When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

November 2009

Grades 5-7

snack: cheese sandwiches with pickles, lettuce and tomato (on a roll with a v-cut!)

1. Thumbs Up/ Down. General feelings about the book.

2. Who was Miranda named for? Are you named for anyone? What are some of your nicknames?

3. Richard ties knots to help him think. What are some things you do to help you think? (draw, knit, listen to music, exercise, etc)

Activity: Learn to tie some knots.

ehow-- links to some videos and give tips for teaching:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2263860_teach-knot-tying-kids.html

animated knot tying for scouts:

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexscouting.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

4. When Sal got beat up at the beginning of the book, why did you think the other kid did it? What are some things you do when you are alone on a busy street-- rules to blend in, etc.

5. This book takes place in the 1970s. What do you know about the 1970s? Do you think the year was important to this book? Why or Why not?

(could talk about their teacher not going to Vietnam and the draft-- who was exempt, how the draft worked, etc)

6. It was hard for Miranda to lose Sal as a friend. Is there anything she could have done to become friends with him again? What did she do to cope with losing him (made new friends, worked sandwich shop, helped mom with show)? What did he do (made new friends, played basketball)? How do you know when a friendship is over?

7. Why do you think Colin, Annemarie and Miranda worked at the sandwich shop during their lunch break? How did your opinion of Jimmy change from the beginning of the book to the end? Have you ever known anyone like Jimmy? What would you have done if Jimmy had insulted someone you knew, even if they weren't a friend?

8. Miranda gets in trouble for going over to Annemarie's without calling first. HAve you ever done this before? What do you think would happen? Do you have a cell phone? How do you think that chapter would have changed if Miranda had a cell phone?

9. What happened during the assembly and what changed? (Miranda watches Julie watching Annemarie the same way she watches Sal). What do Julia and Annemarie have in common? What is different?

10. Julia stopped eating her special food for a while. Why do you think she did this? Should she have told her new friends? What do your friends do that needed explaining to you (religious practices, peanut allergies, asthma, etc...) Did it change your opinion of them?

11. Who did you think was writing the notes? Did your suspects change as you got further into the book? Who did you suspect?

12. Do you think time travel is possible? Why or why not?

13. The note said the person was coming to save someone's life AND their own. We know Sal's life was saved, but how do you think Marcus saved his own life? If Miranda hadn't know who the laughing man was, how would Marcus' life have been different?

14. If you were Marcus, how would you react when you realized you were looking at an older version of yourself? Since Marcus has yet to invent time travel and make plans to rescue himself-- do you think the story will continue to change as Miranda adds details to the letter?

15. Have you read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle? Why was this book important to the story?

Book Discussions on Hold

Book Discussions at our library are currently on hold due to the funding situation in Ohio. I hope to add more discussions in my free time, but the motivation of a deadline is not present. The Akhenaten Adventure is the last library-sponsored discussion we will offer in 2009. Due to the irregular posting, you may want to use an RSS feed to be informed when a new discussion is added.

As always suggestions and ideas for books are welcomed.

Akhenaten Adventure by P.B. Kerr

Akhenaten Adventure by P.B. Kerr
Parent-Child Book Discussion
Grades 4-5
August 2009

snack: babyfood, spicy chips, soda in interesting bottles

1. Thumbs up/down? General thoughts about the book.

2. Tell us about the Gaunt twins. Who is older? (John, 10 minutes)
What is Phillipa like?
What is John like?

3. How do the twins discover they are Djinn? What have you wished for? Did it come true?

4. Names.. what character names mean:

Gaunt: bleak, desolate, or grim, as places or things: a gaunt, windswept landscape.

Trump: lucky to have in card games, any playing card of a suit that for the time outranks the other suits, such a card being able to take any card of another suit.

Groanin: (Groan): a low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief

Iblis: from Islamic Mythology, an evil spirit or devil, the chief of the wicked jinn

Nimrod: Biblical name: the great-grandson of Noah: noted as a great hunter. Gen. 10:8–10.

Mrs. Coeur de Lapin: Lapin means "heart of the rabbit" in French

5. Why doesn't Mrs. Gaunt use her powers? Would you give up (sports/reading/tv, etc) for someone you love?

6. (p98) What is the difference between Djinn and genie? What is so special about Djinn as opposed to humans and angels? (control luck/chance in the world, are made of fire)

7. (p148) Did you study your Djinn cards? Name the three good tribes of Djinn (Marid, Jinn and Jann) Name the three evil tribes of Djinn (Ifrit, Shaitan and Ghul)

8. (p127) Discuss: "A wish is a dish that's a lot like a fish--once it's been eaten, it's a lot harder to throw back."

