September Discussion for Grades 3-4 Book Club

September's Grades 3-4 Book Club was held on Wednesday, September 3rd at 3:00 p.m. We met to discuss the book Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman. Present were: Ava, Cameron, Ellery, Marisa, Mary, Megan, Natalie, Sophia and Spencer.


Below are some snippets of our conversation. The questions are taken from www.media.bloomsbury.com.

First, a quote by the author Neil Gaiman:

‘I think, and this is speaking as a dad, that dads do not get a fair crack of the whip, their fair acknowledgement in fiction. Normally we die before the story starts just to keep things interesting for our young heroes and heroines. So I decided that I was going to write a book in which dads get to do all of the really cool, important and exciting things that dads normally get to do on a daily basis, like get captured by pirates, rescued by a time-travelling Stegosaurus in a balloon, captured by people in a jungle who are going to sacrifice you to Splod, a volcano god . . . go into the future and meet magical ponies, get attacked by wumpires. There’s spaceships involved. There’s even a bucket of piranhas. And I thought I would put all of those in, and also have a book in which a dad got to do the important dangerous thing that dads get to do best of all, which is go down to the corner shop and come back with some milk’.

The narrator and his sister question some parts of their dad’s story e.g. the narrator wonders how piranhas, freshwater fish, could have been circling the pirate ship, and how a Stegosaurus could ‘nip up a rope ladder’. What do these questions tell us about the narrator’s character? Do you think the dad’s answers are satisfactory? Would you have asked for further explanation? 

-That the dad was really crazy. And that he likes to exaggerate a lot. 
-The boy doesn't believe in make-believe and he's cautious about what he believes.
-I might believe my dad. But if he got in a mood where he started telling a bunch of stories, I might not have believed.
-I don't think that aliens are living on another planet. Pirates don't exist anymore. I do believe in a stegosaurus time traveling.
-I don't believe that the stegosaurus is real!
-Aliens might exist but I don't have proof.     
-Pirates do exist.
-People do sail places and don't go on land. Modern pirates.

Professor Steg uses interesting descriptive names for objects e.g. she calls coconuts ‘hard-hairy-wet-white-crunchers’ and she calls her hot-air balloon a ‘Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier’. What names would Professor Steg give the following? 

-Hairdryer: "automatic-hot-air-machine-blower-thingie-that-blows air into your face"
-Gum: "chewy flavored gummy stuff", "chewy flavored thing that lasts a long time", sour-gummy-thingie"
-Snake: "Mr Squiggles", "slithering scaly creature that eats other animals and it sleeps with its eyes open", "slippery scaly slimy thingie that slithers a lot"
-Book: "thing that you read", "thing that you go into with a lot of words that has weird picture things", "flat light floppy thing"

What did you think when the brightly colored ponies appeared in Dad’s story?

-What the heck? Why the heck are they here?
-Why are they in the story?
-The little girl asked if there were ponies in the book earlier in the story.
-I think that the dad added them in to make his daughter happy.  

Which character was your favorite? Why? Would you have liked to read more about any of the characters?

-Professor Steg
-I would want to read more about Professor Steg and hear about her funny names. I would also want to know if she invented anything else.
-I would want to read more about the dad because he made up such a great story
-I want to know about Prof Steg because she invents cool stuff
-I wanted to know more about the sister because she hardly talks.

Do you believe the dad’s story? If you think he made it all up, what do you think inspired his story? (Clue: think about the things in the kitchen, and look closely at the illustrations of the children). If you don’t believe him, why do you think he made it up?

-I think he made it all up because he took so long at the store.
- No, because there was a golden doubloon at the bottom of the milk.
-I think he made it all up by looking at the stuff around the kitchen.

Did you think this was a funny book? Which parts did you think were the funniest? How does the author make things funny? 

-I thought that funniest part was when they met the wumpires.
-I thought it was funny when the dad saw the stegosaurus.
-It was pretty funny.  

Imagine the dad and Professor Steg press the button one more time and find themselves in a different time and place (e.g. an underwater world millions of years ago, Stone Age Britain, Ancient Egypt, or another planet – it could be anywhere you like, at any time in history!). 

-They would go to a talker planet and everyone talks
-A weird looking snake-head monkey, legs of chicken and a hawk and the talent of a bald eagle land.
- A floating land where everyone floats. 
-A fart land where everyone farts.
-In the future, there would be a world where everyone had alien antennae sticking out of their foreheads and live on Planet Zog: half alien/half human.
-A really long time ago on Planet Rabona and the dad would have met a girl named Eva 9 and an alien named Rovender. The dad wouldn't have understood anything.
-I think that I would go to someplace where everything is made out of candy and people are sour patch kids. Everyone is a kid.
-Candy Cove.
    

Rating: 
-4
-2
-3
-3
-3
-3
-3
-1.5
-3
-1

The next Book Club for Grades 3-4 will be held on Wednesday, November 5th at 3:00 p.m. We will be discussing Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. "Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City, and meets there Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures." Books will be available behind the Circulation Desk at the library. Please be sure to sign up so that Miss Lisa knows how many snacks to get!

Book Clubs

Don't forget that with the change of grades, it means a change of Book Club group for some of you! If you are going into 5th grade, you will now be part of the Grades 5-6 Book Club. So, be prepared to read The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier for Wednesday, September 10th at 3:00 p.m.!

July Discussion for Grades 3-4 Book Club

In July, we discussed the book The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver. Kelsey, Rileigh, Cecilia, Natalie, Abigail and Estelle were present.





If I could be a character from this book it would be:
-I would be Mirabella because she wears wigs.
-I would want to be the Spindler Queen because it would be cool to be a queen for a day. You can direct your kingdom and make everything your way.
-I would be Liza because of all of the adventures she had.
-I would be Liza because she had so many adventures and she was brave. I would want to be the main character.
-I would be the broom. Because it's awesome.

Would you travel to Below in order to retrieve the soul of a loved one?
-Only if it wasn't my brother. He's really annoying. If it was Kelsey or Rileigh or a baby cousin, I would.
-It depends.
-If it was my sister, maybe. If it was my friend, then no. No way for my brother.
-I would travel for a friend and for my brother because life would be really boring without him. I would go for Estelle and Abby.
-I would go for my sister. I would not go for any boys. I would go for anyone sitting at this table.

Did you like the number of adventures that happened in the story (ie. the number of times that Liza almost died)?-I think that it was just the right amount of adventures. It made you want to read more.
-I thought it was too many adventures. There wasn't very much down-time in the story. You almost wonder when she is going to save her brother because she's always trying to not die.
-I liked all of the events because, without them, the book was really boring. I am glad that all of those things happened.
-Yes. Because.


What do you think about the ending of the book? Was it a good conclusion to all of the adventures?
-I don't think it was because I was expecting more. It leads up to such a good ending. But it just ends with her brother not remembering anything and waking up in bed.
-I agree with Natalie.
-Yes.


Do you think that the nice creatures from The Below (Mirabella, etc.) should have come Above to live?
-I thought that Liza would have kept Mirabella as a pet.
-I thought Mirabella would come above and visit.
-I though Liza would make a goodie-basket with pinks, a mirror, a new hat, a wig, etc. for Mirabella.
 

Do you think that Liza's fighting parents was put in the story for a specific reason?

-No.
-Yes. So she could give her mother the seeds of hope.
-And give her father the glasses.


Did you like the author's style?-Yes. Because I like adventures and mysteries.

On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate this book?

-3 because I liked it but didn't.
-4 1/2 because I liked almost everything but the Spindlers. They freaked me out.
-I would give it a 4 3/4 because I really like adventure and mystery. 
-I would give it an 8 out of 5.


We will be reading Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer for Book Club in August. Please note that we will be meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27 in order to accommodate vacation schedules. 

"In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. The doctor tried every remedy, but nothing cured the young Puritans. He grimly announced the dire diagnosis: the girls were bewitched! And then the accusations began.

The riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people’s lives and ruined hundreds more unfolds in chilling detail in this young adult book by award-winning author and illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer."

August Recommendations for Grades 3-4 Book Club

I've been told that the kids entering 5th grade (who will actually become part of the Grades 5-6 Book Club after this session!) must read at least one non-fiction book for school this fall. Here are some suggestions for books to read for Book Club that will cover this requirement. 

Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln and the Dawn of Liberty by Tonya Bolden

Published on the anniversary of when President Abraham Lincoln’s order went into effect, this book offers readers a unique look at the events that led to the Emancipation Proclamation. Filled with little-known facts and fascinating details, it includes excerpts from historical sources, archival images, and new research that debunks myths about the Emancipation Proclamation and its causes. Complete with a timeline, glossary, and bibliography, Emancipation Proclamation is an engrossing new historical resource from award-winning children’s book author Tonya Bolden.

