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
 

July Recommendations for Grades 5-6 Book Club

Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis
Teens Jack, Marco, Aly, and Cass begin a quest to find seven pieces of Atlantis's power that were hidden long ago and that will, if returned to Atlantis, save them from certain death due to the genetic abnormality that also gives them superior abilities.

The Apothecary by Maile Maloy
Follows a fourteen-year-old American girl whose life unexpectedly transforms when she moves to London in 1952 and gets swept up in a race to save the world from nuclear war.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin
Most people know that Benedict Arnold was America's first, most notorious traitor. Few know that he was also one of its greatest war heroes. This accessible biography introduces young readers to the real Arnold: reckless, heroic, and driven. Packed with first-person accounts, astonishing battle scenes, and surprising twists, this is a gripping and true adventure tale. The Notorious Benedict Arnold is the winner of the 2011 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award for Nonfiction.

May Book Club Discussion for Grades 5-6

We had a great discussion about Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Ben, Cameron C. and Harry were present. We answered questions and came up with stories of our own based off of creepy old pictures Miss Lisa found online.

The next book club selection is the sequel, Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. We will be meeting on June 11th at 3:00 p.m.


Who is your favorite character?:

-Dr. Goulan because he was so weird and crazy. Or the Santa Claus wight because he was funny looking. He would scan all of the kids who would sit on his lap and see if they were peculiar.
-Emma and Jacob. And Grandpa Portman because he shot hollowghasts in the face and what's more awesome than that. He was afraid but he was able to overcome his fear.
-I liked Ricky and the Grandpa. Grandpa Portman was just awesome.

What was your favorite scene?:

-I liked the part where the hollowghast ripped apart the sheep in the shed when Emma and Jacob were hiding.
-I thought it was an overall good book and liked a bunch of the scenes.
-Any of the scenes with a lot of action were good.

If you could change one scene, what would it be?:

-I would change the scene where the Grandpa died. It would have changed the story.
-I would change the scene where Jacob almost got swallowed by the hallowghast. I would have had him been eaten and then cut his way out with the garden shears.
-

Who was your least favorite character?

-The mom. The parents are too strict.
-I agree.


If you could live in the same day over and over, the best day you've ever had, would you?

-I would live my birthday over and over. Or birthday and Christmas, alternating.
-No, I would not. I would get bored eventually.
-No, I would get bored.

If you were a peculiar but could pass as common, would you?

-I would.
-If my peculiar gift helped fight, I would join the fight to save the peculiars.
-I would fight if I had the chocolate touch.


Would you reread this book?

-Possibly.
-Definitely.
-Definitely not. I never reread books.

June Recommendations for Grades 5-6 Book Club

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer: 
Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull:                                                                                                               When Kendra and Seth go to stay at their grandparents' estate, they discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures and that a battle between good and evil is looming.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs: 

Having escaped Miss Peregrine's island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London (circa 1940), the "peculiar" capital of the world.

April Grades 5-6 Book Club: Bomb by Steve Sheinkin

We had a great discussion about Bomb: The Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin. Ben, Cameron C., RG4., Eva, and Harry were present. It was a wide-ranging conversation about spying, bombs, war, and various other subjects too numerous to count. I let the conversation flow and left off the typing for today.

The next book club selection is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. We will meet on May 14th at 3:00 p.m. "A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children , an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow--impossible though it seems--they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows."