March Grades 5-6 Book Club Suggestions

Rise of the Wolf by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Nic may have escaped enslavement in the mines outside of Rome, but his troubles are far from over. The Praetor War -- the battle to destroy Rome from within -- is in full force, and Nic is caught in the crossfire. The secretive Praetors are determined to unlock a powerful amulet -- one sure to bring the empire to its knees. Worse, the Praetors believe Nic holds the key to finding this amulet, and they will stop at nothing to steal it, even if that means harming the people Nic holds most dear.

When the Praetors capture Nic's mother, Nic knows he must do anything to save her. He challenges the Praetors to a chariot race. If he wins, they will release his mother. But if he loses, he must hand over a magic that will certainly bring about the end of Rome -- as well as his own life. Can Nic once again harness his magic and gather the strength to defeat his enemies? Or will he lose his mother and bear witness to Rome's destruction?

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Although separated by continents and decades, Josef, a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, embark on harrowing journeys in search of refuge, discovering shocking connections that tie their stories together.


Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.

February Grades 5-6 Book Club: Mark of the Thief

For February's Book Club, we read Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Anthony, JT, Madison, Maida, and Reagan were present. This is some of what we talked about, based on questions from Scholastic.com.



1. How would the story have been different if Nic had given the bulla to Radulf? Do you think Radulf would have kept his promise to bring Nic with him to Rome? 

-No
-He brought Livia to Rome so maybe he would have Nic
-Nic wouldn't have any troubles
-It would be a less interesting story


2. After Nic escapes Caesar’s cave, he has the chance to run away, but he doesn’t. Why not? Considering everything that happens to him once he’s recaptured, did he make the right decision? 

-He wanted to go back so that he wouldn't leave his sister behind
-He really wanted to eat strawberries
-I guess so because he cares about Livia


3. The power structure in Rome plays an important part in the story. Consider how much power the Senators and General Radulf have when compared to Aurelia and Nic. Even Crispus, as the son of a Senator, can do things Nic and Aurelia would never dare do. Do we have similar power structures in our world today – are there some people with more privileges than others? 

-The dictator of North Korea has ultimate power
-The slaves have a lot less freedoms than the Romans


4. When Felix ties Nic to the horse then sends him into the arena, he says he is only following orders from the emperor. Is it okay to disobey if someone in authority tells you to do something you know is wrong? Or should we always obey? 

-It depends on what the consequences are. It depends on the circumstances. If Felix had disobeyed the emperor, he would have been killed. So it would have been bad for him.
-If you know something is wrong, you should disobey and rebel


5. Why does Aurelia want to bring Nic to Senator Horatio? Should she have told Nic the truth, even if it meant she wouldn’t get her father back? 

-She didn't get her father back anyway
-She was wrong for not telling Nic. She was pretty much bringing Nic to his death without him knowing her ulterior motive.
-I feel like the story would have gone differently if Radulf teamed up with Nic to help take over the empire. 


6. Why does the emperor believe Nic is a threat to him? 

-Because Nic has magic. The emperor does not. Nic's power is a threat.
-Nic's power is destructive. He almost knocked down the ampitheater.


7. A lot of characters are either good people who make some bad choices, or bad characters who make some good choices. Can you give any examples of this? 

-Aurelia is a good character who made some bad choices. In the sewers, she tried to kill Nic but other times she made good choices
-Sal was a bad character who made some good choices. He let Nic live even when he was so much trouble in the mines.
-Radulf made some bad choices trying to take down the Empire in vengeance but really he's just sad

8. Nic is really excited to get his first pair of sandals. Why do you think this matters so much to him? 

-Because he was a slave and never got the chance to own shoes before
-Clothing can signify who you are in the world

9. Which character do you consider the “worst” villain — Radulf, Horatio, Valerius, or Sal (or someone else)? Why? 

-Radulf because he is trying to destroy Rome and he's against the Empire
-The crowd in the ampitheater because they are supporting the people being killed
-Nero
-Radulf because Horatio is close to joining him but he dies
-Nic is his own worst enemy. If he hadn't run away, nothing would have happened.


10. At the end of the book, Nic no longer has the bulla, and is trapped at General Radulf’s home. What do you think he’ll do next?

-He's going to burn down the house.
-He's going to try to escape.


Rate this book from 1-5
-One 2
-One 3
-Four 4s
-One 5

For March's Book Club, we will be reading Grenade by Alan Gratz.

On April 1, 1945 with the battle of Okinawa beginning, fourteen-year-old native Okinawan Hideki, drafted into the Blood and Iron Student Corps, is handed two grenades and told to go kill American soldiers; small for his age Hideki does not really want to kill anyone, he just wants to find his family, and his struggle across the island will finally bring him face-to-face with Ray, a marine in his very first battle--and the choice he makes then will change his life forever.

