May Grades 5-6 Book Club: The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

For May's book club, we read The Eye of Minds by James Dashner. Andrew, Courtney, Kelsey, Liam, Owen and Rileigh were present. This is some of what we talked about.


What did you think if the VirtNet? Would you be a player and own a coffin?

-Yes, I would spend the rest of my life in the VirtNet.When you die in the game, you would still be alive.
-Yes, I would be a player and own a coffin. If something bad happened to you, I would only feel it in the game but it wouldn't really happen to me.
-Yes because I like virtual reality and Lifeblood Deep seems really good.
-I wouldn't because it seems too real and it would be creepy. If you are so enraptured with it, you would make excuses to be in it. If you got killed, you would actually feel the pain.
-Instead of having a locker, you could have a coffin at school. Avoiding mean teachers, etc.
-I would not go in the VirtNet if the coffin is as it is now. But if there was a better one, I would go in the VirtNet.  





We then talked about reality vs video games and the consequences.


What did you think about the scene on the bridge with Tanya? Did her actions pull you right into the book?


-It pulled me right into the book because it's really dramatic. You don't know anything about the VirtNet yet but you are pulled into the story.
-"What is happening? I need to read more to know what is going on?"
-I was wondering what was going on at first, not realizing that Michael and Tanya were in the VirtNet.
-This book gave me so many graphic images in my head. They were too graphic.
-At first, I thought it was kamikaze. I thought it was about a kid with a dramatic suicide.
-"Uhhhhhh." 


Have you played a game like Devil's Destruction? Would you?

-I usually play games like Halo. There's a game called The Crucible, in which you mostly just kill people. It's sci-fi. 
-I have never played a game like this but I probably would. Knowing that you're in the VirtNet and that you don't get brutally killed in real life would be good. 
-You would still see the horror of people getting brutally killed.
-No, I never have. I'm not a big video game person. 
-I have played a game like that called Boarlands.   
-I do not play games like that and I would never play games like that because I don't like killing.
-I would play a game like that although it sounds a little gory. I think it would be fun to go around to different places. I don't understand why they didn't code in a real grenade that could save them.  

What did you think about the Path? Did you think that those scenes were good?

-They were very good. They were so intense. Although, when Michael was flying backwards, I half expected him to slam into the wall.
-I thought it was boring except for the Monk (Gunnar Skale) and his talk about demons.
-I thought that the scenes were good. I liked it when Michael figured out the clock. And the lava.
-It was good.   

Michael knew that something was wrong with him because of his constant headaches. Do you think that he had any idea of his true nature? Do you think his friends did?

-I didn't think he knew because at the end, he was really surprised. I don't think that his friends knew either.
-I think that Michael didn't know but one of his friends might have known. Bryson realized that Kaine was a Tangent and might have done the same with Michael.
-I don't think his friends did. He didn't either. He thought he was just a person. 


Was the ending a surprise or what you expected?

-It was a total surprise. Kaine's revelation about killing all the people and letting all of the Tangents using their bodies.
-It was not what I expected. I thought it might change perspective to another character because I thought that Michael might have died.
-All of the Tangents seemed bad and Michael didn't seem bad.


It appears that Michael is going to work against Kaine and deny his Tangent inception. Will you continue with the series?

-Almost unanimous "yes"es though one definite no.

What was your favorite scene in the book?

-Where Michael and Sarah jumped into the Portal (after Bryson died).
-When he found out he was a Tangent.
-When he was getting too close to Sarah.
-The part where VNS came in to the castle. And the winter scene.
-When the lightning bolt struck on the rock and I could really imagine the scene.


Would you recommend this book to others or tell them to leave it on the shelf?



-Recommend to ALL of my friends because most of them read this sort of stuff.
-It was alright. I know a bunch of people who would like it.
-I would recommend it to many people except to those who rend my poor soul to dust.
-I would.
-I would recommend it to The Hunger Games lovers.   

We will be meeting on Wednesday, June 15 at 3:00 p.m. in order to discuss books in general. Be prepared to share books that you've loved, books you have been disappointed in and those that you can't wait to read. This discussion time will give us an opportunity to come up with some great books to read during the Summer Reading Program. Snacks will be provided.

