December Grades 5-6 Book Club: The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

For the December Grades 5-6 Book Club, we read the book The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm. Courtney, Izzie, Izzie, Rileigh, Kelsey, Laurel, Harry, Cecilia, Olivia, and Evan were present. Here's a little of what we discussed.

Melvin teaches Ellie about the possible. What things would you want to make possible? 
 -I want to save polar bears from melting. I don't want them to drown.
-China closes its factories since there is so much pollution. Really bad air pollution. If you blow your nose after working in a factory, the Kleenex will be covered in black.
-I would make a cure for cancer.
-I would save the world. 
-I want to end world hunger.
-I would save the trees for the oxygen. By saving the trees, you would also save people from world hunger because food grows on trees. You wouldn't have fruit that grows on trees.
-I want extinct animals to come back. 
-I would want to solve a problem for digital books. There would be a special tablet that you would get, read and then reach your hand into the tablet and then pull the thing out. It could be anything.
-Find aliens.
-Faster than light travel. Explore space. Find aliens that have been hiding for years.
-A cure for sick animals so that cats, dogs and fish can tell you what is wrong with them.
-A cure for Ebola.
-Stop homework. Save the kids.
-If you have a pet, it would never die.
-Time travel.
-Save the endangered animals.
-Stop water pollution.
-Find something that you can spray on your socks and make them not stinky.
 

Would you want to stay young forever? Would you want to stay one age forever? Why or why not?

-I would not want to stay one age forever or stay young forever. There is no point in that. Everyone has to die. It is defying the circle of life.
-Reincarnation would not happen.
-I wouldn't because it would be endless and you might get bored of it.
-I would not want to have eternal youth because you would never grow up and get to boss your kids around.
-I would and would not want to stay young forever. I would be 10 years old for 3 human years and then I'd age.
-I would get older, then younger, then older.
-I wouldn't want to do that because I would live my life over and over again so it would be really confusing. 
-I wouldn't want to be young forever. Then I would never have a family and boss people around.
-I would not like to live forever.
-I would want to age but not die. I want to get older and older but never die. I want the knowledge of age and then go back to 10 years old and then repeat.
-I would like to be able to die at some point if I got really bored with my life. I want to be able to change my physical appearance and age as long as I've already reached that age and appearance.

Melvin is passionate about science, Ellie’s parents about drama, and Brianna about volleyball. Have you found your passion? How do you learn more about it? 

-My passion is books.
-Lacrosse, gymnastics and reading.
-Hugs.
-Art.
-Tennis.
-Working with animals. 
-Baseball.
-Books and being with my friends.
-Reading, writing, drawing and video games.
-My passion is being in the world of fiction in my brain.
-Physical education.
-My passion is hugs and being awesome. And being a fashion designer.
-Taking over the universe with my thumb.
-Skiing in Colorado.

Ellie learns that not all scientific discoveries are ultimately good, and that Jonas Salk said “Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.”  How can we make sure we are good ancestors?

-You would be a good ancestor by having a good influence on people. By not being a crazy bad person.
-Being weird and being funny.
-Being good to the environment. 
-I would not be a good ancestor because I would take over the world.
-Being good in school, donating things, not being selfish. And being the world's best jug player.
-Have a good reputation.
-To be kind, respectful and awesome to the environment.
-Being an electronic pencil.

For Book Club in January, we will be reading El Deafo by Cece Bell

"Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful--and very awkward--hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear--sometimes things she shouldn't--but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become "El Deafo, Listener for All." And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she's longed for.

Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, January 14. Books will be available behind the Circulation Desk within the next few days. As always, snacks and good conversation will be provided at Book Club!

January 2015 Recommendations for Grades 5-6 Book Club

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful--and very awkward--hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear--sometimes things she shouldn't--but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become "El Deafo, Listener for All." And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she's longed for.

Subjects: Graphic Novels; Deaf children; Friendship; School

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields.The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.

Subjects: Imaginary places; Adventure

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Goldie, an impulsive and bold twelve-year-old, escapes the oppressive city of Jewel, where children are required to wear guardchains for their protection, and finds refuge in the extraordinary Museum of Dunt, an ever-shifting world where she discovers a useful talent for thievery and mysterious secrets that threaten her city and everyone she loves.

Subjects: Adventure stories; Brigands and robbers; Secrecy; Robbers and outlaws; Fantasy

November Grades 5-6 Book Club: Floors by Patrick Carman

For the November Grades 5-6 Book Club, we read the book Floors by Patrick Carman. Ali, Courtney, Izzie, Rileigh, Kelsey, Laurel, Harry, Cecilia, Olivia, and Evan were present. Here's a little of what we discussed.

