December Grades 3-4 Book Club: Wishtree

For December's Book Club, we read Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. Claire and Mark were present. Here's some of what we talked about. We were guided by questions posed on the Wishtree website.

Discuss Red's comment: "Making others feel safe is a fine way to spend your days" (p. 26). How does the tree make others feel safe? What does this comment tell you about the personality of the tree?

-he's wise and old and cares about other people; not so much about himself
-he lets animals burrow in him and protects them in the hollows
-giving shade to the animals


-I like the way that the author named the animals (nice smelling things for skunk names, the opossums were named after things that scared them, the raccoons were named "You" "You" and "You" and the owls were distinguished names).
Why do the animals feel comfortable with Samar? Why does Bongo give her gifts? What qualities of her nature make the animals trust her? Why do these qualities make it harder for her to make friends with other children?

-Because she's quiet and shy.
-She's calm.
-Because she's nice.
-It's harder for her to make friends because she's so quiet



Red compares the neighborhood to a garden, "wild and tangled and colorful" (p. 54). Why does the tree compare the people in the area to a garden? Why is the neighborhood not welcoming to Samar's family?

-their not nice
-because Samar's family is Muslim



Describe the boy who carves a word in the tree. What does the author tell you about him and what assumptions can you make about his character? What kind of effect does this word have on those who see it?

-he was weird
-he seemed to be careless
-he didn't care about anyone else but himself
-they're mad



Why does Francesca want to cut the tree down? What do the police officers, Max and Sandy, think on her reasons? 

-she doesn't want to deal with it anymore
-the underwear in the tree on Wishing Day and the daily plumbing issues from the roots



Discuss Red's question, "How does friendship happen?" (p. 82). What is Bongo's answer? What makes Red and Bongo special to each other? What qualities do you look for in a friend? 

-they have stuff in common
-they're both somewhat quiet
-Bongo is kind of reckless and she doesn't want wise old sayings; she wants action
-they complement each other very well



Why does Red decide to speak to the children? How does this act change their relationship to the tree and to each other? 

-it surprises them because they're like "are you talking to me??!!"
-it gives them something in common: is this a dream? This is really happening
-he decided to speak to them because they're nice people and probably won't tell anyone




How does Stephen help to make a difference in the neighborhood on Wishing Day? What is the message the children deliver with their wishes? What makes Francesca change her mind about cutting down the tree?

-be nice
-"Stay"
-it was part of the family
-the tree had been there for generations


Discuss Red's statement: "I wanted to make a difference, just a little difference, before I left this lovely world" (p. 126). What difference does Red make by talking to Stephen and Samar? What do you think you can do to make a difference in this world?

-I can help people by mowing their lawns
-I can help animals


Rate from 1-5

-4
-4 1/2

For December's Book Club, we will be reading Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. We will be meeting on Wednesday, January 9 at 3:00 p.m.

"An old red oak tree tells how he and his crow friend, Bongo, help their human neighbors get along after a threat against an immigrant family is carved into the tree's trunk."-summary

Please be sure to register for Book Club and pick up your library copy of the book at the Circulation Desk!

January Grades 3-4 Book Club Suggestions

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

It’s been five years since Livy and her family have visited Livy’s grandmother in Australia. Now that she’s back, Livy has the feeling she’s forgotten something really, really important about Gran’s house.

It turns out she’s right.

Bob, a short, greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit, didn’t forget Livy, or her promise. He’s been waiting five years for her to come back, hiding in a closet like she told him to. He can’t remember who―or what―he is, where he came from, or if he even has a family. But five years ago Livy promised she would help him find his way back home. Now it’s time to keep that promise.

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate on basketball.

They aren’t friends, at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find missing Virgil. Through luck, smarts, bravery, and a little help from the universe, a rescue is performed, a bully is put in his place, and friendship blooms.

Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech

Louie doesn't have the best luck when it comes to nurturing small creatures. So when his father brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey, he's determined to save him. He names him Winslow. Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to his brother, Gus, who is far, far away in the army.

Everyone worries that Winslow won't survive, especially Louie’s quirky new friend, Nora, who has experienced loss of her own. But as Louie's bond with Winslow grows, surprising and life-altering events prove that this fragile donkey is stronger than anyone could have imagined.

November Grades 3-4 Book Club: Stef Soto, Taco Queen

For November's Book Club, we read Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres. Hunter was present. Here's some of what we talked about.

Has your family ever saved up money for a special trip or project? 
-Yes

Stef thought it was easier to draw her thoughts than to write about them. How do you best express your thoughts? Do you do this easily?
-I like to keep a lot of my thoughts to myself. I sometimes find it hard to express myself to people.

Stef and Amanda are best friends. What was unusual about how they met? How did you meet one of your friends? What made you realize that you thought of each other as friends?
-Stef broke Amanda's arm! I met one of my friends at school. He helped me a lot. We keep moving away from each other. We'll always be friends. We Facetime. We will probably go back to the same class/school at some point. 