April Grades 5-6 Book Club: Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy

For April's Grades 5-6 Book Club, we read Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui Sutherland. Andrew, Courtney, Kelsey, and Liam were present. This is what we discussed, based on discussion questions provided by scholastic.com.


1. Clay believes that he is not a “naturally hatched hero.” What makes him feel that he does not meet expectations? Have you ever felt that you did not meet expectations? Were you able to overcome those feelings? 

-He doesn't think he's a naturally hatched hero because he attacked the other eggs (but he didn't)
-Under the mountain, he wasn't able to make his fierce self come out.
-All the other dragons made Clay feel bad about trying to kill his fellow dragonets and that he should be a warrior.
-Sometimes homework
-Height-wise    

2. Clay is loyal, Starflight is smart, Tsunami is a protector, Sunny is an optimist, and Glory is a gentle beauty. Which dragonet is most similar to you? 


-Tsunami
-Glory and Starflight
-Starflight
-Starflight 


 3. The original prophecy did not include a RainWing. How do the other dragonets feel about Glory? How do Kestral and the other minders feel about her after Morrowseer visits? 

-The Dragonets think that Glory is awesome. Kestrel and Dune think that she should go away and Webb doesn't really care either way.
-They feel really protective of her because Morrowseer is being really mean to Glory. They didn't have a good feeling about him.
-They (the dragon minders) want Glory to go because they don't need a RainWing and need a SkyWing.  






4. Starflight reads the scroll about NightWings when he is upset. What do you do to make yourself feel better when you are upset? 

-Read myself into oblivion
-Read myself into oblivion
-Sit in my bed or play video games
-I find something to do
-I make dragons out of Rainbow Loom  
 



5. Why do you think the minders chain up Tsunami? 

-Because they see her as a threat. They know that she'll lash out at them
-Because she's vicious




6. Why do you think Glory refuses to hide when Queen Scarlet finds them in the cave? What would you have done if you were Glory? 

-I would have lashed out at her
-I would have used the poisonous spit
-She's not afraid of Queen Scarlet. She knows that Queen Scarlet believes that she's a lazy RainWing.
  

7. Why do you think Osprey defended Kestrel in the trial knowing it would anger Queen Scarlet? 

-Maybe he's the dad
-Because he knew that no one else liked Peril and he was going to stand up for her
-Because all SkyWings get a fair trial

8. Clay plays the dragonet song on his wire and is surprised when all of the other dragons sing along. Why do you think they sing along? 

-Because they have hope
-When he starts doing that, they feel like they have some hope of getting out


9. Why do you think Peril refuses to go with Kestrel? Why do you think she refuses to go with the dragonets? What would you have done if you were Peril? 

-She doesn't forgive Kestrel for leaving her when she was young. She doesn't go with the dragonets because maybe Queen Scarlet really did love her. I would have gone with the dragonets and left Kestrel behind
-Because she was fearful that the SeaWings would try to overpower her.


10. Why doesn’t Clay stay with his MudWing siblings and become their bigwings? 




-Because he thinks that the dragonets are the only ones who can end the war and he needs to be part of the prophecy
-He knew that Reed wanted to stay the bigwings and he thought Reed was doing a great job at it. He thought he deserved to stay bigwings.


11. Will you keep reading the series, if you haven't already?

-Yes
-Yes
-Yes
-Yes
-Yes


12. How would you rate this book, between 1 and 5?

-5
-5
-5
-5
-5 


For May's Book Club, we will meet on May 11 at 3:00 p.m. We will be reading Eye of Minds by James Dashner.



"Michael is a skilled internet gamer in a world of advanced technology. When a cyber-terrorist begins to threaten players, Michael is called upon to seek him and his secret's out"

 Copies of the book will be available behind the Circulation Desk.

March Grades 5-6 Book Club: Magisterium: The Iron Trial

In March, the Grades 5-6 Book Club read Magisterium: The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Andrew, Courtney, Jared, Kelsey, Owen, Rileigh and Zoe were present. This is what we discussed, based on questions from a Scholastic study guide. 


