What the Book Clubs are Reading - February 2013

*this is cross posted at the DMS School Library blog


























These are our last free reads before our One Book, One School kickoff next month.

6th Graders - Wonder by RJ Palacio

One student has already told me how she passed Wonder around to people in her family. That's what you want to hear!




Wonder Discussion and Educators Guide - Random House

Choose Kind anti-bullying campaign

7th Grade Randolph - The False Prince (Ascendence Trilogy, 1) by Jennifer A. Nielsen

A favorite of mine and Mrs. Randolph's. Hope the students love it as much as we do.




False Prince Discussion Guide - Scholastic

Are You a False Prince? - quiz from Scholastic also includes excerpt from book

Jennifer A Nielsen blog

7th Grade Roberts - Starters (Starters and Enders, 1) by Lissa Price

8th Graders had mixed reactions to this one. My reluctant readers seemed to really like it and my avid readers gave it about 3.5.  We'll see how this group reacts.



Starters Readers Guide - Random House

Q and A with Lissa Price

Starters 1st Chapter

Starters Facebook Game

Reading Strategies using Starters - Youth Voices

8th Graders - Blood Red Road (Dustlands, 1) by Moira Young

This was the unanimous vote for this month's book. I need to re-read it and then dive into book 2!



Blood Red Road Discussion Guide - Simon and Schuster

Rebel Heart excerpt

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

The Sunday Salon - Are You My Newbery 2012 - What the Students Think

We had our final meeting! And the Mock Newbery winners are:



Winner: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Honors: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
             Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt

 The titles we read were:

1. City of Orphans by Avi
2. Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo
3. Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer Holm
4. Icefall by Matthew J Kirby
5. Inside Out and Back Again by Thannha Lai
6. Apothecary by Maile Meloy
7. The Adventures of Sir Gawain The True by Gerald Morris
8. Divergent by Veronica Roth
9. Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
10. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
11. Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder
12. Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
13. Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
14. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
15. Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by M Wolizter

Somehow, I'd forgotten some of us met over summer! I forgot to include True...Sort of and Between Shades of Gray on the published reading list!

This year's club was fundamentally different than last year's.  We didn't have any sixth graders and ended up with half as many students.  You can tell that most were older by the titles that won!

Also, due to budget constraints, we didn't get the books until late and didn't have many copies of each. Since many students use the school library as the place they receive books - some dropped out because they couldn't get the books in time.

One thing that was the same; it was requested that we do a "popular" book club.  I think I will move my focus next year.  Maybe read books that are/were on the Battle of the Kid's Books.  As of next month, I'll be moving to a lunch time read for each grade.  3 book clubs per month!! For sixth grade, I'll continue using the above list. For 7th graders - which has one boy - I'm going to use fantasy and for 8th - a mix of contemporary romance, fantasy, and mystery.


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The Sunday Salon: Introducing Anusha and Isabella

Over the next several weeks, I'll be introducing you to several student bloggers from my summer book club. Each blogger will be answering questions from Welcome to My Tweendom.  These students are new to blogging and look forward to sharing their book thoughts with you.  Please help me welcome:

Anusha and Isabella of

Bellanush, we think...

What are your favorite genres to read? 
I like fantasy, realistic fiction, and anything that has action.
Fantasy

How do you select the books you want to read?  
I read the inside cover of a book, and if it intrigues me, I read it.Sometimes the name, sometimes the cover. Then if it interests me I read the description of the book.

What is your favorite book so far?  

I have alot! Basically, anything by Rick Riordan, Maximum Ride Series, City of Bones Series by Cassandra Clare,  and the Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore. I've got lots of others!!!!!
I don't have a favorite book so far. I like a lot of books and I really can't pick just one book to be my favorite. Always seems to change too!

What is your favorite thing about reading?  
It's just cool. :)
I like being able to go to a different place that may not exist, or being halfway around the world. It's fun being able to be someone else and to live their life even if its only for the expanse of the book.

Do you read on an e-reader/phone/computer?
Nope, not at all!
I read on my Nook and my moms Kindle sometimes and I read on the computer a lot. Mostly Japanese comics though.

What kinds of books do you think are most popular with kids your age?  Why?  
Alot of action/fantasy books, because people have short attention spans [like me!]  and need to be intrigued. 

