September Grades 5-6 Book Club Suggestions

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy.



The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech

In the little town of Blackbird Tree live two orphan girls: one Naomi Deane, brimming with curiosity, and her best friend, Lizzie Scatterding, who could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens. For she knows all the peculiar people in town--like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins and Mr. Farley. But then, one day, a boy drops out of a tree. The strangely charming Finn boy. Then the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking all kinds of questions. Curious surprises are revealed--three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy. Soon Naomi and Lizzie find themselves zooming toward a future neither could ever have imagined. Meanwhile, on a grand estate across the ocean, an old lady whose heart has been deceived concocts a plan. . . .


11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and not speaking to each other for the last year, prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately but peculiar things begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over again.

July Grades 5-6 Book Club: The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

 

For July's Book Club, we read The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. Cecilia, Courtney, Kelsey and Rileigh were present. This is what we discussed.


1. Why is Holling convinced Mrs. Baker hates him?

-Because he gets glares like (facial example)
-Instead of making him learn, she makes him clean chalkboard erasers and other tasks like that
-He thinks she is trying to bore him to death


2. Mrs. Baker says that Shakespeare "is never boring to the true soul." What does she mean by that remark...what is a "true soul"?

-A "true soul" is someone who does not have hatred but passion
-I have no idea
-There were a lot of people who were not true souls like Mickey Mantle and Holling's father


3. What is it about Shakespeare that Holling comes to appreciate?

-Throughout the book, he was able to relate to Shakespeare and the characters. The cross-country tryouts were similar to things in Shakespeare
-I think that he was able to appreciate the Shakespearean curses
-As he continues to read, he grows to appreciate more than the curses.He appreciates the stories in the plays.


4. How do the Shakespearean plays Holling reads reflect the events in his life?

-In Hamlet, the Danish prince was trying to find himself. Holling's sister intended to go to California to find herself but only made it to Minneapolis.


Side Notes

-It's funny when Mrs. Baker can't find the word for "buttocks".
-The rats


5. What do you think about Holling's parents? What kind of parents are they? What is uppermost in Mr. Hoodhood's life?

-The dad is hard and the mom is comforting.
-The most important thing in Holling's dad's life is his business
-The dad didn't even really care about Holling being hit by the bus


6. Does the author do a good job of describing the problems faced by seventh graders—friendship, bullying, parents, siblings, teacher expectations?

-Yes because Holling is being bullied by older kids and that's something that happens all the time in real life
-Friendships: I had a friend in kindergarten and now we don't hang out. People change.
-Some people think that one group is more popular than another
-Bullying becomes a real issue, especially in middle school


7. What episodes did you find especially funny? The rats episode, the yellow tights, the cream puffs?

-The yellow tights. 
-The rats meeting their end with the newly elected principal


8. Talk about the line, "when the gods die, they die hard." What symbolic "gods" die for Holling?

-Mickey Mantle
-His dad
-Holling's dad didn't really care that his son was unhappy


9. In what way does Holling grow by the end of the book? What does he learn...how does he change?

-He grows to like Shakespeare
-He thinks that Mrs. Baker only hates his guts sometimes
-He hates his sister at the beginning but then they were friendly at the end


10. Mrs. Baker advises Holling to "Learn everything you can—everything. And then use all that you have learned to be a wise and good man." Does, or will, Holling live up to that advice?

-Yes, because of life
-Yes because of all that he has learned from the book.

For August's Book Club, we will be reading The Greenglass House by Kate Milford. We will be meeting on Wednesday, August 5th at 4:00 p.m.

It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves.

Please be sure to pick up your copy of the book at the Circulation Desk and sign up for the Book Club so that Miss Lisa knows how many snacks to buy!


 

August Grades 5-6 Book Club Suggestions

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.

So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity—a classic in the making.

The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Lyson

The Boy on the Wooden Box, is the moving account of a happy childhood shattered by the Holocaust. Leyson was fortunate enough to survive, thanks largely to Oskar Schindler. As the youngest member of Schindler’s list, Leyson offers a unique perspective on the man who became his lifelong hero and his first-hand account of day-to-day existence in the factory--which did not alleviate the fear or deprivation--and his personal interaction with Schindler is powerful and special. The Boy on the Wooden Box is an important work, helping mature young readers understand the Holocaust through the life of a young person who lived it.

