December Book Club: The Hobbit

For December and January's Book Club, we read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Ben, Harry and John were present and Andreas participated virtually. Here are our thoughts…

Ben: The songs are very detailed and if you listen (or read) them, you can find out a lot about the story.

Harry: It's an interesting mix of excitement and jokes and funniness.

John: I think that it seems like the story is really detailed so that sometimes it's hard to follow.

The book for the next Book Club meeting is The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien.We will be meeting on Wednesday, January 2 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss the rest of this book.

November 2012: Dead End in Norvelt

For November’s Book Club, we read Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos. Henry was present and Andreas participated virtually. Here are our thoughts…

What kind of person is the main character? How do you know?

Andreas: Jack is kind of an excited person because he was so happy when he got the three cards that gave him chances to do fun stuff and he got in the hang of writing the obituaries and was very focused and it seemed like he liked the obituaries because he made his own about a deer. He is also freaked out by dead bodies that he sees.

Harry: He's hard to describe. A little bit nerdy and has a little bit of a problem being tough. He has a problem with his bloody noses. He's weak and, like me, doesn't want things to be killed. This book really highlights that killing is bad. His dad's quote about being face to face with an enemy and preferring to shake their hand than shoot them is really appropriate. Just like he did. I wish that Cameron could be here to hear this description.

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

Andreas: My favorite character is Jack because it seemed like he was interested with the obituaries. He also let Ms. Volker perform a little "surgery" that he was afraid of. Jack is also taking risks to have fun without his mother watching him.

Harry: My favorite character...that's hard to say. I'm going to say that I really like Jack because he's the closest character to me in the story. I really liked Bunny because she's really funny. The way that she acts is what is so funny. She's so small and she's always telling people to toughen up. If there weren't people who were wimpy, there would never be funny stuff in comics. People in the comics would never be able to say "Let's never do THAT again!". And "that was fun, let's do that the next millennium!".

Where did the book take place and why did the author decide on that setting? How did the setting play a role in the story?:

Andreas: The book took place in Norvelt, a small Eleanor Roosevelt town in PA. Without this setting, Ms. Volker wouldn't get her job because Eleanor Roosevelt hired her in Norvelt.

Harry: The setting was the most important thing in the story. It was in Norvelt, a dying town and everyone was giving up on it. People didn't think about marrying and staying in the town.

 

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

 

Andreas: I thought that this book was perfectly fine. Nothing really scared me at all. There was nothing that I didn't like.

Harry: I'm going to tell you when I finish it.

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

Andreas: 5

Harry: I'm going to tell you when I finish it.

Any more thoughts?:

Harry: The car was probably one of the only upsides to being grounded because he was able to drive the car. The book, in general, wasn't that exciting. It didn't have enough excitement.

The book for the next Book Club meetings is The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien.We will be meeting on Wednesday, December 5 and Wednesday, January 2 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss this book. The December meeting will be to talk about our progress, any questions we might have, and to have a little holiday party. In January, we will discuss the book in full. 

October 2012: Pie by Sarah Weeks

For October’s Book Club, we read Pie by Sarah Weeks. Here are our thoughts…

If I could change one scene in the book, it would be:

Cam: When Alice and Charlie see the principal working out. It was so weird.

Harry: The same scene. I would change it so that the principal was trying to punch dead animals.

Ben: I would change the part where they describe Polly's dead body.

If I could be a character from this book it would be:

Cam: Charlie. Because he made a mixed up pie that ended up winning the Blueberry Award.

Harry: I would want to be the owner of the LARDO company because he's rich and got the recipe.

Ben: Lardo. Because he gets all of the tuna and sardines that he wants. It's cool that he gets all the food that he wants.

My favorite character is:

Cam: Lardo is awesome and a mystery. You don't know what force he has.

Harry:Lardo because he reminds me of Garfield.

Ben: Aunt Polly because her pie making skills are very valued in this age.

The character I wouldn’t want to bake a pie with is:

Cam: I wouldn't want to make a pie with Alice's mother because her pies look like dog vomit.

Harry: Alice's mom because they look and taste terrible.

Ben: I'm saying the same thing.

Were you confused by anything in this book?

Cam: Nope. It all cleared up by the end.

Harry: I was confused by how good friends Charlie and Polly were and Charlie ended up marrying Nora.