9. Do you think a wish is better to be given to a person, or do you think it's better for someone to earn it? Why? Are there some wishes that you think would be okay to grant? What, who and why?

10. (p150) Make up a focus word and share it with the group. (Use dictionary for inspiration if you'd like).

11. Can anyone pronouce Floccinaucinihilipilification?
[flok-suh-naw-suh-nahy-hil-uh-pil-uh-fi-key-shuhn]
the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language).

12. (167) At Mrs Coeur de Lapin's house, how did the twins manage to get out of eating? What do you do when you are at a guest's house and you don't like the food? What are some unusual things that happen at her house during the book? (Mrs. Lapin seems to stare vacantly, the computer is on, there are books about Akhenaten laying around).

13. (p187) What are the consequences of using Djinn power for Djinn? (takes time off their life)

14. Mr. Groanin doesn't like to eat food in foreign countries. Why do you think that is? What is the Creemy Creemy special? Mr. Groanin drinks lots of water, but it only makes it worse. What is the best thing to do to relieve yourself from spicy food? (Eat something that is a base that will neutralize the acid in spicy foods: milk, bread, ice cream, rice, peanuts or peanut butter. Chocolate is a great substitute, too.)
Advice from http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:MSO5nYOel-AJ:www.ehow.com/how_2072033_relief-spicy-food.html+how+to+relieve+spicy+food&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

12. ( p278) What happens when a Djinn is stuck in a bottle (time slows down or speeds up, they don't age, they can use power to decorate inside). What are the first 3 things you would make for yourself if you were in the bottle, assuming you had enough food and water and a place to sit?

13. What is homeostasis and why is it important? Where do you think our world is pointed right now-- good, bad, even-- and why?

14. (p327) Mummies and sarcophagus' are transported around the world to museums. What do you think about this?

-------------------------------------------
Other ideas:
--Share facts about Akhenaten and Ancient Egypt (see Who Was King Tut book discussion) Akhenaten was actually Tut's dad.
--Pull copies of the Arabian Nights

Pirates of Underwhere by Bruce Hale

Pirates of Underwhere by Bruce Hale
Parent-Child Book Discussion
Grades 2-3
June 2009

snack: Trader Joe's cat cookies, ginger ale

**Special note***
I accidentally ordered this book because I thought it was the first in the series (hullo last-minute programming!!). I highly recommend reading the Prince of Underwhere FIRST.

1. Thumbs up/Down. General feelings about the book.

2. Do you usually read series books in order? Why do you think it makes a difference or doesn't matter? (See how many kids read THIS book first or have read Prince)

3. What would you do if a complete stranger asked you to help them and was able to produce a picture of themselves with one of your family members? (Good time to discuss how not everything you see is real b/c of photoshop, etc)

4. What happens every time the kids enter Underwhere? (turns into a comic strip)
Do you like how the book has comic strips in it? Why or why not?

5. What is different about the people that live in Underwhere? (they are short, can't say their "h"s and wear undies outside their clothes.

6. Who babysit's Stephanie and Zeke? (Cousin Caitlyn) What is she like? What do your babysitters usually do with you?

7. p 51/52 What was the toilet brush called? What was its power? (Brush of Wisdom, reveals the true nature of anything it brushes)

Activity: Have kids give names and powers to other bathroom items.
toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, razor, curling iron, cotton swab, bar soap, deodorant, etc.

8. p 63 What difficult decision did Stephanie have to make? (Mathletes vs Underwhere)
Tell us about a time where there were two things you wanted to do and how you decided which thing you needed to do. (soccer v baseball, homework v favorite tv show, piano lesson v. camping trip...)

9. What would you use the Brush of Wisdom to discover? (answers to test, jewelry, cleanliness of an item, old paintings or photos...)