In the beginning of the story, we learn that Merganzer D. Whippet’s father’s dying words to him were “You will prosper in the field of wacky inventions.” How do these words shape Merganzer’s life as a young man?. Explain the true meaning of his father’s dying words.

-He felt that he had to obey his father and so he made the best, most wacky hotel possible.
-His father was a big part of his life and so he wants to do as his father says.
-It takes a big place in the story because Merganzer is always wondering "What does that mean?"
-I think that his father was a big part of his life, too, because he built the Whippet Hotel in honor of father.
-The last book is called The Field of Wacky Inventions.

Describe the ways in which Leo Fillmore and Merganzer D. Whippet are alike. How might these similarities affect their relationship?

-They are alike in how they both like to invent things. They are curious and mysterious. Those things make them similar. Leo's inspiration is the hotel and he wants the hotel to be his.
-They both own or owned a hotel at one point.
-They're similar because they both like to walk the ducks and they both like the Double Helix and they are good friends since they met. All of those things affect their relationship.
-They both love ducks, the Whippet Hotel and their love of inventions.
-They are very alike because Merganzer made the secret rooms and other challenging things for Leo because he knew that Leo would figure it out.
-I think that they were alike because they both have an interest in ducks.
-They are alike because they both like to walk ducks and the Double Helix.

-They are both eccentric.

Why do you think Merganzer D. Whippet has made it so difficult, and at times so dangerous, for Leo to find the hidden floors and rooms in the Whippet Hotel? 

-Because it's a challenge for him but he knows the hotel so well.
-He made the crazy rooms because Merganzer and Leo think the same way about things and they have the same strategy for solving things.
-The floors were kind of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Willy Wonka and Merganzer are both eccentric and kind of similar.
-I think that Merganzer wanted Leo to find out the hidden floors because he thought that Leo was special and he could hand the hotel down to him.
-He knew that Leo would always find the way and he'd had fun by the challenge of the puzzle and mystery aspect of the hotel.
-He made it dangerous because he didn't want anyone else to get into it (like Miss Sparks) and he wanted to make it challenging for anyone who might have gotten in. He didn't want to make it too easy for Leo, though.

How does the scene inside each mystery box relate to Merganzer D. Whippet’s childhood experiences? 

-He liked making picture boxes as a child.

As the story progresses, Leo gets the sense that his father, Clarence, is changing; he is becoming less sad. Do Leo’s actions bring about any of these changes?

-He's starting to change because he has his wife's ring back. He has a closer bond with Leo because they are talking about the mother.
-I agree with the above comment because Clarence is usually a quiet, average person. When he gets the rings back, he seems more alive.
-They bond over the mother and her "newly-found" ring. He feels better about getting over the mother's death.

The Whippet Hotel is filled with unusual guests. Which guest would you most like to meet? Captain Rickenbacker, Mr. Yancy, Jane Yancy, Ms. Pompadore, or Theodore Bump? Why?

-The Captain because it signals that he is a captain, which is awesome. That is what I'd like to do.
-I would like to be Miss Sparks because she said "I will return!" I want her to return so that I can kick her in the shins.
-I think that I'd like to meet Captain Rickenbacker because he seems weird and insane.
-Same as the top comment.
-I want to be Jane Yancy because she is so rich and can afford an island.
-I would most like to meet the Captain because I'd like to go to his room and play the pinball there. I want to visit him because he sounds awesome and insane.
-I would like to meet Remi because he's cool. And he smells like enchiladas.

If you could live in any room in the Whippet Hotel, which room would you choose?

-I would like to stay in the Flying Farm Room because I get to see a flying pig.
-I would like to live in the giant pinball machine.
-I would like to live in the pinball machine because I want to play the really big pinball.
-I'm not sure. Maybe the robot room. Or the flying farm room. Or the cake room.
-Pinball.
-I want to live in the cake room.
-I would like to live in the Flying Farm Room because it has cute little animals.
-I would like to live in the Haunted Room or the Pond Room. (changed mind to Library)
-I would like to live in the Robot Room because I would have Blop around and it would make homework so much easier.
-I would like to live in the Library (Mr. Whippet's Room) because I love to read.
-Many people changed their minds to Cake Room. And the Robot Room.

Why do you think Merganzer D. Whippet chooses to leave the Whippet Hotel to Leo Fillmore? Would you have made the same choice? Why or why not?

