October Grade 3-4 Book Club : The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Newbery Award Winner The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, tells the story of Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall. One day, Ivan meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, and he decides that he must find her a better life.

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

Riley: Bob because he's funny and really small and cute and I love puppies.

Julia: Julia because she has the same name as me and she likes animals and art.

Abby: Ivan because you went through all of his emotions and you can go through his story with him.

Molly: I like Julia because she loves art and animals and she's really nice.

Natalie: Stella because she made the book emotional and made it better to me. She started the story.

Eva: I liked Stella because of how she took Ruby in as if she were her own.

Cecilia: I liked Ruby becasue she's small and cute like all of my cousins.

Hannah: I agree with Cece because she's so cute and tiny.

Kelsey: Ruby because she's a baby and babies are cute.

Hayden: I like Ivan.

Evan: Ivan because he's a gorilla like me.

Olivia: My favorite character was Bob because he's Bob.

James: George because he didn't listen to Mack and he wanted to help Ivan.

Who was your least favorite character?:

Everyone agreed that Mack was the worst character.

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

Molly: I wouldn't change a scene because the story is good as it is.

Eva: I would change how Stella dies. I would have her go to the vet first and get sent away.

Cecelia: I would change when Stella dies because it's too sad.

Abby: I would change where Ruby get stabbed by the claw stick. It made me not want to read more.

Riley: I agree with Abby. My brother told me that the book was sad and I didn't want to read more.

Natalie: I would change 2 parts: the claw stick and where Ruby has been chained on her way to the big top mall. I wish Ruby were happier in the beginning.

Abby: I would change where Stella had bracelets. To think that they chained elephants feet down was really sad.

Julia: I think that they should change how they had to be forced to balance a dog on their head. Imagine if someone forced you to have a person on your back.

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

James: 4.75

Olivia:4.75

Evan:4

Hayden: as far as I've read, I'll give it a 4.

Kelsey:4

Hannah: 4.6

Cecilia: 4.5

Eva: 3.75 (I thought that it included a lot of stuff that didn't need to be there. Stella didn't need to die.)

Natalie:5 (I liked it a lot and I thought Stella's death made the story better. Also, I liked how the characters were introduced. I liked them a  lot. The names fit the characters.)

Molly: 4.5

Abby: 4

Julia: 4

Riley: 4.83


The Grade 3-4 Book Club selection for November is Brother from a Box by Evan Kuhlman and illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. "Sixth-grader Matt Rambeau finds out what it is like to have a brother when his father, a computer genius, creates a robot kid that goes to school with Matt, shares his feelings and ideas, plays, does chores, fights for his "life" when chased by spies, and becomes a part of the family." - summary. Copies of the book will be available behind the Circulation Desk. Please remember to sign up for Book Club when you pick up your copy of the book.

NOTE: GRADES 3-4 BOOK CLUB WILL CONTINUE TO BE HELD AT 3 PM ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH. WE TRIED TO MOVE IT TO 4 PM BUT THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT 3 PM WORKS BETTER FOR EVERYONE. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!!

September Grade 3-4 Book Club : Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

National Book Award Winner Inside Out & Back Again, by Thanhha Lai, takes place in Saigon and Alabama during 1975, the Year of the Cat. The story follows a family of Vietnamese immigrants from their war-torn homeland to a country so foreign from anything they've known. Ten year old Ha struggles leaving behind all that is familiar to her. This is her story.

In order to truly appreciate Ha's journey, it's important to know what Vietnam was like during the war. Thanhha Lai did an amazing job of that in her writing. Below are a few pictures of scenes that Ha describes in her poems, especially in the poem "War and Peace":

"people climbing, screaming,
desperate to get on
the last helicopter
out of Saigon"

"burned, naked girl
running, crying
down a dirt road"

"papayas"

"Tet"






I can't wait to discuss this book with the first Grade 3-4 Book Club kids!

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

Cecilia: I like Ha because it's really hard for her and the book shows how she survived.

Abby: Ha because the story is told from her point of view. It gives a lot of information about her. You fall in love with the story and with her.

Riley: I like Miss Washington because she helps Ha out with her schoolwork and is nice.

Eva: For those who said their character was Ha, most people have the main character as their favorite character.