10. What do the Pirates help with? (Overtaking the port, defeating the sea serpents)
What do they do to defeat the sea serpents? (use mirrors)
**Discuss the science of reflection
Activity: try mirror writing or other mirror experiment

11. What do the pirates do when they come to an agreement? (spit on hands)
**Discuss the tradition of handshakes/ spitting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handshake

Additional activity: how to tell counterfeit things from real (use a spot-the-difference book),

Travels With My Family by Marie-Louise Gay

Travels With My Family
by Marie-Louise Gay
Parent-Child Book Discussion
Grades 2-3
May 2009

snack ideas: salt water taffy, carrot sticks and celery with dip, deviled eggs (Huevos Motul), mole sauce to sample?

1. Thumbs Up/Down and general feelings about the book.

2. What was your favorite part of the book?

3. Have you ever been in a hurricane before or had to prepare for one? Was there really a Hurricane Bob! Yes, there really was on August 19, 1991. It was a major storm, a rare category 2 (105 mph) that traveled up the coast from NC all the way to Canada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Bob
http://www.geocities.com/hurricanene/hurricanebob.htm

What is the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall and how fast was it? a) Katrina b) Bob c) Andrew d) Camille e) Kevin
(Camille in 1969 achieved winds of 190 before it made landfall as a Cat 5 with sustained winds that maxed the measuring equipment b/c of gusts 220 mph+. Katrina peaked at 175 mph but hit as a Cat 3, but was so large that its destruction is often compared to Camille)

Do you remember the name of the hurricane that created the wind storm that hit Ohio and gave us all a few days off school? (Ike)

4. Where is Tybee island? (show map). When is the best time to go hunting for shells? What is the name of the current they got stuck in as the tides came in? (rip current). What should you do if you get stuck in a rip current? (swim sideways through the current or ride it out and swim back once you are out of it. Don't swim against it.) http://science.howstuffworks.com/rip-current2.htm

5. Okefenokee Swamp
National Wildlife Refuge site:
http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/
map image from Wikipedia.com

What were car trips like for this family? What did they do to stay busy? What does your family do on long car rides?

Pogo Comic Strip: "We have met the enemy and he is us."
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Pogo_-_Earth_Day_1971_poster.jpg
Have you ever been to a swamp? Did you see an alligator?

What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?
--Crocodile snouts are long and pointed, alligators are shorter and u-shaped
--When mouths are closed you can see crocodile bottom teeth. Alligators just tops.
--Alligators tend to prefer fresh water over salty.

Northwest Ohio was once a large swamp-- The Great Black Swamp
See a real swamp in Ohio: Black Swamp Bird Observatory http://www.bsbo.org/directions.htm

6. Salt Spring Island, British Columbia Canada (Farm Animal Chapter)
Have you ever been to a farm before? What was your favorite animal and why?

Facts about Peacocks: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/peacock.html
Did you know only the male birds are called peacocks? Females are called peahens and together they are called peafowl.

YouTube Video of a bird making phone noises:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhx_NrXN_Ow

7. Punta Reyes (Also known as Point Reyes) Sneaker Wave Chapter.
San Andreas Fault line runs through the Island.
What happened on the beach at Punta Reyes? Have you ever been hit by a large wave?
Sneaker Waves are quite common at this location, as mentioned at the bottom of this guide from the national park service:
http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/beaches.htm
There is no way to predict a sneaker wave, but occasionally a larger wave will take over some smaller waves and grow larger in size. EXTREME examples of sneaker waves are rogue waves.
Tsunamis (tidal waves) are completely different and result from a geological event (like an earthquake).

8. Canyon de Chelly/ Petrified Forest/ Painted Desert (sand storm and tumbleweeds chapter)
National Park Service site: http://www.nps.gov/cach/

Tumbleweeds are formed when the roots wither away when certain species of plants die, which then try up and roll away. As they roll, they disperse seeds and may eventually gorw a new plant after they roll through a moist area.

What should you do in a dust storm? Advice from Arizona Dept. Transportation.
Why do you think thunderstorms often accompany dust storms?

9. Oaxaca and Tehuantepec, Mexico- New Year
What is the name for the sauce made of chocolate and chili peppers? (mole)
What did the mother eat that made her so sick? (huevos motul)
Why did the family decide to go to Tehuantepec? (to see the market and eat iguana)
Do turkeys really drown themselves by looking up when it rains? (FALSE- according to Snopes, turkeys can't "look" up, but there are some reasons for this statement.)

