledger learns along his journey?

-When he goes to the salvage yard, he learns to rebuild the motorcycle that he wrecked
-He learned to scumble his savvy.


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

-4
-3
-4 1/2
-4
-4 3/4


We will meet on Wednesday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m. for the next book club. We will be reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

"When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life." - summary

Please pick up copies of this book at the Circulation Desk and be sure to register so that Miss Lisa knows how many people to expect.

March Grades 3-4 Book Club Suggestions

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Kidsnatched from her orphange by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts with him a plan to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants.

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate 

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.

Switch by Ingrid Law

Gypsy Beaumont has always been a whirly-twirly free spirit, so as her thirteenth birthday approaches, she hopes to get a magical ability that will let her fly, or dance up to the stars. Instead, she wakes up on her birthday with blurry vision . . . and starts seeing flashes of the future and past. But when Momma and Poppa announce that her very un-magical, downright mean Grandma Pat has Alzheimer's and is going to move in with them, Gypsy's savvy--along with her family's--suddenly becomes its opposite. Now it's savvy mayhem as Gypsy starts freezing time, and no one could have predicted what would happen on their trip to bring Grandma Pat home . . . not even Gypsy. 

January Grades 3-4 Book Club: Savvy by Ingrid Law

In January, the Grades 3-4 Book Club met to discuss Savvy by Ingrid Law. Cadence, Cameron, Claire, Clare, Eleanor, Lillian, and Maida were present. This is what we discussed, guided by some Walden Media questions.






Mibs wishes, at least temporarily, that her savvy could “give [her] the muscle to turn nasty girls into slimy green frogs or to glue their mouths shut tight with a nod of [her] head.” (p. 17) Why do the girls in Mibs’s class make fun of her? What would you do in her place? 

-Because her name is Mississippi and they make rude names from that
-I would stick up for myself
-I would say "don't sass me," "don't call me names," and "don't be mean to me". I would also tell the teacher.
-Don't let words get you down so if I were Mibs

The Beaumonts have to keep their savvies a secret from everyone. Would that be difficult for you? Do you think everyone has a secret? Who would you trust with your big secrets? 

-I would trust God and my cat and dog
-I wouldn't trust my friends or family because they would tell
-My family and my cousins, my other cousins, my best friends
-Everyone has secrets
-I have a major secret
-I would tell a 99 year old because they would be dead soon 


Which scene in their wild adventure is your favorite?

-When Will kissed Mibs in the pool
-When Will and Fish are fighting
-When Will wondered if the turtle was alive or dead
-When Mibs woke her father up (2)
-When they got on the bus -When Bobbie reaches down to get the sandwich and Mibs saw the talking angel

 
In the last year, what have you, like Mibs, discovered about yourself? 


-I can climb over a wall
-I found out something important. I am an amazing butterflier.
-I'm really good at math
-I'm really good at sewing



How does Lill Kiteley end up on the bus? What would you say is her special know-how? How does she use that know-how during her time on the bus and how does it affect the passengers? 

-Lill is a hitchhiker (her car is broken down) and she got fired from her job and then she knew that when she left her boss on the floor of the diner, she knew she couldn't go home. 
-She is good at being kind.


How does Mibs’s relationship with Will and Bobbi change over the course of the adventure? Who do you think changes the most in the story? 

-Bobbi changes the most in the story because she starts out mean and then she ends up being a nice person. She goes from smirks to real smiles.

 
Fish and Rocket have a terrible time scumbling their savvies. Are there any parts of your own personality that you have a difficult time controlling? Is it better to tone down parts of yourself so that you fit in or is it more important to be yourself completely? 

-Be yourself.
-Be yourself.


What do you think makes Poppa wake up at last? Do you think it has anything to do with one of the Beaumont’s savvies?

-It's Mibs.
-Maybe it's all of the Beaumont's savvies combined!


Rate this book from 1-5, with 5 being the best.

-5
-4
-4
-5
-5
-4
-4 

On February 3, we will meet to discuss Savvy's companion book, Scumble.

Mibs's cousin Ledge is disappointed to discover that his "savvy"--the magical power unique to each member of their family--is to make things fall apart, which endangers his uncle Autry's ranch and reveals the family secret to future reporter Sarah.

Please be sure to pick up your copy of the book at the Circulation Desk and register for Book Club. Snacks will be provided but Miss Lisa needs to know how many to purchase!

February Grades 3-4 Book Club Suggestions

Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech

"You are now entering Ruby Holler, the one and only Ruby Holler! Your lives are never going to be the same—"

"Trouble twins" Dallas and Florida are orphans who have given up believing there is such a thing as a loving home. Tiller and Sairy are an eccentric older couple who live in the beautiful, mysterious Ruby Holler, but they’re restless for one more big adventure. When they invite the twins to join them on their journeys, they first must all stay together in the Holler, and the magic of the place takes over. Two pairs of lives grow closer and are changed forever.

The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein

What if your favorite characters came to life? Billy’s spending the summer in a lakeside cabin that belongs to the mysterious Dr. Libris. But something strange is going on. Besides the security cameras everywhere, there’s Dr. Libris’s private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the books inside, he can hear sounds coming from the island in the middle of the lake. The clash of swords. The twang of arrows. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It’s almost as if the stories he’s reading are coming to life! But that’s impossible . . . isn’t it? 


