February 2020 Grades 5-6 Book Club Suggestions

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz

Survive. At any cost.

10 concentration camps.

10 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?


Based on an astonishing true story.





Lifeboat by Susan Hood

With Nazis bombing London every night, it’s time for thirteen-year-old Ken to escape. He suspects his stepmother is glad to see him go, but his dad says he’s one of the lucky ones—one of ninety boys and girls to ship out aboard the SS City of Benares to safety in Canada.

Life aboard the luxury ship is grand—nine-course meals, new friends, and a life far from the bombs, rations, and his stepmum’s glare. And after five days at sea, the ship’s officers announce that they’re out of danger.

They’re wrong.

Late that night, an explosion hurls Ken from his bunk. They’ve been hit. Torpedoed! The Benares is sinking fast. Terrified, Ken scrambles aboard Lifeboat 12 with five other boys. Will they get away? Will they survive?





Once Was a Time by Leila Sales

In the war-ravaged England of 1940, Charlotte Bromley is sure of only one thing: Kitty McLaughlin is her best friend in the whole world. But when Charlotte's scientist father makes an astonishing discovery that the Germans will covet for themselves, Charlotte is faced with an impossible choice between danger and safety. Should she remain with her friend or journey to another time and place? Her split-second decision has huge consequences, and when she finds herself alone in the world, unsure of Kitty's fate, she knows that somehow, some way, she must find her way back to her friend. 

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

For December's Book Club, we read Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt.  Finn Ian, Mark and Sophie were present. This is what we talked about.


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

-Charlotte/Nicki because she took so many hits (her mom left, dad went to jail) and she kept on going
-I would be Archer or Jackson. Charlotte came into the family and Jackson just wants to go back to the way things were. He's hiding his feelings. Archer was just cool.
-The caseworker so I don't have to go through these problems, I can just text.
-I want to be Charlotte because she's important.

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?:

-The book isn't about a child beating up another beating up another child.





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

-Yes, because they created companionship like a real family
-It seemed believable because it took Jackson awhile to warm up to Nicki
-The family was nice and very accepting of Nicki

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 would keep it to myself and not tell anyone else. I would keep being friends with her and not tell anyone else about her.
-I would not tell anyone else.

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

-I would like a sequel
-Everyone wanted a sequel

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

-It just needed a proper ending
-It would be cool if they made a sequel

Additional comments:

-It was sad

-It was good

-I wish someone had died 

-There should have been more blood in the end of the book

Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not?

-Yes
-Depends on what type of book it is
-It depends on the plot of the book

What feelings did this book evoke for you? Did you feel like you could relate to anything in the book? 

-If only Jackson was an older sibling, I would feel bad for Charlotte.
-Keeping secrets.

What did you think of the book’s length? If it’s too long, what would you cut? If too short, what would you add?

-Too short. I would add a proper ending and a cliffhanger.
-It was just the right.
-I was sorry that they didn't add picking out a Christmas Tree. It would have been a nice scene for the family.

If you got the chance to ask the author of this book one question, what would it be?

-Why didn't you decorate a Christmas tree?
-What was that ending?
-Why was there a gun in the book?

How original and unique was this book?

-Original. 
-I've read books that relate to the story line but not this exact story.

If you could hear this same story from another person’s point of view, who would you choose?

-Britney or Jackson's point of view might be interesting to hear from

What did you like least about this book?

-That it ends.
-That it began.

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

-One 3
-Two 4.5
-One 5

We will be meeting on Wednesday, January 15 at 3:00 p.m. in order to discuss 

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden.

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man"--a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.
    
Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.
     
Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed these warnings. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."
     
And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

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

Estranged by Ethan Aldridge

Edmund and the Childe were swapped at birth. Now Edmund lives in secret as a changeling in the World Above, his fae powers hidden from his unsuspecting parents and his older sister, Alexis. The Childe lives among the fae in the World Below, where being a human makes him a curiosity at the royal palace.

