Our library offers a few different types of book discussion groups for kids and as summer approaches, I’ve been reading like a crazy person getting ready with discussion questions, trivia, and information about authors and read-alike books as well.
This year I’m going to try a book discussion group for children entering 3rd and 4th grades. We only going to have two discussion during the summer to see what type of interest we have and then we’ll see if we want to meet during the school year or expand next summer. I found it difficult to choose books for this group of kids because children that have just completed second grade can be at very different reading levels, while outgoing third graders are often more fluent readers. I decided to pick two fun books that are not too difficult, but may challenge the younger students a little bit. Our first discussion will be on Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford. Moxy is similar to Junie B. Jones, Clementine, and Judy Moody – a little girl with a huge imagination who is not afraid of getting into a little trouble. And I thought it would be a perfect book for a summer book club because Moxy doesn’t want to read Stuart Little (which is her required reading for summer). The second book I chose was Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight. Frankie Pickle also has a HUGE imagination and chooses not to clean his room, but his imagination runs away with him and disastrous things begin to happen. I felt that kids could relate to both of these characters and I’m excited to see what they think of these books.
We also host a half an hour book discussion for our middle school students on Monday evenings for 5 consecutive weeks during the summer. For this group we offer two different selections each week (plus one extra the first week, due to high attendance). Our criteria for books for this group is that they have to be around 200 pages in order to be a feasible length for kids to finish in a week and we try to provide the kids with a lot of different genres to hit everyone’s fancy. We try to have a mystery, science fiction, fantasy, realistic fiction, informational text, and historical fiction. We have also included novels in verse, graphic novels, and novels with a focus around a disability. I have found in years past, that many children have questions or would like to discuss disabilities, but are unsure of how to talk about the issue and having a book/character to talk about makes than students feel more comfortable. This year we have chosen:
- A Single Shard by, Linda Sue Park
- Surviving the Applewhites by, Stephanie Tolan
- The White Mountains by, John Christopher
- Wonder by, R.J. Palacio
- The Watsons Go To Birmingham, 1963 by, Christopher Paul Curtis
- Anything But Typical by, Nora Raleigh Baskin
- Around the World by, Matt Phelan
- Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science by, John Fleischman
- The Tail of Emily Windsnap by, Liz Kessler
- Punished by, David Lubar
- Schooled by, Gordon Korman
Finally, another librarian on staff offers an hour-long book discussion for middle school students that we have named Literary Lunch. Usually the kids involved in this program, truly enjoy reading and will read a little longer book or slightly more advanced. This year’s books include:
- Starry River of the Sky by, Grace Lin
- Pie by, Sarah Weeks
- Chicken Boy by, Frances O’Roark Dowell
- Breaking Stalin’s Nose by, Eugene Velchin
- Perseus by, Geraldine McCaughrean
Hopefully, the students will find something they really enjoy reading this summer and maybe even will pick up a book that is something new for them to try! Summer is almost here…
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Tags: book clubs, book discussion groups, elementary school age, middle school
Beholding Bee written by Kimberly Newton Fusco is about orphaned “Bee” who lives and works in a traveling carnival. She was born with a birthmark on her face in the shape of a diamond and is often faced with the taunts and jeers of the children (and adults) who come to the carnival when it pulls into town. Pauline, Bee’s guardian is one of a only a few people who truly see Bee as she is, but when Pauline is sent to work at another carnival, Bee decides to leave the only world she have ever known to find a home that she has only dreamed about.
