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. 
     

January Grades 3-4 Book Club Discussion Suggestions

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.


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.

November Grades 3-4 Book Club: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

For November's Grades 3-4 Book Club, we read A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd. Cadence, Cameron, Camilla, Clare, Eloise, Ellie, Isabella and Jane were present. These are some questions that Scholastic.com recommended we discuss:

Felicity says that her mother’s storytelling voice is “like something between a summer breeze and a lullaby” (p. 2). How can someone’s voice help him or her tell a good story?

-It's always good when they use a voice that is appropriate to the story you are telling.
-If you are telling a sad story, you should use a sad voice. In a creepy story, you need to use a less-enthusiastic voice.

The people of Midnight Gulch possess different types of magic. What kind of magic would you want to have? Why?

-I would like to have shrinking magic and make food come out of nowhere so that I don't have to ask my mom for food. And make money pop up.
-Bringing things back from the dead but so that they don't look or act possessed.
-I want to change my hair to any color.
-I want to be able to run as fast as I want and make everyone else run slow.
-I would have super-speed.
-Flying powers.
-When I snap, things will fall from the sky.
-Invisibility.
-I have all the superpowers.   
-Taking over the world. I can order people to be my friends.  

Words are very important to Felicity. What are your three favorite words? What do these words make you think of?

-Spindilly (a spin with flying powers), skateboard,
-360, spindiddly, Jane
-Cupcakes, cookies, ice cream (they make me think of sugar)
-Sugar, ridiculous, me
-Spy, home, supercalafragaliciousexpeolodociuos

Felicity and her family move frequently. What do you think are some positive things about moving? What are some negative things? What words do you associate with “home”?

-Negative: leaving your friends behind
-Positive: if you didn't like the place you were living in before
-Negative: leaving your family behind
-Negative: not being able to sell your house
   

Can you think of anyone in your life who would need help from the Beedle? How could the Beedle make a difference?

-My dad could use help from the Beedle.
-Cleo needs help to stop smoking because she could get really sick and die.
-My dad because he works all the time.
-My grandma.

Felicity’s mother shares “a truth that feels so good, it’s like you hugged the summer sunshine” (p. 263). Describe your own factofabulous memory.

-Going to Alaska.
-Going to London.
-I like going to California and hanging out with my friends. I really love Connecticut.
-Going to Connecticut. Went to a skate spot and it started snowing. We kept skating though.
-Going to the Catskills.
-Going to Disneyland.
-Me and my dad hanging out in preschool.
-When I was in Vermont, my friend Miles and my sister Virginia trapped me in a box with a lid on it.
-Going to Washington, DC.
 

Felicity loves to collects words about people. Choose three words that best describe you. What would these words look like to Felicity?

-Cool with a backwards hat and a Volcom's stone. Cool, radical, skaterat
-Spy (blackish, darkish), weird (rainbows), generous
-Energetic (speed lines from cartoons with flags), awesome (bright red and block letters), and (just regular)
-Awesome (ice cream), reader (looks like books with wings), family (my family)
-Family (people), awesome (cats), nice (partly)
-Crazy (a person shaking their sillies out), loud (lines coming out of someone's mouth), the coolest person in the world (me)

Cleo says, “Only fools run away from what they fear” (p. 268). Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

-Felicity's mother is a fool because she runs away.
-I run away from spiders but I'm not foolish.

Ranking the book from 1-5, with 5 being the best: 

2-There was one 2
4-There were three 4s
5-There were four 4s  
 

December's Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, December 9 at 3:00 p.m. We will be reading  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.

Please be sure to sign up for Book Club at the Circulation Desk so that Miss Lisa knows how many snacks to buy for the group!

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!