The Greenglass House by Kate Milford

It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves.

 

June Grades 5-6 Book Club: The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson

In June, we discussed The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson. Cecilia (and Cameron), Courtney, Kelsey, and Rileigh were present. Please find some of the comments about the book below. 

1. Discuss the character traits that allow Finn to assume the role as leader of the DHI (Disney Host Interactive) teen group. During their first meeting, Wayne recognizes Finn’s potential for leadership and shares this with him. In your opinion, what is his motivation in doing so? Do you think Finn is the leader Wayne predicts he will be? Use specific evidence from the story to support your opinion.

-He definitely is the leader. 
-He takes charge.
-He's always suspicious.
-He wants to impress others (he doesn't like to let down his mother).

2. Describe Wayne. Is he an important character? Explain your position. Predict what role he will ultimately have in assisting the DHIs as they fight to defeat the Overtakers.

-He's mysterious and important. He is a very big help to the kids.
-He's a person that works at Disney World. He was a friend of Walt Disney.
-He gives the teens information but doesn't give the whole story. He makes them work for their success.

3. Consider the story’s setting. Does the Disney World location seem fitting? Would the story work as well if the setting were changed? Offer an alternate setting and make a case for why that location would be appropriate for the story.

-The story would not work as well if it weren't in Disney World. 
-Disney Land because it is extremely similar to Disney World.
-No where else would be as fitting because there would be different villains and the story would be completely different.
-They could go to Universal and get chased by Voldemort in the Harry Potter experience. 
-You need someplace that has villains.
-A zoo in which all of the animals turn evil.

4. In your opinion, are there any benefits to becoming a DHI? If so, what might those be? Would you be interested in a similar opportunity? Why or why not?

 -You can walk through walls and I would take the opportunity to become one.
-I would like to walk through walls and scare people out of their pants.
-I would love to have a Fast Pass and all of that behind the scenes access
-I would like to be a DHI because you could scare people and also it would be cool to walk through people and cut the line.
-You can get into animal pens and pet the tigers and other animals. They cannot attack you because you're a hologram.
 
5. The Kingdom Keepers contains a number of characters who exhibit a variety of strengths or skills. In what ways do their personalities complement Finn’s and make the DHI group complete? Who most impresses you with their strength or skill? Explain your choice.

 -Finn rescues people from Space Mountain. It's dark there. And he rescued Maybeck.
-The whole group works together really well.

6. Consider the Overtakers. Why are they so dangerous? How do they use technology against the DHIs? In what ways is this effective? In your opinion, what is their ultimate goal?

-They have an evil witch.
-They use technology to trick the DHIs. 
-The Overtakers want to take over Disney World. That is their goal.
-The Overtakers will overtake. Their name says it all.

7. Disney stories and films are ripe with evil villains. Consider Maleficent. What makes her the ideal villain? Though the novel doesn’t specifically address other villainous characters working in collaboration with her, who else do you predict will be discovered as an Overtaker? In your opinion, what are some reasons the author chose to include these characters?

-She is a horrible witch.
-She's a Disney dementor or Voldemort.
-Cruella de Ville
-Ursulla

8. Using the phrase, “This is a story about . . . ” supply five words to describe The Kingdom Keepers. Explain your choices. 

-Adventurous, magical, powerful, funny, old
-Adventurous, weird, geeky, useful, secretive
-Awesome, crazy, amazing, suspenseful, out of this world
-Awesome, futuristic, super-awesome, weird, adventurous 

On a scale of 1-10, what would you rank this book?

10
9.99523
10
9.999999999999 

In July, we will be reading The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. We will be meeting on July 8th at 3:00 p.m.

"During the 1967 school year, on Wednesday afternoons when all his classmates go to either Catechism or Hebrew school, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood stays in Mrs. Baker's classroom where they read the plays of William Shakespeare and Holling learns much of value about the world he lives in."