We will be meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20. Please be sure to pick up a copy of the book and to register for Book Club at the Circulation Desk.

January Grades 5-6 Book Club: Swim That Rock

For January's Book Club, we read Swim That Rock by John Rocco and Jay Primiano. Anthony, Claire, J.T., Linden, Madison, Maida, Reagan, and Ryan were present. We were joined by author Jay Primiano and his friend, poet James Geary.

Mr. Primiano shared readings from Swim That Rock, and posed questions to the kids about those specific chapters and the book itself. There were many insightful comments made by the readers, particularly about whether or not Jake is a good person even though he does some bad things. 

The kids were particularly interested in Mr. Primiano's writing process and inspiration. He compared the outline of his book to the border of a turned over puzzle. When the characters start to be fleshed out, the color begins to be introduced into the puzzle, enabling the greater picture to be seen.

We were treated to a reading from the first chapter from Mr. Primiano's next solo book, Where the Road Isn't. The group is very much looking forward to reading this companion novel to Swim That Rock.

Thank you again to Mr. Primiano and Mr. Geary for sharing Book Club with us!

We will be meeting on Wednesday, February 20 at 3:00 p.m. in order to discuss Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen.

"When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds himself in possession of an ancient amulet filled with magic once reserved for the Gods, and becomes the center of a conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and destroy Rome." Please be sure to register for Book Club and to pick up your copy of January's book at the library Circulation Desk.

January Grades 5-6 Book Club Suggestions

Darkdeep by Ally Condie

Everyone in Timbers knows Still Cove is off-limits, with its creepy Beast sightings and equally terrifying legends. But when a bullying incident sends twelve-year-old Nico Holland over a cliff and into Still Cove's icy waters, friends Tyler and Emma--and even Opal Walsh, who usually runs with the popular kids--rush to his rescue . . . and discover a mysterious island hiding in the murky, swirling mists below.

Though the island appears uninhabited, the kids can't shake a feeling that something about it is definitely not right. Their suspicions grow when they stumble upon an abandoned houseboat filled with all sorts of curiosities: odd-looking weapons, unnerving portraits, maps to unknown places, and a glass jar containing something completely unidentifiable. And in its lowest depths churns a dark, deep secret.

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Although separated by continents and decades, Josef, a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, embark on harrowing journeys in search of refuge, discovering shocking connections that tie their stories together.


Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.

December Grades 5-6 Book Club: Greetings from Witness Protection!

For December's Book Club, we read Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt. Claire, J.T., Linden, Madeline, Madison, Maida, and Reagan were present. This is what we talked about.


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

-Fancypaws because it uses the taser against Jackson and Arturo (Fancypaws is a stuffed animal)
-Nicki because she's got a Taser
-Charlotte because it's cool how she went into Witness Protection
-I wouldn't want to be involved in this story
-I would want to be an orphan on the wall from the Center because they had really big hair
-Charlotte because she's my favorite
-I hate saying I'd want to be the main character but I would want to be this main character. She deals with her kleptomania really well. I could relate to her. -I can identify with Charlotte because she's flawed
-At first, you don't want your character to have flaws 

What do you think of Dierdre? Were you surprised that she didn't have a bigger role in the book, after her debut as the class bully?:

-I was surprised because the bully usually has a larger role
-A lot of times, the bully character doesn't have a lot of personality. Sometimes, the bully is mean to others because they're feeling bad about themselves




What did you think of the relationship between Nicki/Charlotte and her new family? Did you find it believable?:

-There should have been more fighting between Jackson and Charlotte
-I think the story is about using people who are in vulnerable places (US Marshals using Nicki to fill a role and then ready to dump her when the mission went bad)
-The author should have made it be known when the characters could go back to being more like themselves and be extraordinary

How do you think you would have reacted if you were friends with Charlotte and she told you her big truth, as she did with Britney? 

-I wouldn't care. We'd be good enough friends.
-I would be incredulous

What do you think about the ending of the book? Was it a good conclusion to all of the adventures that the characters had? 

-It was a huge cliffhanger

The readers were unsatisfied with the ending because it left questions unanswered (what happens to the family? What happens to Nicki's dad? Jackson needs to find out that his spirit animal is a rage-bear.

Do you think that there will be (or should be) a sequel to this book?

-Yes, of course
-They just need an epilogue

Please rate this book from 0-5, with 5 being the best:

-One 2 1/2
-One 3+/4-
-Two 4
-Two 5s
-One 4.9 because no sequel/epilogue

We will be meeting on Wednesday, January 16 at 3:00 p.m. in order to discuss Swim That Rock by Jay Primiano and John Rocco. Mr. Primiano will be leading this book discussion group!