-I think that I wouldn't have left the hotel to Leo because I don't know what Merganzer has been through. In terms of life experiences.
-I would not give the hotel to Leo. I wouldn't ever give it away.
-I would have given it to Leo. Merganzer knows that Leo loves the hotel just as much as he does.
-I think I would have given it to Leo. Leo went through a lot. Although he didn't know that the hotel was intended for him, Leo almost died in order to be considered as an heir to the hotel. His father being the janitor is also helpful.
-It would be rude to not give it to Leo.

For Book Club in December, we will be reading The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm. "Ellie's scientist grandfather has discovered a way to reverse aging, and consequently has turned into a teenager--which makes for complicated relationships when he moves in with Ellie and her mother, his daughter." Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, December 10. Books will be available behind the Circulation Desk within the next few days. As always, snacks and good conversation will be provided at Book Club!

December Recommendations for Grades 5-6 Book Club

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?
 With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility.


The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked "Which," Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the "impossible" mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.

Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

All aboard for an exciting tale of steam-powered automatons, a bloodthirsty sasquatch, colorful circuses, and magical paintings. Aspiring artist Will Everett knows he's not cut out to follow in the footsteps of his railroad manager father, but his pampered life leaves little opportunity for adventure. Then he boards The Boundless, the world's largest and most luxurious train. After acquiring the key to the railway owner's funeral car, Will is running for his life, pursued by deadly enemies who will do anything to possess the car's valuable contents. He is rescued by Mr. Dorian, ringmaster of the famed Zircus Dante, and an escape artist called The Miraculous Maren. These two performers, however, have their own secret agenda for helping Will. As The Boundless thunders toward its destination, Will must decide who to trust, if anyone. Along the way, Will is on the adventure of a lifetime. With its imaginative plot, cast of colorful, well-rounded characters, and nonstop action, Oppel's latest is a delight to read from the first page right through the satisfying conclusion.

September Grades 7 and Up Book Club: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

In September, the Grades 7 and Up Book Club met to discuss Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. This novel is a Rhode Island 2015 Teen Book Award Nominee. Ben and Sarah were present. This is what we talked about.

1. Alina and Mal grew up in an orphanage in Kermazin. How does this relate to Alina’s experiences at the Little Palace? To Mal’s experiences in the First Army?

-It sort of relates. She thought the orphanage was really nice and grand. She walks into a library and thinks that it's beautiful and realizes that the orphanage was not really as rich. 
-I think that Alina thinks that the Palace is cool and she's wowed by her own room.

2. How is the Fold connected to the Darkling? What does it say about him and his power?

-He made it.
-His ancestors created it. The Fold is dark and he is dark.

3. How does Alina feel about her power? How do her feelings change? Why?

-At first, she says " I am not what you think I am." It reminds me of a teacher in sixth grade. A kid was throwing pencils out the window and the teacher said, "Who do you think you are?" and he responded "I think I am _____."
-I think that when she first began to practice her powers with Baghra, she thought her power was useless. She refuses to believe that she is Grisha. Once she lets go of her old anger, she realizes that she might be useful for something.

4. What is the connection between Alina and the Darkling? What does Alina think of this connection at different points in the novel?

-They are one of a kind.
-When she first meets him, she finds him mean and intimidating. But other times that they would meet and he told her how powerful she could be, she would think that maybe she liked him.
-Alina is sort of divided about the Darkling and his powers.

5. Why are other people afraid of what the Grisha can do?

- Because they're really powerful and they are close to the top of the government. The Darkling is able to tell you what to do.



6. What Grisha power would you want?

-The Beauty one. It's easy to get the right color on your face. Plus, if you look sick, like Alina, you can make yourself look better. 
-I would want to be Inferni from the Etherealki. I would want to be a Fire Summoner because when you need to cook your hot dogs fast and your grill has a blocked off gas pipe because of broken-off fried chicken let, you can just cook your food to perfection, quickly. 
- I want to be able to turn into a carpet or any kind of flooring. If you are sneaking into someone's house and trying to steal their hotdogs so that you can eat them and someone is about to catch you, you can turn into the flooring and they won't see them. 


7. Shadow and Bone

-Shadow Fold and the bone from the antler.


7. Please rate this book 1-5, 5 being the best.

-4
-5 million


The Grades 7 and Up Book Club will next meet on Wednesday, November 19th at 3:00 p.m. We will be discussing The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. "After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.-summary" Copies of the book will be available behind the Circulation Desk by late September. Please be sure to sign up for Book Club at the time of book checkout so that Miss Lisa can plan for snacks!

November Recommendations for Grades 7 and Up Book Club

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Berlin 1942 When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has a word for everything, and big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. She collects words, stores them up as a way of fending off the hard truths of her life, the truths that she can't write down in stories.The fresh pain of her mother's death. The burden of raising her sisters while her father struggles over his brokeback farm. The mad welter of feelings Mattie has for handsome but dull Royal Loomis, who says he wants to marry her. And the secret dreams that keep her going--visions of finishing high school, going to college in New York City, becoming a writer.Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown entrusts her with the task of burning a secret bundle of letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from Big Moose Lake, Mattie discovers that the letters could reveal the grim truth behind a murder.Set in 1906 in the Adirondack Mountains, against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. 

September Grades 5-6 Book Club: The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

In September, we discussed the book The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier.  Cam, Cecilia, Courtney, Harry, Julia, Isabella, Kelsey, Olivia, and Rileigh were present.

Did this story grab you in the very beginning? Why or why not?
-No, because it started off boring

-Yes, because they are traveling but in the beginning it doesn't tell you where. And because they met Hester.
-It caught me in the middle because it described the scenery really well. It got the picture in motion of the story.
-I liked the beginning because it was very detailed.


What did you make of Molly and Kip, traveling on their own? 
-I thought it was mysterious because they arrived at the house in a ragged old cart with a horse. They came upon a spooky old house that could have been any spooky old house. It ended up being mysterious.
-I thought it was weird that there were two kids without any parents with them.
-Some kids do travel by themselves.
-Meh.
-I thought that their parents leaving them behind trying to keep them safe seemed off.
-I thought it seemed normal for a scary story. 



What did you think of the Windsors when you first met them? Did you like them or not?

-I thought that they were evil.
-I thought that they were kind of scary but when we got further into the story, I liked them. I realized that they were a normal family who didn't know what was going on.
-I thought that they were mysterious. And that they were not a normal family because of their appearances. 

Did your feelings about the Windsors change as the book progressed?
-Eventually I started to feel better about them.
-I felt a tiny bit better about them. My feelings about Penny stayed the same because I always liked her.
-My feelings changed toward Mrs. Windsor (Constance) because the way she talks to everybody seemed really mean at first. But then I realized what was happening to her. She was almost dead, almost a ghost. That's when I started to feel sorry for her.


"We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified." The author begins the book with that quote. What do you think it means in relation to this story?

-Their wishes were granted and they almost ended up dead.
-Having your wished granted isn't always a good thing.
-Wishing bees dead means that there would be no more food.
-Mr. Windsor might have got less money because: he has just a little bit of soul left; because the Night Gardener taking their souls means that they don't need as much from the tree; the Night Gardener taking their soul makes them pale;the money became less and less because it had less meaning.

What do think about the idea of stories vs lies? 

"What really made The Night Gardener stand out for me, however, was that the point of the book (insofar as I could tell) was to establish storytelling vs. lies. At one point Molly thinks seriously about what the difference between the two might be. “Both lies and stories involved saying things that weren’t true, but somehow the lies inside the stories felt true.” She eventually comes to the conclusion that lies hurt people and stories help them, a statement that is met with agreement on the part of an old storyteller named Hester who follows the words up with, “But helps them to do what?” These thoughts are continued later when Molly considers further and says, “A story helps folks face the world, even when it frightens ‘em. And a lie does the opposite. It helps you hide.” Nuff said."- School Library Journal

-I think that stories are meant to be happy or sad or whatever, but lies are always the same.
-If you lie, you feel guilty about it. With a story, you don't feel as guilty.  
-A story and a lie can be very similar. A lie is almost always bad. 
 

What other stories about orphans have you read? Consider Anne of Green Gables, the Boxcar Children books, The Graveyard Book, the Harry Potter series, Oliver Twist, The Secret Garden, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. How are other orphan stories similar to and different from The Night Gardener? Why do you think stories about orphans are appealing to young readers?

-Because they are read by kids. By making the stories about orphans, there are no grownups around to boss them around. 
-I think that they are appealing to young adults because there are no adults to limit what the kids can do.
-The Invention of Hugo Cabret and The Eight Keys were "orphan books".
-Star Wars too!

Did you think that this book was scary?
-At some points in the story, it was a little scary. "Are Kip and Molly going to die?" and other questions. The knives that Stubbs had scared me.
-There are scarier books: Elmo's World.