But when the cruel sorceress Hawthorne seizes the throne, the Childe and Edmund must unite on a dangerous quest to save both worlds—even if they’re not sure which world they belong to.

This epic graphic novel is perfect for fans of Amulet.


The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Five years. That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation. It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash. Coyote hasn't been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished---the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box---she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it. Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys... Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her "once upon a time" into a "happily ever after."


Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man"--a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.
    
Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.
     
Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed these warnings. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."
     
And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

November Grades 5-6 Book Club: A World Below

For November's Book Club, we read A World Below by Wesley King. Finn, Ian and Mark were present. This is what we discussed.

Let's talk about the book's set up. Did you like how it was told in sections labeled "A Month Before" and "Two Hours After"? Do you think it added to the book?  

How did you feel about the fact that the book had three narrators? Were you ever confused about who was speaking? Did you prefer one narrator over the other?

Could you envision yourself in Mr. Baker's 8th graders places? How do you think you would do in such an emergency?

Describe Eric and Silvia. Do any parts of them remind you of yourself or someone you know?

Did this book remind you of any others you have read? The characters, the setting, the themes discussed?

Why did Jana's group break off from Carlos's? 

Did you find any of this book confusing?

Do you think it is realistic that everyone survived the earthquake and its aftermath?

The ending seemed to be set up for a sequel. Would you read it?

Please rate this story between 1 and 5, with 1 being the worst book you've ever read and 5 being one of the best.

-5
-4.5
-3.5/4


For December's Book Club, we will be 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.


We will meet on Wednesday, December 18 at 3:00 p.m. Please be sure to pick up a copy of the library book and register for each session of Book Club at the Circulation Desk.

December Grades 5-6 Book Club Suggestions

Allies by Alan Gratz

It is June 6, 1944, D-Day, and Dee Carpenter (true name Dietrich Zimmermann), an underage private in the United States Army, is headed for Omaha Beach, seeking revenge for his uncle, who was arrested by Nazis when Dee was a little boy; meanwhile, Samira Zidano, an eleven-year old French-Algerian girl is looking for the French resistance, desperate to deliver the message that the invasion is about to begin, and get their help in freeing her mother--this is the most important day of the twentieth century, and both children want to fight, and survive.


City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Ever since her near-fatal drowning, Cassidy has been able to pull back the "Veil" that separates the living from the dead and see ghosts, not that she wants to, and she was really looking forward to a ghost-free summer at the beach; however her parents are going to start filming a TV series about the world's most haunted places, starting with Edinburgh with its graveyards, castles, and restless phantoms--and Cass and her personal ghost companion, Jacob, are about to find out that a city of old ghosts can be a very dangerous place indeed.


Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

The sequel to the critically acclaimed Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus follows Aven Green as she confronts yet another challenge: high school. Just as Aven starts to feel comfortable in Stagecoach Pass, with her friends and schoolmates accustomed to her lack of "armage," everything changes once again. She's about to begin high school...with 2,300 new kids to stare at her. And no matter how much Aven tries to play it cool, nothing prepares her for the reality. In a year filled with confusion, humiliation, and just maybe love, can Aven manage to stay true to herself?

October Grades 5-6 Book Club: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

For October's Book Club, we read Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. Ian and Mark were present. This is what we discussed.

1. How do you think your life would be different if you didn’t have arms? Find some examples of the way Aven solves problems that arise from not having arms. What kind of problems would you face in your life if you didn’t have arms? 

-I'd use my legs like Aven to do things
-Also use my teeth
-I wouldn't be able to play rock, paper, scissors but I'd be awesome at soccer
-Her friends helped her out sometimes and used her brain to help figure things out

2. Think about the title of the book. Why is it called this? What does Aven mean when she says her life is an insignificant event in the life of a cactus?