Please be sure to sign up for Book Club so that Miss Lisa can buy enough snacks!

June Grades 5-6 Book Club Suggestions

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

In the tradition of Out of My Mind, Wonder, and Mockingbird, this is an intensely moving middle grade novel about being an outsider, coping with loss, and discovering the true meaning of family.
Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

 

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens - just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy - is caught up in something bad... Something life threatening. It's a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

 

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn’t like Holling—he’s sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class? But everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam. His father wants Holling and his sister to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has so much to contend with? A bully demanding cream puffs; angry rats; and a baseball hero signing autographs the very same night Holling has to appear in a play in yellow tights! As fate sneaks up on him again and again, Holling finds Motivation—the Big M—in the most unexpected places and musters up the courage to embrace his destiny, in spite of himself.

 

 

May Grades 5-6 Book Club: Honey by Sarah Weeks

For May's Book Club, we read Honey by Sarah Weeks. Cece, Courtney, Kelsey and Rileigh were present. This is some of what we discussed.

My favorite character was:

-Melody because she wouldn't stop trying to figure out who Honey was.
-I didn't read the whole book but I liked Bee Bee, because she made her own nail polish.
-I also liked Mo because he's cute.
-My favorite character was Miss McKenna because she's very caring. She was concerned about Melody.

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

-I would be Bee Bee, because she makes her own nail polish.

-I would be Mo because he's a dog and I like dogs.

-I like the name Mo. It sounds funny.

-I would be Mo or Melody.

If I could change one scene in the book, it would be:

-I would change where Melody says to her new teacher that she knew her secret (because she doesn't really know her secret).
-When her dad tells Melody that his girlfriend is Miss McKenna, it would be funny if he said that it was Miss Hogan.
-When her grandfather is smoking in the garage and says he's looking for the hammer.
-I would change when her grandfather made the tuna noodle casserole that made everyone who ate a lot of it sick.

The character I wouldn’t want to mix nail polishes with (I don't really like):

-Miss Hogan. (Melody's mean teacher).

-I wouldn't want to mix nail polishes with Mo because he'd make a mess.

The one character I would want to be happy forever is:

-Mo, because he's a dog and deserves happiness.
-Melody, because her mother died when she was young and the whole book, she thought her dad liked a truly awful person.
-Teeny Nelson because she's an annoying little girl who deserves happiness.
-Melody's mom should be forever happy in Heaven.

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

-5
-5 billion
-pi x 10
-1

For June's Book Club, we will be reading The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson.

Thirteen-year-old Finn Whitman and four other young teens have been transformed into holograms to be guides for visitors to Disney World. When Finn is unexpectedly transported to the Magic Kingdom in his hologram form, Wayne, an Imagineer, tells him that he and the other guides must save the park from the scheming witch Maleficent and the Overtakers.

We will be meeting on Wednesday, June 17 at 3:00 p.m. Please note that this is the third week of the month. Copies of the book will be available behind the Circulation Desk.

April Grades 5-6 Book Club: The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

For the April Book Club, we read The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill. Cecilia, Courtney, Isabella, Julia, Kelsey, and Rileigh were present. We used the Algonquin Young Reader questions to lead our discussion: 

1. Ned is always compared with his brother and referred to as “the wrong boy” by everyone around him. Even Áine’s mother, who never meets Ned, calls him that on her deathbed. Have you ever felt unfairly compared with another person? Have you ever compared one person and another, perhaps unfairly?

-I've been treated unfairly by my sisters because they usually take over my playdate. Everyone votes for them because they are so cute.

-If I have a playdate with Kelsey, everybody wants to play with Kelsey.

-I'm not super-sporty. In gym, no one ever picks me first. All the same people get picked first.

2. At the end of chapter 2, Tam’s soul is stitched to Ned’s body. What did you think the consequences would be for Ned? Were you surprised by what happened to him?

-He was stuttering, not matter how hard he tried to talk.

-I was not surprised. His stuttering words are mixed with his brother's. He has double words; hence, the stutter. And he can't read because he has double vision from being mixed with brother.