Hayden: Vu Lee was my favorite character because he made the food.

Olivia: My favorite person was Vu Lee too.

Abby: I liked Pam.

What did you think about the bullying in the book?: 

Cecilia: I didn't like the  name calling.


James: I don't like bullying.

Riley: She was bullied because she was different.

Abby: There was someone who came to our school who didn't speak English. No one was mean to him. There was a girl who could translate for him and everyone tried to help him out.

How would you react to the bullying that they endured?:

Abby: I would tell the principal and tell them to stop. I would keep telling adults until someone did something.

James: I would get my parents involved and get them to stop the bullying.

Hayden: What if your parents were working?

What did you think of the Cowboy? What about Miss Washington?:

James: The Cowboy was my favorite character.


Abby: I thought he would have a horse.

Cecilia: Miss Washington was nice to Ha and her family.

Abby: If I saw someone struggling like that, I would try to help him.

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

Cecilia: I thought the leaving Saigon scene was really scary. I might not have that scene.

Everyone: I thought the father should have come home at the end of the book.

Abby: I thought the ending could have been happier. The ending could have been more conclusive. A lot was left in the air.

Eva: I wish you knew what happened to Ha's friends in Saigon. If they made it or were captured or killed.

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

Eva: 4

Cecilia: 5

Riley: 5

Abby: 4

James: 4

Hannah: 4

Evan: 4.5

Hayden: 3.5 (because I didn't like how the neighbors threw books and were mean)

Olivia: 4

The main consensus for this book was that it was really well written and told an interesting story. A lot of the kids were sympathetic to Ha and all that she endured. All of the participants wished that they could meet the author and talk to her about her book.

One thing that was noted was that the kids were not familiar with this era in history. I told them a brief history of the conflict between North and South Vietnam during our discussion. It would have been nice for me to give them a primer before they started reading. Now I know that if we're going to read something historical, I might need to give a quick historical background.

The Grade 3-4 Book Club selection for October is 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. Copies of the book will be available behind the Circulation Desk within the next week. Sign-up for Book Club will also be available.

Grade 3-4 Book Club Recommendations for October

I've compiled a few recommendations of books for the Grade 3-4 Book Club. We might choose one of these books at today's meeting or we might choose one of the kids' suggestions. Even if a book doesn't make the cut for Book Club, they're still great books! Check them out for yourself!

The One and Only Ivan  by Katherine Applegate

Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco (if anyone can find a book trailer, let me know!)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

June Book Club: Wonder

For June's Book Club, we read Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Harry, Evan, Callum, Cameron, Calvin and John were present and Andreas participated virtually. Miss Lisa used the Random House website on Wonder in order to steer this book club conversation. Here are our thoughts…

Friendship— Discuss the characteristics of a good friend.: 

Cameron: Be nice, not boring, want to do stuff

Callum: Treat people the way you want to be treated

Harry: They should never lie to their friends

Calvin: Thoughtful

Evan: Trustworthy

John: Loyalty

Which of Auggie’s friends demonstrate these qualities?:

Cameron: Jack Will. Jack wanted to be cool and be with the other kids which didn't work out for him.

Harry: Jack Will said the rude stuff that he said in order to keep in touch with his older friends.

Calvin: Summer. Jack wasn't consistent in his friendship.

Evan: Max, Amos, Henry and Miles ended up sticking up for Auggie.



What characteristics of a good friend does Auggie possess?:

Cameron: He is trustworthy and loyal. He's not boring. He's funny

Callum: Honesty.

Harry: He'll help you out if you have trouble and protect you. He helped Jack Will with his homework.

Calvin: Thoughtful

Evan: Trustworthy

How does Auggie help his friends see him as an ordinary kid?:

Cameron: He acts like a "normal" kid and tries to make people at ease about his face. He jokes around.


Callum: He tries to act cool and fit in.

Harry: He lets them go to his house so that they can see that his home life is really normal.

John: In the beginning, he says that he does all of these things that normal kids would do.

How does Auggie’s ability to be comfortable in his own skin make it easier for his friends 

and family to relate to him?:

Cameron: Kids at school aren't afraid to address the issue of his face because he shows that it doesn't bother him.

The other boys felt that this was the perfect answer.