Ben: I was confused by how nice Polly was. I think it was a little obnoxious. I found it unrealistic.

The one character I would want to be happy forever is:

Cam: Alice, because her aunt died, her cat died, her parents died and she didn't marry, like Aunt Polly.

Harry: I can't say Alice, because she already is happy. Lardo because he wasn't always happy.

Ben: Lardo. Happy in Cat Heaven.

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

Cam: 4

Harry: 3.5

Ben:  4

If you were absolutely amazing at something, what would it be? Would you keep it a secret?:

Cam: Awesome soccer. I would keep it a secret and then surprise the Portuguese soccer team.

Harry: ESP. I would keep it a secret and become a superhero.

Ben: Awesome dance move. I would keep them a secret. I'd put myself on YouTube with my face blocked out.

Any more thoughts?:

Ben: I like Lardo. Lardo is cool.

The book for the next Book Club meeting is Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos. We will be meeting on Wednesday, November 7.

September 2012 - The Aviary

For September’s Book Club, we read The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell. Here are our thoughts…

If I could change one scene in the book, it would be:

Cam:

Harry: The moment that the spell is broken should be more suspenseful. There should have been a bigger time lapse to build tension.

If I could be a character from this book it would be:

Cam: I would want to be George when he was human because I like to take stuff apart and put it back together.


Harry:I would want to be one of the Glendoveer children in both forms. Probably George, because he can pick locks in both forms.

My favorite character is:

Cam: Frances in bird form because she got aggravated when she wasn't able to speak well. "More words!" and "think genius".

Harry: I really like Peter when his chirps because he sounds like he's doing his business. Just kidding. My real favorite character is Frances.

The character I wouldn’t want to share an aviary cage with is:

Cam: I wouldn't want to share an aviary with Clara because she's weird.

Harry: I wouldn't want to share with Mr. Booth because he's plain cruel and he'll try to hypnotize me.

Cam: I would want to share a cage with Mr. Booth because he would hypnotize me.

Were you confused by anything in this book?

Cam: I was confused by Jimmy.

Lisa: I was confused as to when and where the book took place. O'Dell finally mentioned the coast of Maine but they never gave a definitive date. Early 1900s.

(the boys then recreated scenes from the book as they would appear as a cartoon drawn by the guy who does the Simpsons)

The one character I would want to happy forever is:

Harry: Clara because she's had a rough life and she should be happy from now on.

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

Cam: 3.5

Harry: 3.5

We were both reluctant to read it in the beginning but it got our attention.

If you were trapped in the body of anything else, what would it be? What would be the advantages and limitations?:

Cam:  I would want to be an ostrich, bear, cat or elephant. Bear: big vs too big and you can't hide. Ostrich: stick head in sand vs can't fly. Cat: jump and climb up trees vs owners who pet you and try to pick you up. Elephant: trunk and shower whenever I want and I could squish anything vs being so big that everyone can see you coming

Harry: I would want to be a tiger. Cat's are some of the ultimate animals. Amazing mobility, amazing speed, amazing agility. Disadvantage: I would scare most people and maybe be hunted.

Any more thoughts?:

It was okay that the main character was a girl. There is usually more adventure with boy main character books. Boy characters get sucked into things, literally. We'd love to get sucked into cartoons and video games.

The book for the next Book Club meeting is Pie by Sarah Weeks. We will be meeting on Wednesday, October 3rd.

July 2012: The Search for Wondla

For July’s Book Club, we read The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi. Here were our thoughts…

Let's talk about how this book is sci-fi, quite different from what we usually read. Did you like the genre?

Emma: I like sci-fi. I read A Wrinkle in Time in school.

Did you like the fact that the book was partially illustrated, so that DiTerlizzi gave you a visual for most of the characters and places?:

Emma: Yes, because it's kind of so much out there that you don't know where to start. It's like movies where you have an idea but then see the movie and you can't remember what you had thought they looked like. +Re: Harry Potter. A great book to film.


If I could be a character from this book, it would be:

Emma: I don't know. Probably Eva because there's no one else like me.

If I could change one scene in the book, it would be:

Emma: In the beginning, they could have made it more understandable. It was a little confusing. I thought that you were thrown a little too quickly into the new world. The hook in the beginning was great.


Were you confused by all of the characters and locations?

Emma: Not really. When they met up with Rovender Kitt, the fact that he had the translator made everything easier to understand.