-Why does she refer to herself as a cactus
-Cactus live in the desert
-They are prickly things living in the desert and oftentimes don't have arms

3. This book is told in first person, from Aven’s point-of-view. How do you think it would change if it were told in third person? Do you notice any differences between the way Aven talks to the reader and the way she writes her blog posts?

-She used "I" to indicate first person
-If she used third person, we'd probably hear more about Connor and Zion's lives and their thoughts
-She tells her blog in a funny voice, maybe trying to cover up her feelings of sadness

4. When Aven first meets Connor, and he points out that she doesn’t have arms, she says, “Oh my gosh! I knew I was forgetting something today.” How does she use her sense of humor to her advantage? Can you find other examples in the story where Aven makes light of not having arms?

-She makes light of her disability in her blog
-She is probably sad that she doesn't have arms is covering up her feelings

5. In chapter 7, a girl at school asks Aven if her disability is contagious. Why does the girl ask this? Why does it make Aven feel bad?

-Because Rebecca didn't want to not have arms. She didn't want to be different.
-She's a meanie.
-She was publicly shaming Aven for not having arms.

6. Why does Zion eat on the sidewalk behind the office by himself? Do you know someone who spends a lot of time alone at school? What might be some ways to include him/her in your activities?

-He feels like he's different from everyone else
-He's so big that he doesn't want people to watch him eat because he thinks they'll make fun of him
-No one in our grade spends time alone

7. Compare and contrast Aven and Connor. What traits do they share? What traits make them different? Do you think Connor is as comfortable having Tourette’s as Aven is not having arms? Find specific examples in the text to support your answer.

-I feel like Connor gets mad at himself for having Tourette's. It's not his fault though. 
-Sometimes Aven feels bad that she doesn't have arms but she's mostly accepted her disability

8. The Aven we meet at the beginning of the story is very different from the Aven we meet at the end. How is she the same, and how has she changed? What about Connor?

-Connor is different at the end because he's learning to accept how to have Tourette's (how it is, how he's going to be)
-Aven has learned a lot more about what it means to have no arms
-Aven has changed because she is more experienced and she learns a lot more how to have friends with disabilities


9. Think of a time when you felt empathy. What can you do to be more empathetic in your daily life?

em·​pa·​thy | \ ˈem-pə-thē  

Definition of empathy:

1: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner

-I can try to imagine how it feels for people who are different than me, with a certain disability.
-I don't know how they do stuff. It's pretty amazing.
-Once a friend didn't do well on an exam and felt down and I was able to say to him "I've gotten that grade before...I've been there."
-I try to imagine what someone else feels and what their life is like



Please rate this story between 1 and 5, with 1 being the worst book you've ever read and 5 being the best.

-4 1/2
-4 1/2


The next Grades 5-6 Book Club will meet on Wednesday, November 20 at 3:00 p.m. For November's club, we will be reading A World Below by Wesley King.

Mr. Baker's eighth grade class thought they were in for a normal field trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, but their journey takes a terrifying turn when an earthquake hits and the students are plunged into a frigid underground lake, forcing them to fight for survival and find their way back above ground.

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

November Grades 5-6 Book Club Suggestions

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Companion book to The Wednesday Wars, September's Book Club selection.

As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends, an abusive father, and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him until he finds an ally in Lil Spicer--a fiery young lady. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon's birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage.

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

Some people can do their homework. Some people get to have crushes on boys. Some people have other things they've got to do.

Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Zoey thinks how much easier everything would be if she were an octopus: eight arms to do eight things at once. Incredible camouflage ability and steady, unblinking vision. Powerful protective defenses.Unfortunately, she's not totally invisible, and one of her teachers forces her to join the debate club. Even though Zoey resists participating, debate ultimately leads her to see things in a new way.

A World Below by Wesley King

Mr. Baker's eighth grade class thought they were in for a normal field trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, but their journey takes a terrifying turn when an earthquake hits and the students are plunged into a frigid underground lake, forcing them to fight for survival and find their way back above ground.