In Mr. Tushman’s speech at the end of the year, he shares this quote, “Always try to be a little kinder than necessary.” How does being kind help someone overcome challenges?:

Cameron: Be more kind than you can be. If someone is kind to you, you'll want to go to school. If people are mean to you then you might not want to participate.

Callum: When you get bullied, it might affect you. You might become one.

Harry: If you're nice to people, they'll want to help you out.

Calvin: Sometimes being nice still doesn't help.

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

John: I think that Jack should have punched Julian a lot harder than did. 

Evan: I think that Auggie should have worn his Bobba Fett costume.

Callum: I think that while everyone gave a precept, Julian should have said something negative about the school. 

Andreas had a class assignment to write another chapter to Wonder using another character's voice/perspective. Andreas chose Principal Tushman and this is his amazing chapter:

My Story
This is my story of August Pullman. The wonder who won the Beecher award. Yep. He caused
happiness and sadness of the past year himself. (Not all of it) I am so surprised with what he did.
Why? Because having an abnormal face when you just start school and try to fit in is so brave. I
bet I won't see someone like August again. He is a person who is "a billionaire in uniqueness".
Here is my- and some of his story at Beecher last year.

Calls That Prepared our School-For Better or For Worse
I knew that everyone new in Beecher gets a tour- always. But for a kid who's never been to
school and might get teased because of his face- It's going to be harder. I've seen pictures of
August. He has a severe facial deformity and a cleft palate. It's going to be hard, so I'm going to
pick 3 kids to help August at his first year. Charlotte is a very polite and thoughtful girl. I called
her parents. (Ringing) "Oh hi Ms. Cody? It's Lawrence and I would like to know if Charlotte
wants to befriend our new student who might have a hard time fitting in." I call Jack's mom. " Hi
Ms. Will? Its Lawrence and I would like to know if Jack is up to befriending a new student who
is different." I call Melissa. "Hi Mrs. Albans! Is it okay if Julian befriends a new student at
Beecher?" Jack Will, Charlotte Cody and Julian Albans were available. They are super nice kids except
for Julian who soon applied out of Beecher because he didn't fit in and he was a bully. I
didn't know about Julian back then, so I had to keep my eyes peeled if this call went for better or
for worse. You never know.

School Tour
I finally met August for the first time before school started. He was a bit shy but had a sense of
humor- we talked about my last name, Tushman and August said that his parents knew someone
called Ms. Butt. We talked to each other and introduced August to Ms. Garcia, my assistant and I
showed August his home room and introduced him to Charlotte, Julian and Jack. I see them leave
safely out of their home room. No chance to keep my eyes peeled. Anything can happen now.

Halloween
Everything was fine until Halloween. August plays the stomach ache and he's gone. He's gone
for a while and I start to think who's responsible. Charlotte? No, she's too kind. Julian? Nah.
People hide their feelings when it comes to bullies. No one else really knows who he is so who
did it? Who is this August? The August I know is nice, not absent. Who turned the key? Who
made him transform?

Punches, Email and More
All I know is that about a month after Halloween, something big happened and it hit the world
of Jack and Julian like a meteor that hit the earth 65 million years ago. The punch. Evidence says
that that Jack punched Julian right in the mouth. That's it. I talked to Jack but he seemed shy and
upset. What caused this meteor to hit? Can't be nothing. So I suspend Jack for 2 days so his
suspension goes right into winter break. I say it'll be clean slate. No such luck. I just didn't know.
Julian's mom emailed me and the Wills and said that August should be expelled because he
caused the commotion. Back to slate.

Dirty Slate
I was so happy thinking that everything was okay. I looked in August and Jack's lockers and I
was aghast. There was a note saying:
Dear Jack and Zombie,
Nobody likes you. You stink. From, Julian
Horrible. I had betrayed Jack. Instead of clean slate, Julian slapped mud on it. I have to tell
August right away. Poor them.

The Big Trip
This really showed August was a wonder. Going and fighting a bunch of 7th graders showed
that he was brave even without his face lowering confidence. It seemed okay when we got to the
reserve. The next day we went to the fairground. When we were watching a movie, August and
Jack disappeared and came back all bloody with Miles, Henry and Amos and August didn't have
his hearing aids. Someone must have stole them. Amos tells the story to everyone and fame
spreads. After the trip, I tell August that Edward Johnson vandalized the hearing aids and ask him
if he would charge Edward. Then I tell him that Julian is applying out and he was happy. He was
also surprised I saw the dirty slate. This is near the end of school and graduation day is on the
way.