"When his dad goes missing in a fishing-boat accident, fourteen-year-old Jake refuses to think he may have lost his father forever. But suddenly, nothing seems certain in Jake's future, and now his family's diner may be repossessed by loan sharks. In Narragansett Bay, scrabbling out a living as a quahogger isn't easy, but with the help of some local clammers, Jake is determined to work hard and earn enough money to ensure his family's security and save the diner in time." Please be sure to register for Book Club and to pick up your copy of January's book at the library Circulation Desk.

November Grades 5-6 Book Club: Scar Island

For November's Book Club, we read Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart. Anthtony, Ayden, Claire, J.T., Madison, Maida, and Reagan were present. This is what we talked about.


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

-Colin because he's a thief and he's sneaky and he's smart
-Colin because he seems smart (if he got the lisp out of the way) and he would be someone I'd like to hang out with
-Colin because he's smart
-Jonathan because he didn't really need to go to Slabhenge but he took the blame for someone.
-Colin because he steals food
-Jonathan's sister because she didn't have to watch Jonathan go to Scar Island

What do you think of Sebastian:

-I think he felt bad for himself and took it out on others
-he felt like he had to be the leader of everyone
-he's power-hungry and evil and he's cool

Talk a little bit about friendship and loyalty in this story.

-Colin was loyal and a great friend to Jonathan. 

-Jonathan was a good person because he went to save Colin from drowning

-at the end, everyone banded together

Do you think it's realistic that everyone got along at the end, even after everything that happened?

-I don't think so

-it's not realistic because it happened so quickly. Sebastian changed personalities so quickly.

Did you like the author's use of only gradually giving out the details of Jonathan's backstory? Did you get frustrated, wanting to know more about his past?

-I got frustrated

-I kind of liked it as well as hated it

How do you think you would have reacted when all of the adults on the island died? Do you think you would have gone along with Jonathan's/Sebastian's plan? 

-I wouldn't have told anyone. I wouldn't have gone along with Sebastian.

-I would have stayed for another day to see how it went and then saw how it all was.

-I wouldn't be on the island in the first place.

What do you think about the ending of the book? Was it a good conclusion to all of the adventures that the characters had? 

-Nope
-It was a cliffhanger

Do you think that there will be (or should be) a sequel to this book?

-There should be a sequel
-There should be an epilogue to every single book
-An epilogue or sequel might ruin the ending of this book

Please rate this book from 0-5, with 5 being the best:

-One 3

-Five 4s

*The readers were generally upset over the ending and the slow reveal of information and feel like they would have ranked it higher if not for those issues.

  

We will be meeting on Wednesday, December 19 at 3:00 p.m. in order to discuss Greetings from Witness Protection by Jake Burt. 

"Thirteen-year-old Nicki Demere is an orphan and a kleptomaniac, making her the perfect girl to portray the Trevors' daughter in witness protection, but she soon learns that the biggest threat to her new family's security comes from her own past." Please be sure to register for Book Club and to pick up your copy of December's book at the library Circulation Desk.

December Grades 5-6 Book Suggestions

All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

Eleven-year-old Imogene (Impy) has grown up with two parents working at the Renaissance Faire, and she's eager to begin her own training as a squire. First, though, she'll need to prove her bravery. Luckily Impy has just the quest in mind—she'll go to public school after a life of being homeschooled! But it's not easy to act like a noble knight-in-training in middle school. Impy falls in with a group of girls who seem really nice (until they don't) and starts to be embarrassed of her thrift shop apparel, her family's unusual lifestyle, and their small, messy apartment. Impy has always thought of herself as a heroic knight, but when she does something really mean in order to fit in, she begins to wonder whether she might be more of a dragon after all.  


Greetings from Witness Protection by Jake Burt

Thirteen-year-old Nicki Demere is an orphan and a kleptomaniac, making her the perfect girl to portray the Trevors' daughter in witness protection, but she soon learns that the biggest threat to her new family's security comes from her own past.

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz

Ten concentration camps. Ten different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly. It's something no one could imagine surviving. But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face. As a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis, who have taken over. Everything he has and everyone he loves have been snatched brutally from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner - his arm tattooed with the words PRISONER B-3087. He is forced from one nightmarish concentration camp to another as World War II rages all around him. He encounters evil he could have never imagined but also sees surprising glimpses of hope amid the horror. He just barely escapes death only to confront it again seconds later. Can Yanek make it through the terror without losing his hope, his will - and, most of all, his sense of who he really is inside?


The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall

Arthur T. Owens grabbed a brick and hurled it at the trash picker. Arthur had his reasons, and the brick hit the Junk Man in the arm, not the head. But none of that matters to the judge—he is ready to send Arthur to juvie forever. Amazingly, it’s the Junk Man himself who offers an alternative: 120 hours of community service . . . working for him.
 
Arthur is given a rickety shopping cart and a list of the Seven Most Important Things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans, and mirrors. He can’t believe it—is he really supposed to rummage through people’s trash? But it isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something more precious than anyone could imagine. . . .