Stef felt like her parents “hovered” and never let her feel any independence. Give evidence of this. How do the grownups in your family treat you? Give an example.
-A bit. Since I'm the youngest. But they are not nearly as bad as Stef's parents.

Stef really wanted to go to the concert. How do you feel about Stef’s parents not letting her go? Have you ever wanted to go or do something that your grownups didn’t want you to do? How did you try to change their minds? Were you successful?

-Sad. They probably shouldn't have let her go, though, because concerts are crowded and they wouldn't notice if she got kidnapped. I'm sometimes successful in changing their minds. 

Stef’s family usually ate breakfast together on Sunday mornings at Suzy’s. What does your family do together every week? Explain.
-Sometimes we go to breakfast at Slice of Heaven on Sundays.

Here's where we ran out of time (we went on a few tangents) but here were other things that we could have talked about:

Stef helped Papi with the family taco truck business. How would you feel working with your family in a business? What do you think Stef liked least about working with her dad?

When Stef was in the commissary and she had time to look at all the food trucks, she thought that the trucks were just like canvases. Do you pay attention to the designs painted on trucks? Why or why not? Do you remember a favorite design?

Papi sometimes struggled to understand English. Have you lived in a country where you didn’t speak the main language? If yes, how was that? If no, would you be willing to move to a country where you had to learn a new language? Explain.

How would you respond to this writing prompt from Stef’s teacher – “Imagine that you can time travel, but your parents don’t believe you. How would you convince them?”

If you were in a club that wanted to raise money, what project or projects would you suggest? What part would you want to help with – making signs, asking for donations, or creating blurbs for morning announcements or something else? Do you have a special talent in one of these areas? Explain.

Respond to another one of Stef’s teacher’s writing prompts – “If you had to live inside a book for two weeks, which book would you choose?” Explain.

At first Stef didn’t want to talk to the City Council on behalf of the food trucks, but she did. How much do you think her speech influenced the Council’s decisions?

How do you think Stef handled the situation when her classmates assumed she knew Viviana Vega well enough to get her to perform at their school dance?

Stef describes her two friends’ anger – “Amanda boils over and cools right back down. Arthur’s different. His anger is more like a slow, steady simmer”. How does your anger compare with these two descriptions? Explain.

Julia and Stef used to be best friends but then things changed and they both blamed each other. Have you ever had a best friend who then became someone else’s best friend? What did it feel like? Was the situation like how Julia treated Stef?

How well do you think you would you fit in with Stef’s family and friends? Give examples to support your answer.

When Julia and Stef arrived at the art supplies fundraiser dance, everything was going wrong – no electricity, no power, no food. Julia tried to call her mom and then stomped off screaming. Stef stayed and devised another option. If you had been at the dance, how would you have responded to the disaster?

Stef wanted her Papi to sell his food truck and get a different job. Were you surprised then that she persuaded Julia to help her paint the truck? Why do you think she did that?

-Good food. Sometimes it was free. And she realized that they all worked very hard on buying and then keeping Tia Perla.

For December's Book Club, we will be reading Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. 

"An old red oak tree tells how he and his crow friend, Bongo, help their human neighbors get along after a threat against an immigrant family is carved into the tree's trunk."-summary

Please be sure to register for Book Club and pick up your library copy of the book at the Circulation Desk!

December Grades 3-4 Book Club Suggestions

Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Julia is very short for her age, but by the end of the summer run of The Wizard of Oz, she’ll realize how big she is inside, where it counts. She hasn’t ever thought of herself as a performer, but when the wonderful director of Oz casts her as a Munchkin, she begins to see herself in a new way. Soon, she doesn’t want to fade into the background—and it’s a good thing, because her director has more big plans for Julia!


Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Trees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .
Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood.
You might say Red has seen it all. 
Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.


The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

When Billy Miller has a mishap at the statue of the Jolly Green Giant at the end of summer vacation, he ends up with a big lump on his head. What a way to start second grade, with a lump on your head! As the year goes by, though, Billy figures out how to navigate elementary school, how to appreciate his little sister, and how to be a more grown up and responsible member of the family and a help to his busy working mom and stay-at-home dad.

October Grades 3-4 Book Club: Bat and the Waiting Game

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?:

-Lawrence was my favorite from A Boy Called Bat.
-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.

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?:

-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

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.

-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!

November Grades 3-4 Book Club Suggestions

Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

Grown-ups lie. That’s one truth Beans knows for sure. He and his gang know how to spot a whopper a mile away, because they are the savviest bunch of barefoot conchs (that means “locals”) in all of Key West. Not that Beans really minds; it’s 1934, the middle of the Great Depression. With no jobs on the island, and no money anywhere, who can really blame the grown-ups for telling a few tales? Besides, Beans isn’t anyone’s fool. In fact, he has plans. Big plans. And the consequences might surprise even Beans himself.

The Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson

Elementary school detective Moxie McCoy looks for a missing school mascot and a new best friend, with the help of her annoying little brother.

Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres

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 Papi to get a normal job and for Tia Perla to be a distant memory. Then maybe everyone at school will stop seeing her as the Taco Queen.

But when her family's livelihood is threatened, and it looks like her wish will finally come true, Stef surprises everyone (including herself) by becoming the truck's unlikely champion. In this fun and heartfelt novel, Stef will discover what matters most and ultimately embrace an identity that even includes old Tia Perla.

September Grades 3-4 Book Club: A Boy Called Bat

For September's Book Club, we read A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold. Gavin, Hunter, Isaac, Mark, Mira and Will were present. This is some of what we discussed, based on suggestions from the author's publisher. We filled out worksheets with pictures and words for answers and talked about our favorite things quite a bit. 

A Favorite Room                                               

Bat’s room was his favorite place in the whole world. In his room, Bat felt completely comfortable. (PAGE 6)

Write about or draw a room where you are completely comfortable.

-"A room with a bunk bed and a dresser are ideal."
-"My bedroom is my favorite room."
-Someone drew a picture of their favorite room.
-"My bedroom: dressers, drawers, beds"
-A room with yellow walls, a tie-dye rug and a beanbag chair are what I hope for in a room

What are your six favorite things in your favorite room? Make a list or draw pictures of your favorite things.

[Bat’s room had] a roll-down bamboo window shade and a fine closet full of shelves and a pullout trundle in case someday a friend came to spend the night. It had a ceiling fan and a reading lamp and a rug with a picture of a train track printed on it. (PAGE 9)

-A 4K TV
-TV, XBox, toys, chairs, blankets
-Tarantula, Lego Death Star, Lego Executor, Lego Star Destroyer, Lego AT-AT, ATTE

A Classroom Pal                                                               

Bat’s teacher Mr. Grayson has an “open-door Babycakes policy” in his classroom. What does that mean? How does Bat feel about Babycakes?

-That the kids can go to Babycakes to hug and get comforted by the rabbit.
-Bat loves Babycakes because he often needs to get away from the other kids and be by himself.

Bat’s Five Senses 

We talked about things that Bat liked and didn't like, including his intolerance of loud noises. This brought about a discussion of Asperger's and experiences that the kids have had with it. 

Figures of Speech and What They Mean

People sometimes use expressions that they do not mean to be taken literally. These are called “figures of speech.” Because Bat takes most things people say literally, he can have trouble understanding the meaning of figures of speech. For example, in the passage below, Mr. Grayson says “I’m all ears,” when what he means is “I’m paying all my attention to you.”

“Mr. Grayson,” Bat said. “I need your help.” Mr. Grayson put the cap on his pen and set it down. “I’m all ears,” he said. That was a funny expression, and for a second Bat pictured Mr. Grayson made entirely of ears, with ears for eyes and an ear for a nose and two tiny rows of little ears for teeth. (PAGE 98)

This brought about a trading of other funny figures of speech, such as "letting the cat out of the bag" and "I've got my eyes on you."

Exploring Interests                                                             

An old lady, old like a grandmother, sat on the bench in the waiting room. She held a box on her lap. Bat stopped in front of her. “What kind of animal do you have in that box?” “It’s my cat, Pickles,” the lady said. “He’s not feeling one hundred percent.” “What are his symptoms?” Bat asked. “Are you the veterinarian?” the lady asked. “No,” said Bat. “Not yet.” (PAGE 106)

What is Bat’s main interest and his career goal?

-To become a veterinarian. 
-He reads lots of animal encyclopedias in order to learn more.

Describe your main interest and a career that you might pursue. What's the name of a book or a genre that you might read in order to help you attain this goal?

-Sniper: I once interviewed a sniper. I'd read more books about it.

-Military Pilot: WWII books.

-Baker or artist: Cookbooks!

-Chef or miner: Cookbooks and science books.

-Navy Pilot: WWI and WWII books.

Invent a new car/start a car company: I'd read books about people who started companies.

Please rate this book from 1-5, with 1 being a book you did not like at all and 5 being one of the best books you read:

Three 3s

Two 4s

One 5

For October's Book Club, we will be reading the sequel to A Boy Called Bat, Bat and the Waiting Game by Elana K. Arnold.

"When Bat's older sister Janie gets a part in the school play, and can't watch him after school, it means some pretty big changes. For one, someone else will have to take care of the skunk kit in the afternoons."

We will meet on Wednesday, October 10 at 3:00 p.m. Please be sure to pick up a library copy of the book at the Circulation Desk (and to register for Book Club).