Write a short, scary story using these elements:  "giant", "witch", "haunted (place)", "cursed emerald".  We'll compare the results at the end. Three groups of three came up with these stories (or beginnings of a story).

The Cyclops with the Emerald Eye
CRASH! The plane burst into flames, right next to an amusement park. With the cursed emerald. Of course, that's why the plane crashed...  To be continued.

Elevator
Once there was an elevator. A haunted elevator! Zeus was angry at a witch that was in the elevator. She stole the cursed emerald of LATE DETH. Other people were in the elevator. Zeus threw a bolt at her and the elevator plummeted down to the Underworld. 

That is how the elevator got haunted.

The End

Deadman's Woods
One day a man was walking through the dark and disturbing haunted woods. Suddenly, a giant witch threw a cursed emerald at the man! And the man died. Then he turned into a ghost and haunted the cursed emerald for all eternity. One day a girl came walking through the woods and saw an emerald...   To be continued.

The Grades 5-6 Book Club selection for November 12th is Floors by Patrick Carman. This month's book is described as such: "Charlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes. Leo has the wacky, amazing Whippet Hotel. The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future!"--summary. Copies of the book will be available behind the Circulation Desk within the next week. Please remember to register for Book Club so that we know how many people will be attending.

November Recommendations for Grades 5-6 Book Club

Floors by Patrick Carman

Charlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes. Leo has the wacky, amazing Whippet Hotel. The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future!


The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery's pocket and touched the wizard's locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who--or what--is stealing the city of Wellmet's magic.


Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino

In Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino, eleven-year-old musical prodigy, Elvis Ruby, was supposed to win the most coveted reality show on television, Tween Star . None of the other contestants even came close to his talents. But in the middle of the biggest night, with millions of people watching, Elvis panicked. He forgot the words to the song. He forgot the tune. He forgot how to play every single instrument he'd ever known and froze on national TV. So Elvis must run from the paparazzi camped outside his door and spend the summer working with his aunt and cousin at Piney Pete's Pancake Palace in the remote wilds of New Jersey. It's the perfect place to be anonymous, that is until Elvis meets Cecilia, a girl who can't seem to help blurting out whatever's on her mind. An NPR Best Book of 2013

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.!

August Grades 5-6 Book Club: Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis

For August's Book Club, we read Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis. Those attending were Ben, Evan and Harry.  Here are our thoughts...

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

Harry: I wouldn't want to be any character from this book. Most of the characters didn't have good explanations. And a lot of the characters die when they turn 14 and I wouldn't want that.

Ben: I'd like to be Marco because he's so good at sports. I would want to get the treatment.

Evan: I would like to be Cass because of his memory.

Ben: You would never have to worry about learning a second language.

Would you want to become one of the Select?

Evan: Yes, but it depends on whether there's a cure or not.

Harry: No, I would not want to be a Select unless they discovered a cure.

Ben: Yes, so I could summon flesh-eating piranha squirrels (and long story of what he's do with the army of squirrels).


If you were to become one of the Select, whether you wanted to or not, what would your special skill be that would add to the group dynamic? Name a skill that you actually possess and one that you would think you would like to have.

Evan: I could summon one of anything with my hands. I could eat through anything and that is my real skill. I am also invincible. Shape-shifting is something that I would like to possess.

Harry: I would like to possess the skill of one of the elements (fire, air, etc.). Drawing would be my skill. Another skill would be my ability to read the future by guessing what would happen after certain things.

Ben: My skill that I already possess is that I can summon cannibalistic flesh-eating squirrels. My power that I would like to have is to put duct-tape on anyone's mouth at any time.


Would you want to have Torquin's job? Do you think he's as thickheaded as he seems?

Evan: No, I do not want to be unsmart.

Harry: I would not want to have his job and he is as thickheaded as he seems.

Ben: I would not want to have his job and he is as thickheaded as he seems.


Do you agree with Marco's decision to run off with the Loculus?

Eva: I think that she should have because her father had a gun so she really couldn't fight back when he was abusing her.

Harry: I think she should have run away. Her dad was horrible. In the end, she got away from her dad and he was arrested.

Cam: And no one got killed. Except for Mickey's toe.

Do you think that Marco is a bad person by running away? Or is Professor Bhegad because he kept things from the kids?

Ben: Marco is bad and PB is not. PB is a really good person.

Evan: Marco might have been taken. We don't know he ran away. Maybe the bad monks came back.

Harry:The Professor maybe and I have conflicting feelings about Marco.

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

Ben: I would rank it 7.2/800 but I loved this book. I know this doesn't make sense.