The one character I would want to happy forever is:

Emma: Otto. He was strange but sweet.  

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

Emma: I would rate this a 3.5. It's a good book but I've read a lot of other really good books.

 

Create your own alternate Earth. Who would populate it and what would it look like?:

Emma: A jungle of all plants. No rock ground; mossy ground. There would be a variety of creatures and there would be humans as well. The creatures would be mutated animals. Kind of like Egyptian creatures but more flowing, less strange. 

August 2012: The Mysterious Benedict Society

For August’s Book Club, we read The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Steward. Here were our thoughts…

If I could change one scene in the book, it would be:

Cam: I wouldn’t change anything about the book.

The character I wouldn’t want to share a bunk bed with is:

Cam: Constance because she’s pudgy and annoying.

If I could be a character from this book it would be:

Cam: I would want to be Kate because I want a bucket with everything in it. I want to Rainey because he’s a leader and he’s cool (and I like his hair) and I want to be Mr. Benedict because he’s smart and psychic-y.

Were you confused by anything in this book?

L: In the beginning, I was wondering why Sticky is all bald and why Milligan seems so sad. Also, is Milligan a shape-shifter?

The one character I would want to happy forever is:

C: I hope that Constance is happy forever.

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

C: 4 ½

Create your own “Society”. What would it have in it?:

C: I would make a Society  of soccer players consisting of my friends. It would be called Society of Cool-y Cooperative Extravagent Runners (S.O.C.C.E.R.). We would play soccer. If we were in England we’d play football. If you got bored of soccer, David Beckham would come from a secret passageway in order to motivate you.

Any more thoughts?:

I felt bad for Constance because she’s annoying but then people were won over because she finally yelled out something that made sense. This often happens with characters in books.

I think that Mr. Curtain’s plan is very well-thought out and planned in advance. He didn’t know what was going to happen but he was ready for it. The Benedict Society is going to kick some butt.

The book for the next Book Club meeting is The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell. We will be meeting on Wednesday, September 5th.

June 2012: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

For June’s Book Club, we read Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Here were our thoughts…

If I could change one scene in the book, it would be:

Gage: I’d change the first part of the book.

Cam: I wouldn’t change anything; it was close to perfect. I liked how the two stories came together at the end. I liked that Rose was related to Ben. The picture of the old woman in Ben’s story was interesting.

Harry: I would change the part where Ben’s ear was struck by lightning.

Cam: I thought that part was cool…the part where Ben got on the bus to go to NYC was far-fetched. The third part is where you put clues together. The other two parts put the mysteries together.

Did you like how the story was part in words and part in pictures?

Wonderstruck is cool how there is a whole story told in pictures.

The character I wouldn’t want to share a storage closet with is:

Cam: Jamie. He was kind of stupid. He took too many photos.

Harry: I liked Jamie but not exactly.



If I could be a character from this book it would be:

Gage: I would be Ben because he was the main character.

Harry: Rose isn’t as important.

Cam: Rose is the most important because the rest of the story wouldn’t have happened without her.

Cam: I wouldn’t want to be Ben’s mom since she got in a car accident.


Let’s talk about artwork in this book:

Harry: The drawings were awesome. They are very realistic.

Cam: The thicker the book, the cooler the drawings.

Were you confused by who Walter was?

Cam: I had bad visions of a guy named Francesco with a huge mustache who went by the name Walter as well.

Harry: Walter was scary when you didn’t know that it was Rose’s brother.

The one character I would want to happy forever is:

Cam: The mom. She knows that her son will be happy so that will make her happy. She’d be happy that he has family again.

Harry: I want Ben to live happy forever. Rose has already been happy.

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

Cam: 4 ¾ because I didn’t like Jamie always taking photos. He’s one dimensional.

Harry: 3 or 4

Create your own museum. What would it have in it?:

Harry: It would be a museum of the most amazing scientific things in the world. Dinosaurs, aliens. I would put my museum on Mars. One half in NYC and one in Mars. A spaceship train would go from NYC to Mars.  It would exist in 3010 and you’d have to take a time-warp to go visit it.

Cam: I would have a sports museum. I would have the uniforms of the most legendary players (Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth). In each section, there would be one thing that didn’t belong (a lacrosse stick in the hockey section).  My museum would be in New Jersey. When I visit my aunt and uncle in NJ, we keep going to the same places. I want someplace new to visit; my own museum.