Radish night actually takes place December 23rd in Oaxaca. See website for more info and a photo gallery
http://www.mexicopremiere.com/?p=335

New Year/Christmas Traditions in Mexico: http://gomexico.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/new_years_eve.htm

10. San Juan Chamula (Mexican Revolution/ Tzotzil Indians)
What do the Tzotzil Indians believe is harmful to their souls? (photographs) Are there other cultures that hold this belief? (Amish, aborigini, voodoo)

Zapatista Rebels in the Jan 1, 1994-- Chiapas region, many cities seized.

11. Slaughter Canyon Cave in Carlsbad Caverns map of location: http://www.360parks.com/cave_slaughter_map_tour.shtml

What does "slaughter" mean? How did Slaughter Canyon get its name? (named after a person, means "to kill")

What was required to visit the cave? (water bottle per person, flashlight per person)

What is the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?
http://science.howstuffworks.com/stalactite-stalagmite1.htm
I always like to remember that stalactites look like tights hanging from the ceiling. Just remember C= ceiling and G=ground.

12. Of all the vacations in this book, which would have been your favorite, and which is the one you wouldn't want to go to and why?

My Side of the Mountain By: Jean Craighead George

My Side of the Mountain By: Jean Craighead George
Parent Child Book Discussion
Grades: 4-5
April, 2009

Questions by: Julie Moran

snack: trail mix, gummy worms possible writing activity: pretend you are running away from home, what items would you bring for entertainment and survival purposes, where would you go?

1. Thumbs up thumbs down? What did you enjoy about the book? What didn't you like about the book?

2. Why has Sam run away to the mountains? (Answer: his city home is crowded, he wants to find the Gribley farm, and he wants to be independent and live alone).

3. What does Sam have with him when he runs away? (Answer: penknife, ball of cord, ax, $40.00, flint, and steel).

4. Why doesn't Sam's father prevent him from leaving? (Possible Answer: he believes Sam will return home soon, he understands Sam's need to explore, trusts Sam to do the right thing).

5. In what ways does Sam seem unusual compared to other people his age? In what ways does he seem much like other people?

6. Sam sees signs of the coming winter in the way the animals behave. What are some of these signs? (Answer: the weasel's coat changes color, raccoons fatten up, squirrels store food).

7. What are some things you would miss if you ran away from home?

8. What amazing animals have you seen in the wild?

9. Do you enjoy nature and being outdoors? What are some of your favorite outdoor activities?

10. Toward the end of his year alone, what challenges from nature does Sam face? (Answer: ice storm, deep snow, serious vitamin deficiency) How is he able to cope with these problems? (Answer: has stored up food and fuel, makes snowshoes, eats rabbit liver to get vitamin C).

11. What kind of natural sights, sounds, and smells do you enjoy? (example: pg 58 Sam hears the pip pop sound of earthworms coming out of their holes).

12. Did you like the way the books ends? Explain why or why not.

Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows

Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows
Parent-Child Book Discussion
Grades 2-3
April 2009

snack: gummy worms, jellyBEANs, magic potions (sodas, ice cream, sherbet, syrups) possible activity: face painting

1. Why didn't Bean want to be friends with Ivy at the beginning of the book? What would you do if your parents tried to make you be friends with someone?

2. Bean doesn't like shopping, but her sister does. Do you like shopping or would you rather just wear hand-me-downs or have your parents bring something home? What kind of store do you think Bean would enjoy shopping at? What is your favorite store?

3. Ivy likes to play by herself. Do you like to play by yourself, play with a small group of kids, or get together with a whole neighborhood of kids?

4. When Bean was hiding in the bushes, how do you think Nancy and Ivy figured out there wasn't really a ghost?

5. Tell me about Ivy's room. What was it like? What did she collect? What is special about your bedroom? Do you collect anything?

6. What was the messy dog's name in the story? (Fester) Why is that a funny name? What are some other names the author could have chosen?
(definition of fester: to putrify or rot.)

7. Do you have any neighbors like Mrs. Trantz? How did Ivy and Bean manage to get through her yard without having their parents called? (Ivy pretended to be sick and need to vomit). Do you think this was a good idea? What would you have done?

8. Bean and Nancy fight a lot. Do you think this is normal? Why/why not? Why did you think Nancy was crying? What was the real reason? (couldn't get ears pierced)

9. Did the "spell" work the way you expected? What other spells do you think Ivy and Bean might try in the future?

10. What punishment does Bean get for throwing worms and taking money from her sister? Do you think Bean's parents were really mad at her? Have your parents ever punished you for something that they weren't really upset about? How did you know?