Graduation Day
Today is the big day. I feel choked up because I feel so happy for my students. I stand on the
podium and make my speeches and so does Mr. Jansen I present academical awards to many kids
and then here comes the good part. I say that the Beecher medal goes to someone who has
confidence, happiness and friendship. I choke up and almost cry. Not only that, but the medal
goes to someone who tests one courage and friendship and kindness. I need a drink to stop
crying. My last words of this story will be: "So will August Pullman please come up here to receive this award?"

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

Cameron: 4 1/2

Calvin: 4 1/2

Evan: 4 3/4

John: 4 9/10

Harry: 4 99999/100000

Callum: 5

The book for the next Book Club meeting is The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. There will be copies waiting for you behind the Circulation Desk. We will be meeting on Wednesday, July 3 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss this book. The book for the Wednesday, August 7 meeting will be The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson.

May Book Club: Starry River of the Sky

For May’s Book Club, we read Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin. Cameron, Harry and John were present and Andreas participated virtually. Here are our thoughts…

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

Cameron: I liked Mr. Shan because he seemed kind of crazy and mental but then as the book progressed, his true character came out. He’s really smart and not loopy.

Harry: It was funny when Mr. Shan held up the bridge. I liked the stories in the book. Madame Chang was wise.


What did you think about the fighting in the book?:

Cameron: I thought that it added to the story. It helped Rendi figure out some things.

Harry: This book shows real relationships and things that happen every day. The people didn’t seem that surprised by things that were happening in the book.


What did you think of Rendi?:

Harry: I liked him. I thought he was cool. I liked the big emotional moments.

Cameron: I liked Rendi. At the beginning, I thought that he was like a hobo but he ended up being the son of a powerful guy. He kept saying “a few more days” regarding staying in the village. He was often upset. I liked how the book showed his emotional changes and how he grew as a person.

Harry: He’s a smart kid. He must be special that he could hear the frog/moon crying.

Cameron: I liked how everyone tricked the kidnappers in the Inn.


What did you think of Peiyi?

Cameron: I thought she was like Rendi. At first she didn’t like him and then she grew to almost love him.

Harry: They started out as rivals but ended up as friends.


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

Harry: I wouldn't change any scene but I would change the title.

Cam: I wouldn't change any scene. I really liked this book. It was like a puzzle and all pieces came together.


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

Cam: 4 

Harry: 3.5


Any more thoughts?:

Cameron: I liked how this book was connected to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. You didn’t necessarily have to read the first book but reading it would help your understanding of this book. It was amazingly good. 

Andreas: Great pick! The wonderful pictures and stories were beautiful! I read it for one day straight it was so good!

The stories about Magistrate Tiger really captured my mind! The stories were my favorite part of the book! I also really liked how Rendi got the moon back into the sky- with the help of amazing people like Mr. Chang!

Next, I read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon! The two books had a small relation to each other, but it was great! Thank you for recommending these books! 

The book for the next Book Club meetings is Wonder by R.J. Palacio. There will be copies waiting for you behind the Circulation Desk. We will be meeting on Wednesday, June 5 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss this book.

April Book Club: In a Glass Grimmly

For April's Book Club, we read In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz. Here are our thoughts…

Harry:
I liked it and I thought it was great. (a good way to start off a book club meeting!)

Andreas: It was pretty disgusting and gory like the prequel! Why did the author like it. It was a great book but because of Eddie but it WAS TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DISGUSTING! It had a good ending with the Seeing Glass and the story couldn't be true!

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

Lisa: Like Andreas, I would change how much description went into saying how smelly Eddie was. I got the point after the first few descriptors.

Harry: I would change the part where the mother heard when Jack and Jill were telling their story. They should have stayed by themselves for a little while longer.

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

Harry: I'm not sure. Most of the characters were funny but some had flaws that I wouldn't want.

My favorite character is:

Harry: The Frog. He's really funny, with the jokes he makes and how he reacts to situation.

Lisa: The Frog was funny.