3. Many characters, such as Sister Witch, the Queen, and the Bandit King, are never called by their actual names. Why do you think Kelly Barnhill chose to name her characters this way? Can you think of people in your life or in other stories that aren’t often referred to by their given names?

-I call Jayden Jay-Dog.

-I call my brother Cam, not Cameron.

-Murph, Ri-fi, Smurf, Izzie, KK, Kelpie
-My grandma Margaret is Peg
-I only learned that Cassia given name is Pennington

4. While Áine is a very pragmatic girl, Ned is timid and clumsy. How do their personalities complement one another on their journey? Did you identify with either Áine or Ned as you were reading?

-I am timid.

-Áine was brave and daring while Ned was always questioning things. When it came to Wolf, the roles were reversed.

-I am like Áine and Ned mixed together. I am timid but not clumsy.

5. When Áine first meets Ned and the wolf, she’s mistrustful of both. But by the end, all three are friends. At what point do you think her opinion of Ned, and her opinion of the wolf, changed? Have you ever changed your mind about someone the more you got to know him or her?

-The first day of school, I sat in Kelsey's spot at lunch. Kelsey was mad at me. I thought she was mean but the more I got to know her, I realized she's nice.

-When I first met her, I thought Julia was poor. I just wanted another friend so I overlooked it. And I thought she was annoying. But now we are better friends.

-There's a kid in the class who was really annoying and bossy. He's not as annoying anymore.

6. Why do you think the Queen and King Ott behave so differently? In the beginning of chapter 6, it’s mentioned that even when the Queen took the throne at the young age of seventeen, she displayed her famous sardonic humor. Do you think that an older King Ott would also act as he had in youth?

-A young King Ott doesn't know what he's doing. An older King Ott would be less greedy and more in control.

-He would have acted way differently if he had been older because he would be wiser.

-He would have acted differently because he would have been more mature and thinking ahead about what he was doing. When you're a teenager, you're less mature.

7. Consider the pros and cons of Sister Witch’s small portion of magic. Would you ever want to possess this kind of magic in your day-to-day life? Why or why not?

-I would not want to possess the magic because it has consequences. Sometimes having a cool thing isn't always the best thing. When a man touched the magic and wished for gold, it filled up his body.

-I would want to possess that magic because the consequences could be good. When the man died from the golden nuggets, the witch gave the gold to a poor family so it was a good consequence for someone else.

-I would not want to possess it because there would be deadly consequences.

8. At the end of The Witch’s Boy, the Bandit King frees himself from his obsessive greed and makes the ultimate sacrifice for his daughter. Do you think the Bandit King was a villain or a hero—or both? Are there other characters in the novel that seemed either good or evil when you began reading but changed as the novel progressed?

-He was a bit of both. He tried to steal the magic but then he helped his daughter.

-I think in sacrificing yourself for your daughter, you would be a good person. However, most people weren't able to see the Bandit King's good qualities.

9. In the beginning and end of The Witch’s Boy, Ned longs to go out to the sea. Why do you think that is?

-He wants to go in the beginning because it's him and his brother. At the end, he wants to finish what he started.

-I agree with Rileigh, because in the beginning, he wants to go to sea with his brother. In the end, he's finishing up what he started.

10. What would you rate this novel, with 1 being the worst and 10 the best?

-7
-9
-10
-10
-9.5

We will meet on May 13th to discuss Honey by Sarah Weeks.

For a girl like Melody and a dog like Mo, life can be both sticky and sweet.

Melody has lived in Royal, Indiana, for as long as she can remember. It's been just her and her father, and she's been okay with that. But then she overhears him calling someone Honey -- and suddenly it feels like everyone in Royal has a secret. It's up to Melody and her best friend, Nick, to piece together the clues and discover why Honey is being hidden.

Meanwhile, a dog named Mo is new to Royal. He doesn't remember much from when he was a puppy . . . but he keeps having dreams of a girl he is bound to meet someday. This girl, he's sure, will change everything.


As always, snacks will be served. It is expected that kids finish the book before arriving. Also, bring ONE suggestion for the next Book Club discussion.