So, the response to Selznick's latest was overall positive. Andreas thought that the pictures were amazing and that the New York City locale was awesome. On a scale of 1-10, he rated the book a 9.9! All the boys are excited to see Wonderstruck turned into a movie, much like his book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

In July, we will be reading The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi. In August, we’ll read The MysteriousBenedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.  

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

This is what I would do or be if I were a twelve year old boy genius like Artemis Fowl:

Harry- I would probably try to figure out all of the stuff that the CIA, FBI, and other government keeps to themselves. I would know what everyone has wanted to know for years, and years, and years, and years. I would try to figure out all of people's biggest wonders and figure out what people want to know and haven't found out about. Do aliens exist, do ghosts exist, can you make anti-gravity? (Cam's idea for aliens is to switch their brains for Jello-O). I would figure out what is going to destroy the world first? What natural disaster will destroy it first? I would also make traveling by map real, like in the Muppets.

Cameron- I would do stuff for my own good, like I would somehow think of a mind-control device that made everyone do everything I said. I would rule over 51% of the earth and seize control of the world. After I was done with that, I will design a real Death Star and speak like a mix between Darth Vader and Kermit. The Muppets would be real, living creatures under my control. They would entertain me when I wanted them to. And Tintin would be my personal bodyguard. I would make a machine that would make everything from books come alive (only the stuff I want).

Ben K.- I would recreate a real-life Portal gun. That means that I can travel anywhere in the world. I would try to take control of the world by making a mind-controller and using my Portal gun everywhere I went.

Ben J.- I would be the Einstein of the 21st century. That means that I would not look like him but do things like him. The reader can fill in the blanks of what I would do.

Artemis Fowl was a good book.

The Book Club book for June is Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Come by the library and pick up your copy from behind Miss Lisa's desk. We will be meeting on Wednesday, June 6th at 3:00 p.m. Snacks will be provided.

April 2012: Holes by Louis Sachar

Harry, Andreas, and I met in-person and virtually in order to discuss Holes by Louis Sachar.

We decided to run this session a little differently by creating a sequel to the book that we read. In this way, we were able to talk about the book, discuss it, and really interpret what we had read. Here's our sequel to Holes:


Piles: "Every Hole has to have a Pile. And who knows, that pile could be IMPORTANT."


Remember the pig song from Holes? There's a code in that song that leads to a treasure. Stanley has discovered the code but there's one problem...the Warden has broken out of jail and she knows the code too. It's a race against time to find the treasure before she does. With a few friends and all of his wits, Stanley might just make it.

Did the evil, nasty Warden go to jail? Yes, she did. Her punishment was that she had to dig holes. Justice indeed. But she ended up digging a hole right out of her jail cell. She is the bad guy of this story as well. The Warden is still obsessed with finding treasure. She finds out that the pig lullaby unlocks some kind of secret. Stanley and some of his friends (including Zero) find that out too and try to get to the treasure first.

One of the answers to the pig lullaby has to do with the foot fungus that Clyde Livingston had. There are all sorts of different clues. You can find them in the most unlikely (and gross) places: "Who knows? The clue might be in your shoe!"

Our story starts a few months after the premiere of the foot fungus commercial. Sploosh! Stanley and his whole family have had a change in their luck. He has discovered why this has happened. This is the story.

(SPOILER: There was something inside Kate Barlow's treasure chest. There was a powder that coated the treasure and sprayed out when the chest was opened. The more powder that the person who opens the chest inhales, the more luck s/he gets. The powder is being held in all sorts of fancy bottles that are worth a lot of money. A few of the bottles have broken and that's what spit out at Stanley when he opened the chest. Now he's got some great luck. Everyone is racing to find the source of the powder. It's go something to do with the onions found on on God's Thumb.)

...to be continued...

Do you guys like Harry's story so far? He still needs to work on more details but I think he's got a great start!

Be sure to tune in next month to find out what we all think of Artemis Fowl. That book has a sequel already but maybe we'll make up our own!

March 2012: Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet

March's Children's Book Club selection was Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet by Kirk Scroggs.

Please note that this blog was written by the Book Club participants and transcribed by Miss Lisa.