Evan: I would rank it a 5. I liked it and hated it.

Harry: I would rank the book a 4. It was good but it had a few plot holes.

The book for the next Book Club meeting is The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier. We will be meeting on Wednesday, September 10th at 3:00 p.m. Copies of this book will be available behind the Circulation Desk within the next few days. Please come with recommendations for October's Book Club selection. Thanks!

September Recommendations for Grades 5-6 Book Club

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
"One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century."-Time magazine, on the Fairyland series.Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn't . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass , here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Fiction title for 2011.

Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine
In Caitlin's world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That's the stuff Caitlin's older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon's dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger's, she doesn't know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white-the world is full of colors-messy and beautiful. Kathryn Erskine has written a must-read gem, one of the most moving novels of the year.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
This much-anticipated follow-up to Jonathan Auxier's exceptional debut, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes , is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James. More than just a spooky tale, it's also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling. The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. With Auxier's exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making. 

July Grades 5-6 Book Club: Leviathan

July's Grades 5-6 Book Club discussion was on Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. 

Did you understand the steampunk nature of the story, that the author was offering an alternate version of history?

"Steampunk is a style, of books, of clothes, of video games and movies, that draws its 
inspiration from old science fiction stories of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Mary Shelley," she 
said, "set in a place and time where steam is the dominant form of high technology. It's a 
retro futurism." 

“Steampunk,” is part of the “Alternative History” genre of science fiction and focuses on an 
alternate Victorian age in which steam-driven computers and coal-fired robots are found in 
gritty industrial cities. Though the term was coined in the 1980s as an offshoot of 
“Cyberpunk,” writing in this vein has appeared since the early 1900s, being inspired by the 
work, life and times of Jules Verne. 

Did you prefer the Clankers or the Darwinists? What are the benefits of each philosophy?

Who was your favorite character in the book? Your favorite scene?

Did you like the ending of the book? Will you keep reading the series?

Can you come up with some new Clanker machines? What would they combine? What about Darwinist beasties?

Rate Leviathan on a scale of 1 to 5.



For August, we will be reading the book Seven Wonders by Peter Lerangis. 

June Grades 5-6 Book Club: Hollow City

June's Grades 5-6 Book Club discussion was on Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Ben, Cam and Harry were present.

What did you think about the romance between Jacob and Emma? Okay and sweet? Or totally creepy, considering she was his grandfather’s girlfriend and is actually much older than Jacob?

-Emma is like she was in the Fountain of Youth but not really.
-She's a hag.
-She's a grandma hag.
-Every good book has romance.
-A lot of people don't like romance.

Which peculiarities do you think are most useful? Of all the ones in this book, which would you choose to have? Are there any that seem rather un-useful to you? 

-The Clown. What is his power? I think that the most useful is Bronwyn's strength and the least useful is Horace, who sees the dreams. The Folding Man is pretty useless.
-Emma could drill a hole in a baseball and fill it with fire and gun powder to make a good weapon.
-I think the least useful is Horace's because you can't reinvent the future. Knowing the future isn't going to change anything. I would want the strength peculiarity and think it's most useful. You could hurt the hollowghasts.
-All of the peculiarities are so cool. Claire's mouth in the back of her head is pretty useless.

Were you surprised when the peregrine turned out to be someone other than Miss Peregrine? If not, what made you suspicious that it was someone else?

-I kind of expected that Miss Peregrine was possessed because she killed the pigeon. I thought it was Miss Peregrine but that something was wrong with her.

What did you think about the ending? How do you think Jacob’s newfound ability might play out in the next book?

-I think that he'll use it to kill a bunch of hollowghasts.
-He could use it for running away.

Did you think the use of old black and white photographs worked as well in Hollow City as it did in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children?

-It wasn't as cool because it didn't go with the descriptions as well.

Do you think these books would appeal more to teenagers than adults or do they transcend the young adult genre?

-I think that the second book would appeal to older people because it wasn't as good. 
-There's the cussing too.
-There was too much romance.
-I don't care about romance. I just want books with action.
-This book had more action.

Did you notice any apparent inconsistencies in the story? Discussing these can sometimes help to resolve them.

-The whole book was inconsistent.
-I could write this. This doesn't make any sense.

Do you have any predictions for what will happen in this series? Will you keep reading?

-I predict it will have a lot of romance. I will not read it.
-I predict that it will have a lot of adventure and 10% of romance.
-Consensus is that the book will not be read.

Rate Hollow City on a scale of 1 to 5.

-4
-3 1/2
-2 1/2