The character I wouldn’t want to climb a beanstalk with is:

Harry: Marie was a jerk. He sounded like a bully.

Were you confused by anything in this book?

Lisa: I was confused by the goblin world. Harry just helped me figure it out.

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

Harry: It's a tie between all of the main characters who first had a miserable time of it.

Lisa: Exactly what Harry said.

Which fairy tale would you like to be dropped into? 

Harry: I have no idea.

Lisa: Me neither. There are so many options (most of which are scary!). 

Please rate this book from 1-5, with 5 being the best (or a numerical scale):

Harry: 4 or 5, it's a good book. Probably 4.

Lisa:  4

Andreas: This would be a B- because the goriness was horrible!

The book for the next Book Club meeting is Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin. We will be meeting on Wednesday, May 1st.

March Book Club: Liar & Spy

For March’s Book Club, we read Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead. Calvin, Cameron and Harry were present and Andreas participated virtually. Here are our thoughts…

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

Cameron: The Moo Cow kid. Because he just goes MOO and is funny and is really little. He shows that little kids know nothing.

Harry: My favorite character is Bob English Who Draws because he draws, like me. I like how he has a nickname. And I like the sound of the name Bob.

Calvin: I like Bob English Who Draws because he's a cool kid who never did anything wrong to anybody else.

What did you think about the bullying in the book?:

Cameron: It made me feel sad because the guys who bullied Georges were mean. It made me feel happy Georges ignored them.

Harry: The taste test plan was genius.

Andreas: I think Dallas was a big bully and if I was the author, I would omit him but a bully is good with a story!


How would you react to the bullying that they endured?:

Cameron: I'd tell my parents, adults and teachers so that they could try to solve the problem together.

Calvin:  The bullying made me sad and happy. No one would want to be bullied. I was happy for Georges because he ignored them.

Harry: I thought the following thing with the bullying: "What the ...... is wrong with that person?" Dallas took control over all of the others even though he wasn't that strong. He was a total JERK.

What did you think of Safer?:

Calvin: At the beginning, I thought he was really nice. When he lied, I didn't like it.

Cameron: I thought he was cool. And then he lied and I didn't think he was cool. It was lamosity for him.

Harry: I think he was a dynamic character who needed to change. He seemed really nice in the beginning but he kept getting more and more mean. He was brave at the same time, though. When you discovered he lied, you didn't like him. He's a big baby.

Cameron: I think that he grew up afraid and stayed afraid. He got used to being afraid.

Re: Safer's phobias:

Cam: Maybe his parents should have done something earlier to get Safer some help.

Harry: Maybe his parents didn't know how bad his fears were.

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

Harry: I wouldn't change any scene.

Calvin: I would change the part where Georges finds Safer on the beanbag when he found out that he lied. I would make it so that it was the truth and Mr. X was real. But then this would be a different story.

Cam: I wouldn't change any scene. I really liked this book. And my mom did too. There was stuff in the beginning that made us ask questions and then it all came together at the end.

What about Mr. X?:

Calvin: I knew that Mr. X was fake all along and wasn't that surprised that he wasn't really bad. There were so many different parts that pointed to him being fake.

Cam: I wanted him to be real so that there would be some action with the saw in Mr. X's apartment!

Harry: I think it would be awesome to have a scary cliffhanger to the story.

Harry: I suspected that Safer thought that Mr. X was a psycho.


Then all of us talked about playing games with friends when we were little and how you would start believing in the make-believe.

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

Cam: 4 1/2

Calvin: 4 1/2

Harry: 4

Any more thoughts?:

Calvin: In the book, there's the quote, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I think that Jason was pretending to be Dallas and Carter's friend so that he could be popular and not a target of theirs.

Cam: Jason separated himself from Georges knowing that Georges would get bullied.


Re: Taste as human experience:

Cam: I was playing football with pals. I was the youngest kid there. They had me be quarterback and I played really well. It was sweet. Sweet revenge for an earlier comment about my abilities.

Calvin: There was a hula hoop competition. The adults tied and the kids tied. I was one of the kids winners and it was umami.

The book for the next Book Club meetings is In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz. There will be copies waiting for you behind the Circulation Desk. We will be meeting on Wednesday, April 3 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss this book.