This funny book tells the story of Danvers Blickensderfer and how he becomes a Muppet. Danvers is a big fan of Gonzo and one day he goes to bed and wakes up as his hero! There are a lot of adventures in store for the kid who is considered the class weirdo. Danvers is always bugged by his gnat of a sister, Chloe. When Chloe sells Danvers' transformation story to the networks for money ($$$!!!), he is upset. But when she ends up filling out an application for him to be a Muppet Intern and he gets in, he's pretty excited (although Chloe just did it in order to make more money off of Danvers). Once Danvers starts Muppet School, he meets Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Rizzo the Rat, and...his hero, Gonzo!!!! Yay! Be sure to read Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet in order to find out what adventures Danvers and his new friends have.

Our third and fourth grade readers really enjoyed this funny book. We worked together on fill-in-the-blanks of "the character I wouldn't want to share a bunk bed with is____" and "create your own Muppet". The answers were pretty funny and interesting. (unfortunately, I have to adlib now because this part of the blog didn't save!) Harry thought that some of the characters were hilarious, though he wouldn't want to be any of them. Cameron created a Muppet who is party bunny/party razor paws. Andreas liked the story because it was filled with Muppets. And Ben felt that this was a well-told story and he didn't want us to give away too much in the review/blog.

All in all, our reader response to this book was good. It averaged a 4.25 out of 5 stars.

All Book Club sessions are held on the first Wednesday of the month from 3:00-4:00 p.m. The book for April's Children's Book Club, to be held on April 4th, is Holes by Louis Sachar. May's Club will be held on May 2nd and we'll discuss Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer. The book for June's Children's Book Club, to be held on June 6th is Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Books will be ordered in advance by Miss Lisa and held behind the Circulation Desk. Please be sure to come in and pick up your copy before each meeting!

February Book Club: Wonkenstein

February's Children's Book Club selection was Wonkenstein: The Creature in My Closet by Obert Skye.

This quick read tells the story of Robert and what happens when his very messy closet gets out of hand. Robert lives with him mom, dad, older sister Libby and younger brother Tippin (Kevin). Robert is a good kid but he tends to let his closet be the place that he throws everything: discarded science experiments, books he's never read, clothes, and just junk. What happens when all of that stuff melts together to create a creature totally out of his control? Wonkenstein, that's what. This little guy who is half Frankenstein/half Willy Wonka creates trouble for Robert but also helps him discover things about himself.

Our third and fourth grade readers really enjoyed this book. We worked together on fill-in-the-blanks of "the character I wouldn't want to share a closet with is____" and "create your own character from a mix of literary characters you've read about". The answers were pretty funny. Andreas wouldn't want to share a locker with Robert (probably because he's so messy!) while Cameron created a creature who is part headless Hansel and Gretel/part unicorn/part butterfly monster. Ben wouldn't want to share a closet with Miss Lisa, though he didn't explain why. :)

All in all, our reader response to this book was good. It averaged a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The book for March's Children's Book Club, to be held on Wednesday, March 7th from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. is Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet by Kirk Scroggs. Hope to see you there!

January Book Club - Grades 3-4

January's Children's Book Club selection was Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice, and Destructive Properties of Deception by Gary Paulsen.

This amusing tale tells the story of Kevin, a perpetual liar who thinks that his lies are told for the good of everyone. When Kevin develops a crush, his lies know no limits so that he can pursue the girl of his dreams. Soon, Kevin lies have his friends, family, and teachers at odds with each other and with him. When the truth comes out, can Kevin admit his mistakes and make it up to everyone? And will this latest whopper be his last?

Our third and fourth grade readers really enjoyed this book. We worked together on fill-in-the-blanks of "the character I wouldn't want to share a locker with is____" and "What's the worst lie you have ever told? (Feel free to fib!)". The answers were both funny and enlightening. Harry wouldn't want to share a locker with Kevin, since he might take Harry's things and lie about it! And Cameron would like Jon Paul or Daniel on his soccer team since they are both very athletic and could help out his team. Andreas didn't get the worksheet but he commented on the book from NYC, saying that "the funny part was when Sarah and Daniel complain about not having their car". I agree with Andreas; Sarah and Daniel are always complaining!

All in all, our reader response to this book was good. It averaged a 3.45 out of 5 stars.

The book for February's Children's Book Club, to be held on Wednesday, February 1st from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.---NOTE THE CHANGE IN DAY AND TIME!!!---is Wonkenstein: The Creature from My Closet by Obert Skye. Hope to see you there!