Scumble by Ingrid Law

It's nine years after Savvy, and Mibs' cousin Ledge is on the verge of turning thirteen. More than anything, he wants the power to run like the wind. But when his birthday comes, he discovers that his savvy is actually making things fall apart. It starts out with small things, but then it gets worse. To top it all off, someone outside the family has witnessed his destruction. Now, in addition to trying to figure out how to control - or scumble - his savvy, he's got to worry about how to protect the family secrets. Over the course of one amazing summer, Ledge learns a lot about himself and his family, makes a new - and very unlikely - friend, and learns to appreciate his newfound skills.

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

"If May is a brave, stubborn fighter, the short, free-verse lines are one-two punches in this Laura Ingalls Wilder-inspired ode to the human spirit," raved Kirkus Reviews in a starred review. 

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

December Grades 3-4 Book Club: Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff

For December's Book Club, we read Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff. Cadence, Cameron, Claire, Ellie, Maida, Jane and Spencer were present. We based our discussion on some suggestions from Penguin Publishing.

How are the main characters in these stories the same and different from what you remember from other versions? 

-In the beginning, Annabella was all picky but then when Jack climbed up the beanstalk, she decided to be naughty too.
 -Even though all of the Jacks climb up the beanstalk, there are other characters that we haven't seen before like Martha and Tom Thumb.
-The Golden Hen is in a lot of stories.  


Are there any other ways that the author has transformed the fairy tale? 

-The giants are nice.
-The king is not called King Barf (jokingly).


If you do something “evil” to accomplish something “good,” is that okay? Use examples from the text.

-I think that it was good that Jack stole the hen because he was able to save both worlds by stealing.
-It was good that Jack stole the hen because the eggs had seeds inside of them which took energy from the rest of the world. 


Which character would you choose: 

As a friend? 

-Jack
-everybody
-pixies
-Tom
-Annabella
-Sir Bluberys
-the cappa (calf-papa)
-Jaber as Tom's dad   

To break you out of jail? 
-Jack
-Sir Bluberys (it would be so embarrassing)
-Jack because he's clever, and Jack, Tom and Annabella because they make a good team      
To pull you out of quicksand? 

-pixies because they can fly
-not the pixies because they don't like mud or dirt
-Jack because he has a rope around his waist
-Annabella because she made a rope out of grass
-giant because it would be so easy for them  
 
To go skydiving with?

-Sir Bluberys because he has the mule and that would be funny
-Annabella because the pixies can fly with her
-Annabella because she would take the pixies who could protect her
-I would take the pixies because they could help me if there was a problem
-a giant because then you could keep falling, jumping and skydive again
-I would take Annabella because the pixies would fly with her
-I would go with a giant with really long hair and do a swinging black flip onto a trampoline     
To visit you in the hospital? 

-Martha
-Martha
-too much cheese with Martha
-Sir Bluberys because he could injure himself and be okay
-Martha because she's the nicest and she would take care of me
-I would not go with pixies  

This week, we did some hands-on activities in which the kids became the creators. 

Fairy Tale Mash-Up: The club readers were challenged to write a fairy tale mash-up! Each child selected three fairy tale characters from a grab bag—characters from “Beauty and the Beast”, “Cinderella”, “Snow White”, “Hansel and Gretel”, “Peter Pan”, etc. Using Liesl Shurtliff’s technique in Rump and Jack as inspiration, the kids created their own stories that they told out loud. Here were the mash-ups with some interesting results!

Jack in the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Tinkerbell
Pinnochio, Gingerbread Man and Puss in Boots
Little Red Riding Hood, Malificent and a genie
Sneezy, Billy Goat Gruff and Fairy Good Mother  
Dorothy, Wendy, Troll from Billy Goat Gruff
Ariel, Stepsister, Rapunzel
Three Little Pigs, Prince Charming, Sleeping Beauty

We then did our own Fairytale Mad Libs story, with Miss Lisa taking suggestions for types of animals, colors, and senses from the kids. This is what we came up with.

Little Blue Riding Hood was walking through Rhode Island on her to way visit her sick mom who was home in bed with Ebola. Little Blue Riding Hood had a basket of cake and pizza and apple juice that she made herself. Her mother told her not to leave the path or talk to a poltergeist. But Little Blue Riding Hood didn't listen to her mother. She met the Big, Bad Rabbit and told him exactly where she was going. The Big, Bad Rabbit raced ahead to mom's house and tossed mom in the closet. Then he got into pants and slipped into bed.

When Little Blue Riding Hood arrived she said "Mom, what big legs you have!" "The better to smell you with my dear." Hood said "Mom, what big ears you have!" "The better to see you with my dear." Hood said, "and what a big face you have!" "The better to taste you with, my dear!" And then the Big, Bad Rabbit jumped out of bed and chased Little Blue Riding Hood all around the cottage until President Obama showed up and said "Hello, people of America." The big, bad Rabbit screamed and ran away and they all lived Happily Ever After.   


For January, we will be reading Savvy by Ingrid Law. This is a modern classic that proved very popular with Jamestown readers 6 years ago. Let's see if it holds up!

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy"--a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day. As if waiting weren't hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs's birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up--and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin. 

 We will be meeting on Wednesday, January 6 at 3:00 p.m. Please be sure to pick up your book at the Circulation Desk and sign up so Miss Lisa knows how many snacks to buy.