Dork Diaries

Dork Diaries
by Rachel Renee Russell

I finally read one of the Dork Diary books.  My fourth grade book club chose #3, and I was compelled to comply.  I have to say the kids love the series! So, I was willing to give it a go.

I think it resembles a Disney sitcom.  The main character, Nikki, has two best friends and an enemy MacKinsey.  According to the group, and other kids I know, the books all start with Nikki doing something silly and MacKinsey finding out about it.  This enemy has quite a bit of dirt on Nikki, including that she only attends their lovely private school because her father exchanges bug extermination for her tuition.  MacKinsey spends a good bit of time working to keep Nikki down.

In #3, Nikki is captured singing karaoke with her sister on film my MacKinsey.  In order to avoid embarrassment, Nikki originally refrains from participating in the school wide talent show. The story unfolds from here and explores the common themes of friendship, determination, working to belong, and loyalty.  If you are a reader or fan of the basic sitcom, you can guess the rest.

So, would I suggest you get the book for your kid?  I would if you have a non-reading girl. It is a great starting place.  Once she is hooked on reading, you can push her toward some of the other great comedians on the page.  You could start with Clementine and Zoe, chic geek, and move toward Pippi Longstocking. Every child needs a path into reading.  If this format might appeal to your reader, definitely give it a try!

The Book Thief

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

I am currently enrolled in a class called The Historian's Craft.  Among other things, we have to read a scholarly text and write a book review.  In addition to reading the text, we had to find at least two other reviews of the book.  What I discovered in reading through the many reviews of the book I chose is that everyone finds something different in the text.  Every review differs in the way it identifies significant information, techniques and conclusions.

I was given the opportunity to reread The Book Thief this month, when my seventh grade book club chose it for the October read. I must say that it was as original as I remembered, but different characters touched me.  The first time I read the book, its protagonist Liesal demanded all of my attention.  She is the focus of the book and the narrator, so this is no surprise.  This time I fell in love with Max and Hans.

In Liesal's life there are four significant men:  her brother, Rudy, Max and Hans.  Max is the Jewish man who hides in her basement and Hans is her foster papa, who invites Max to stay.  The lessons of generosity and determination I learned from these men surprised me.  Death, the narrator, comments at one point that he expects them to meet him standing up.  Apparently, this happens when a person has regularly given of himself, making his soul light.

If you want more details about the story jump over to my last review on this touching text.  If you have read it before, give it another go, you will not be disappointed.

John Grisham for Young Adults?

The Firm

by John Grisham

 

 

Many "middle readers" have read the Theodore Boone books by John Grisham, but is his work suitable for the Young Adult reader?  I tested this theory this month with my 8th grade book club.  It is a small group.  So small, in fact, that I can't divide them by genre.  This fact forces us to get very clever with book selection.  As a group we face the conflict between fantasy, non-fiction and realistic fiction. 

 

This month, I suggested we give John Grisham a try.  My thinking was that the fantasy kids might like the adventure and suspense and those more interested in real life, true or not, might appreciate the plot.  The kids were agreeable to the author and chose The Firm for a starting place.  I was pleased with the choice because I had read it before and seen the movie years ago.  I must admit, I told them I was not ready to read A Time to Kill with them.  It is my own hiccup.  I am just not ready to face that kind of hate with a group of kids.

 

I downloaded the novel and listened, since it was technically a reread.  The narrator didn't sound like I imagined Mitch sounding like (or was my view affected by Tom Cruises portrayals?).  In any case, I was surprised by how much the book varied from the movie. 

 

For those of you who haven't read the book or seen the movie, it is a legal thriller.  Young Mitch, a recent law school graduate, is lured to Memphis by the money and promise of a secure future at a small law firm.  Before you know it, he finds his life invaded, not only by the firm, but by the mob and his past, as well.  There are many twists and turns, making the novel fast paced and fun to read.  If your young adult likes the book, they should try the other legal thrillers by John Grisham.  Some contain more adult themes, so you may want to supervise the selection.  There are many, and they are a bit formulaic, but they are worth the time.

Wonder

Wonder
by R.J.Palacia

I only pick the first book of the year for my book clubs.  I choose the books by reviewing a list of questions I put on the registration forms.  I ask the kids questions like, "what is your favorite movie? video game? book? and author?"  After I review the questions, I group the kids by interest and age.  I try to pick a book that I think will appeal to the genre of interest.

Now, I have group of 6th graders starting their fourth year with me in book club.  I have to say I would have told you I could pick a book for any of these kids.  They usually love fantasy and adventure books.  But, this month they took me by surprise.  I have to say they are growing up.

One of my most dedicated readers told the group that they just had to read Wonder by R.J. Palacio.  He had read it four times and cried at the ending every time.  He explained, " It is a book about a boy who is going to school for the first time in fifth grade.  He had been homeschooled up to now because his face is terribly deformed.  Going to school was hard for him, but it is a great story."  This young man is very respected by the group, so they agreed to take on the novel.  So, my fantasy kids are delving into realistic fiction with both feet.

I am proud of the group and glad to have read the book.  I have been tempted by the cover for the past year, but hadn't made the time to read the book until now.  My young friend was right.  This book is a must read.  It is a classic coming of age novel with a cast of flawed characters.  August, the main character, wears his flaws openly on his face.  The others hide them more effectively, but they are revealed little by little to the reader as the story unfolds.  If you have a middle school student, this book is a must read!

Jake Ransom

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow
by James Rollins

I was flipping through a back issue of School Library Journal when I found this review:

“Gr 5–9—Eighth-grader Jake and his older sister Kady are invited to the British Museum to view the Mayan treasures their archaeologist parents discovered shortly before their disappearance three years earlier. Jake takes along what is left of their parents' possessions: a field log, a sketch book, and two halves of a gold Mayan coin (worn by the siblings around their necks). At the exhibit, Jake examines a two-foot-tall solid gold pyramid with a round hole in its side. He places the Mayan coin in the slot, which creates an explosion, transporting the siblings to another place and time. Calypsos is a land inhabited by dinosaurs, mythical and fantastical creatures, and people from long-lost civilizations.

Upon their arrival, Jake and Kady befriend two teens, Pindor and Marika. Together they must save Calypsos from the banished Skull King who threatens to return and take over the land. The pace of the story is occasionally a little slow, but readers who stick with it will be caught up in the adventure, particularly those who are interested in Mayan culture. The characters are likable, especially Jake and Pindor, who experience the insecurities of most teens. Simple drawings add visual aid to the descriptions of Mayan glyphs and other objects. Unanswered questions surrounding their parents' disappearance and the connection between Jake and the Skull King will have readers eagerly looking for the next installment in the series.—Kelley Siegrist, Farmington Community Library, MI”

Now, lately I have been having a lot of requests for books for a child who loves books by Rick Riordan, so the review jumped out at me.  I have to admit, I am not sure why I didn't notice it the first time through.  I was intrigued by the hero, Jake Ransom, a cross between Carter Kane and Indiana Jones, so I gave it a try. 

I liked the book, but wish we could find a way to liberate children without disposing of their parents. Are we really that bad? 

It was a fun read and I am recommending it to my son for a break from his required reading at school.  I find that as the books on his required reading list get harder, I need to help him find the books that simply entertain.  For my 7^th grader, Mr. Rollins’ new series fits the bill.  If he likes the first book as much as I suspect, I will check out the next in the series, Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx.

Book Club is BACK!

What a stack of books?  These are the book club kids choices for the month of October.  I have read some of them.  Two of the books are new to me: Dork Diaries #3 and Wonder.  I will tackle them first and then begin rereading the other titles.  I have to say book club takes a bit of time, but it is worth it once I am back with the kids.

I have been hosting these clubs for four years now.  In the process, a few lessons have been learned.  I thought I would share them with you today, in case you are thinking of hosting one yourself.

Tip #1- Keep the group to under 10.
I must say I think 7 or 8 is the perfect size.  If you have just an hour and everyone has read the book, this gives everyone time to speak their mind.  Besides, with a smaller group you can all fit around a table.

Tip #2-Let the kids pick the book.
I have tried every possible arrangement and finally seem to have found the best way to choose a book for my students.  First, I organize the students according to interests.  For years, it was just by class or grade, but we could never settle on a title.  Second, I bring a few books along, within the group's preferred genre, to prime the pump.  They rarely choose my title, but they always get the conversation started.

Tip #3- Bring Snacks-
I did not bring food along last week.  It was missed.  I don't know why, but when you are sharing a book, somehow food makes it better.

Tip #4- Don't be afraid to tackle difficult books
Topics are only too scary, too sexy, too real or too adult if we refuse to talk with the kids about them. Now,  I am not suggesting letting a young child take on an overly complicated or disturbing book. But, when they are ready, or if they are going to read it in spite of you, take on the challenge and help your readers navigate the themes.  I promise they will impress you!

If you host a book club, please share any gems you have learned along the way.  If this inspires you to get started, let me know how it is going.

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman

Book clubs are up and running once again. The first group to assemble were the fifth graders at 8:00 am.  I have to tell you that the hour made this a difficult meeting for me.  If you combine that with the fact that many of the members were new to the group this year, I worried that we might not ever get things rolling.

The book I chose for the group was a bust.  By 8:05, we had established that the book was uninteresting and too long. What to do for the remaining 50 minutes?  We talked about some of our favorite summer reading.  This brought us to 8:15.  I was certain that Jerusalem, the keeper of our book room, had stopped the clocks. Staring out into the group, I made one last attempt at engaging them.  I had brought along a bag of books as suggestions for next month's reading.  After showing them to my readers, I encouraged them to browse the book room shelves for the books they found appealing.  We collected 10 books.  They turned out to be magic books.

As the students sorted through the titles, they started talking with each other.  They read the book descriptions.  They evaluated titles and cover art.  They pondered what the awards some of them had received might be for.  Finally, they put the books into 3 categories:  Mystery, Horror, Realistic Fiction.

I asked how they planned to narrow down the choices. After all, they only needed to read one book.  Just like in House Hunter, they started by eliminating one genre, realistic fiction.  Then, after much discussion, they reluctantly put the mysteries aside, deciding on horror for October.  A pretty apt choice, I must say.  I haven't read the book they selected yet, so I will report on that before Halloween. I do, however, have a favorite horror book myself, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

The first few pages are heart wrenching.  I hate to give away the drama, but I will tell you that it results in a baby finding a new home in a graveyard.  In the world of Gaiman's creation, the ghost of a person continues living in the graveyard in which they are buried.  The baby, BOD, is raised by the ghosts of this graveyard and the other sorts of creatures that inhabit it like werewolves and vampires.  Life is good for Bod as long as he stays in the graveyard.  But, as he ventures out, the events that forced him to his new home conspire to find him.

If you are not taken with this plot line, check out the post "Mystery Anyone?"  You will find some other suggestions there.