All his life, Callum has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst — and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It’s a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. 

1. How is Call’s life at the Magisterium different from his life at home? 

-At home, he is forbidden to use magic but at the Magisterium, he uses magic all the time
-At the Magisterium, Call has friends. At home, he is constantly being made fun of because of his leg.
-At his new school, he is accepted. At his old school, he was the odd man out.
-Where he grew up, no one else did magic.
-He has a life now.


2. How does Call’s relationship with Tamara and Aaron change over time? 

-It changes because at first, Aaron is really nice to Call but he doesn't know why. Tamara is kind of weird to him; she didn't even talk to him. But they eventually start working together.
-At first, Call was suspicious when Aaron was nice to him. Then Aaron was designated the Makkar and Call became his counterweight so their relationship changed.


3. Why does Call take part in the log exercise, despite Master Milagros’ warnings that it is too physically demanding? Have you ever insisted on doing something even though you knew it might not be a good idea? Explain. 

-Call was tired of people telling him that he couldn't do things because of his leg. 
-Call takes part in the exercise because Master Milagros seemed to be feeling sorry for him.
-I agree with everyone about the log exercise.  


4. How is Tamara’s family different from Aaron’s and Call’s families? How does she feel about her family? 

-Tamara's family is different from Aaron and Call's families because her sisters were in the Magisterium.-Tamara's family is different because Call's dad is a weirdo and Aaron doesn't have a family. Tamara lives in a big house because her family is rich.


5. How do you think Call’s friends and Master Rufus would react if they knew Call’s secret?

-Call's friends will wonder why he didn't tell them because they are good friends.
-They will reject him for a little bit but then they will accept him.
-Call's friends would be scared and weird around him because he's the Enemy of Death. 
 

6. How might things have been different if Call had not intercepted the letter and bracelet from Alastair Hunt? 

-I think it would change because Call and Tamara wouldn't know that Alastair and Master Rufus had ties to Constantine Madden.


7. Do Call’s feelings toward the Magisterium change over time or stay the same? Explain. 

-I think that they changed over time because at first he was nervous about the things that his dad had said about magic and the Magisterium. Later, once he had friends and learned some magic, he started to like the Magisterium more.


8. Call wants to tell Master Rufus his secret, but when he tries, the words don’t come out. Have you ever had a hard time telling the truth about something? Can you relate to the way Call felt? 

-I think that Call couldn't say what he wanted to say because they would bind his magic.
-I think that Call had a hard time because he thought that they would get mad at him. He doesn't want to go back home where everything is unmagical. He doesn't want things to go back to the way they were.
-I can relate because sometimes when I do something wrong, I don't want to own up to it. 
 

9. Do you think Call’s fate is predetermined or can he change it? Do you think fate plays a part in your own life? 

-No, you can change your fate. You can work really hard to do something. Fate doesn't change while you change.
-Never tempt the fates while you are being chased by something.
-Fate cannot change.






10. How is this book similar to and different from other fantasy books you have read?

-I think it's like Harry Potter because it has a lot to do with souls and fate. It has a lot to do with The Prophecy. And the horcruxes. Which kind of relates to him being Constantine.
-I think that it's a little bit like Wings of Fire because there is a war of sorts going on.
-I think that it's like the second Percy Jackson series. With amnesia. And prophecies.  


For April's Grades 5-6 Book Club, we will be reading The Dragonet Prophecy: Wings of Fire by Tui Sutherland. 

"Clay has lived his whole life under the mountain. The MudWing dragonet knows war is raging between the dragon tribes in the world outside - a war that he and four other dragonets are destined to end, according to the mysterious prophecy they have been taught. The five "chosen" dragonets were stolen from their homes while they were still in their eggs - and hidden away for years - all to fulfill the prophecy. But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when danger threatens one of their own, Clay and his friends may choose freedom over fate ... leave the mountain ... and set the dragon world on a course that no one could have predicted." -- Jacket.
We will meet on Wednesday, April 13 at 3:00 p.m. Please be sure to register in advance!