For October's Grades 3-4 Book Club, we read Bat and the Waiting Game by Elana K. Arnold. This is a sequel to A Boy Called Bat, which we read for last month's book club. Hunter, Isaac and Mark were present for today's discussion. Here's a little of what we talked about.
Please use one word to describe your first impression of Bat at the beginning of this book:
-thoughtful
-caring
-helpful
Who was your favorite character in Bat and the Waiting Game? Least favorite? Why?:
Who was your favorite character in Bat and the Waiting Game? Least favorite? Why?:
-I liked the skunk the most (Thor).
-I disliked Israel the most.
-I disliked Cornelia. She was just going along with Janie at that point.
What's your favorite scene of the story?:
-When the skunk sprayed the auditorium. The face that Janie made was great.
-Ditto. It was really funny.
-When Bat was working with the clay.
-I liked the scene with Babycakes.
Have you ever felt like Bat did when he first visited Israel's house: anxious about all of the new sights, tastes and sounds? How did you deal with your feelings?:
-Breathe in, breathe out.
-If I started to do something new, I'd feel like trying it.
Would you have been able to forgive Bat if you were Janie and Bat and Thor ruined your school play?:
-Probably.
-Yes, because I don't like school plays.
-If I was forced to be in a play, I would hope this would happen.
-Yes, because I don't like school plays.
-If I was forced to be in a play, I would hope this would happen.
Bat often has to wait for things, ie. his mother's decision about Thor, for Israel to get to school, for Janie's play to be over so things can go back to "normal." Do you think all of this waiting teaches Bat about patience and other people's feelings?:
-That waiting is annoying.
-He also had to wait at the baseball game. He learned about baseball.
-It was a lesson in that LIFE IS WAITING.
-He learned about being nicer to people.
How does Bat change by the end of the story? Is he a different person than when it started?:
-He learned to be patient. Don't do stupid stuff (like bringing a skunk to a play).
Do you think that there was a message in this book, beyond the story it told? What might the message be?:
Do you think that there was a message in this book, beyond the story it told? What might the message be?:
-Be nice and patient.
-To be understanding of people different from you.
Please use one word to describe your last impression of Bat:
-Patient
-Nicer
-No
-Caring
-Nicer
-No
-Caring
What did you think about the ending of the book? Do you think there will be a sequel?:
-Yes, because it ends with the play at home. There's a bunch of stuff they still need to tell us about.
There is a sequel! Will you be reading it?:
-Yes.
-Yes.
-Yes.
-Yes.
-Yes.
-I'm kind of done with his story.
Quote from Book Club today: What do you think that is? A rug wall???
For November's Book Club, we will be reading Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres:
"Seventh grader Estefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for her dad to get a normal job and for Tia Perla to be put out to pasture. It's no fun being known as the "Taco Queen" at school. But just when it looks like Stef is going to get exactly what she wants, and her family's livelihood is threatened, she will have to become the truck's unlikely champion. In this fun and multicultural middle grade novel, Stef will discover what matters the most, and ultimately embrace an identity that even includes old Tia Perla."--Publisher's website.
We will meet on Wednesday, November 14 at 3:00 p.m. Please be sure to register for book club at the Circulation Desk and pick up your copy of November's book!