The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World by Nathaniel Philbrick
After a dangerous journey across the Atlantic, the Mayflower's passengers were saved from certain destruction with the help of the Natives of the Plymouth region. For fifty years a fragile peace was maintained as Pilgrims and Native Americans learned to work together. But when that trust was broken by the next generation of leaders, a conflict erupted that nearly wiped out Pilgrims and Natives alike. Adapted from the New York Times bestseller Mayflower specifically for younger readers, this edition includes additional maps, artwork, and archival photos.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance by Jennifer Armstrong
In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and 27 men sailed from England in an attempt to become the first team of explorers to cross Antarctica from one side to the other. Five months later and still 100 miles from land, their ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice. The expedition survived another five months camping on ice floes, followed by a perilous journey through stormy seas to remote and unvisited Elephant Island. In a dramatic climax to this amazing survival story, Shackleton and five others navigated 800 miles of treacherous open ocean in a 20-foot boat to fetch a rescue ship.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World vividly re-creates one of the most extraordinary adventure stories in history. Jennifer Armstrong narrates this unbelievable story with vigor, an eye for detail, and an appreciation of the marvelous leadership of Shackleton, who brought home every one of his men alive.

Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer 

In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. The doctor tried every remedy, but nothing cured the young Puritans. He grimly announced the dire diagnosis: the girls were bewitched! And then the accusations began.

The riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people’s lives and ruined hundreds more unfolds in chilling detail in this young adult book by award-winning author and illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer.

July Recommendations for Grades 3-4 Book Club

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis: With love and determination befitting the "world's greatest family," twelve-year-old Deza Malone, her older brother Jimmie, and their parents endure tough times in Gary, Indiana, and later Flint, Michigan during the Great Depression.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver: A mix-up involving the greatest magic in the world has tremendous consequences for Liesl, an orphan who has been locked in an attic, Will, an alchemist's runaway apprentice, and Po, a ghost, as they are pursued by friend and foe while making an important journey.

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver: Accompanied by an eccentric, human-sized rat, Liza embarks on a perilous quest through an underground realm to save her brother Patrick, whose soul has been stolen by the evilest of creatures--the spider-like spindlers.

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman: New York high school student Elizabeth gets an after-school job as a page at the "New-York Circulating Material Repository," and when she gains coveted access to its Grimm Collection of magical objects, she and the other pages are drawn into a series of frightening adventures involving mythical creatures and stolen goods.

June Grades 3-4 Book Club: Eight Keys

 In June, we discussed the book Eight Keys by Suzanne Lafleur. Olivia, Riley, Kelsey, Rileigh, Cecilia, Natalie, Abigail, Molly and Evan were present.

When Elise’s father found out that he was dying, he wrote letters to Elise for her future birthdays up to her twelfth. We each wrote a letter to someone for them to read five years from now. The letters were entertaining and eye-opening.

Why might Amanda be targeting Elise and others?

-I think she was bullied herself and she wanted other people to feel what she felt.

-Amanda's older brother bullied her.

-Elise and Franklin were easy targets because they do stuff that other kids might think are weird. Bullying Elise and Franklin was easy because they didn't defend themselves.

What does Elise do in response? What could she have done differently? What might have happened if she had acted differently and why did she choose to react as she did instead? Remember that she did try telling a teacher about the problem.

-I think that Elise should have told a teacher. Again. 

-I would have told my mom before Elise did with her aunt. Elise told her aunt a long time into the bullying. It would have been a little better.

-If I tell my mom that something is bothering me, she'll step in for me. The teacher needs to step it up a notch.

-If I were in Elise's place, I would have told Aunt Bessie the first time it happened.

Elise starts casually insulting Franklin as a school year goes on. Is this bullying? How does it differ from how Amanda treats Elise?

-Elise is playing around with Franklin. It's different how Amanda treats Elise. She squashes her lunch, dignity, her courage, her hope.

-I think Elise is just teasing Franklin. Franklin knows that they're still friends and she's just kidding around.

-Franklin didn't know that Elise was teasing.

-I think that the author dragged the subject of Franklin to much into the book.

-I object. I liked it! I think it was good to know what Franklin was feeling.

 In July, we will be meeting to discuss the book The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver. "Accompanied by an eccentric, human-sized rat, Liza embarks on a perilous quest through an underground realm to save her brother Patrick, whose soul has been stolen by the evilest of creatures--the spider-like spindlers."-summary. Books will be available behind the Circulation Desk and snacks are always provided at Book Club meetings! I hope to see you in July!

June Recommendations for Grades 3-4 Book Club

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Rescuing a squirrel after an accident involving a vacuum cleaner, comic-reading cynic Flora Belle Buckman is astonished when the squirrel, Ulysses, demonstrates astonishing powers of strength and flight after being revived.



In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz

Frog joins cousins Jack and Jill in leaving their own stories to seek a magic mirror, encountering such creatures as giants, mermaids, and goblins along the way. Based in part on fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.




The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz

Sister and brother Jorinda and Joringel fight to keep their promise to stay together throughout a new series of gruesome, twisted, Grimm-inspired stories