I think action for guys because its almost always about fighting,blood and death. I think girls also like action but do enjoy a good romance book because everyone loves when the gorgeous guy comes and helps the girl and how they will always be together. But I think most girls like when it doesn't end well and they have to work it out.

What book are you waiting to be released?
Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, the rest of the Lorien Legacies series, the rest of the Red Pyramid series, Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins, Hallowed by Cynthia Hand, City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, and Nevermore by James Patterson.
I'm waiting for a lot of books to be released but I will only name a few: Crossed, Son of Neptune, Goddess Interrupted, Allegiance, Hallowed, Catching Jordan, and Darker Still.

What are you currently reading?  

The Maximum Ride Series!!!!! 

I am currently reading The Power of Six and Divergent.

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The Sunday Salon - Austin Teen Book Festival

Hey guys! =)

So, as some of you know, I was at the Austin Teen Book Festival yesterday!! [ATBF, for short]

I got to meet a bunch of authors, get book signed, and had an awesome time!!

There were panels of authors that you could go and listen to. Out of 5, you got to choose 3. At the panel discussion, the authors were asked questions from one author, and they answered them, and then the audience got to ask questions! It was really nice hearing the authors talk about a lot of different things, and they were so nice and funny! =)

My favorite authors that I got to meet were: Jessica Brody, Scott Westerfeld, and Andrea Cremer. Gabrielle Zevin was pretty nice too!

I got these books signed: Nightshade, Wolfsbane, My Life Undecided, and Uglies!

I also learned some things about upcoming books from authors: Andrea Cremer is going to write 2 pre-quels about Nightshade after she's done with the last book of the trilogy. She's also going to write a new Steampunk series that's coming out in a few years!

Tera Lynn Childs said she is also writing another Forgive My Fins book, along with the trilogy of her Sweet Venom series!!

It was a blast [even though I had to wake up at 5:45 on a Saturday]!! Totally worth it! I'm only sorry you guys couldn't have come to make it more fun. =(

Aneeqah's Not So Real Life

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Introducing The Sisters

Over the next several weeks, I'll be introducing you to several student bloggers from my summer book club. Each blogger will be answering questions from Welcome to My Tweendom.  These students are new to blogging and look forward to sharing their book thoughts with you.  Please help me welcome:

Courtney and Sydney of

The Sisters Read

(still contemplating it though) any ideas?

What are your favorite genres to read? 

Both of ours are fantasy and mysteries. 

How do you select the books you want to read? 

We choose our books by how interesting the summary is, by recommendations, and by Good Reads. 

What is your favorite book so far? 

Oh wow thats a really hard question. But I guess we'll have to say Harry Potter, Percy Jackson (not as much as Harry but a really good series), The Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy. 

What is your favorite thing about reading?

It makes both of us feel like were in the book. Like in Harry Potter, we both feel like were in the Gryffindor commons room having one of those late night conversations. 

Do you read on an e-reader/phone/computer? 

Sydney reads on a nook a lot, but only when I doesn't have that book in paper. Neither of us really ever read on a phone or computer (maybe we will if we ever get iPhones). Courtney has only read 100 pages on a nook, I just don't like the feel of reading on a nook 

What kinds of books do you think are most popular with kids your age? Why? 

We would both have to say fantasy, mystery, Sarah Dessen (for girls), adventure, fantasy romance (once again girls, I have never seen a boy even look at twilight), sports books (for boys, and last but not least adventure. 

What book are you waiting to be released? 

The next book in the Nightshade by Andrea Cremer series… Spiral, the fifth book in the Tunnels by Roderick Gordon series… The next book in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan… The next book in the Maze Runner by James Dashner series….the next book in the Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan series

The next book in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan… The next book in the Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan series… The next book in the Maze Runner by James Dashner series… Theres more but I can't think of them right now...

What are you currently reading? 

I am currently reading The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Stewart.

I am reading Closer by Roderick Gordon, the 4th book in the Tunnels series, currently.

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Introducing Lucy

Over the next several weeks, I'll be introducing you to several student bloggers from my summer book club. Each blogger will be answering questions from Welcome to My Tweendom.  These students are new to blogging and look forward to sharing their book thoughts with you.  Please help me welcome:

Lucy of

Getting Real With Lucy
 





What are your favorite genres to read? 
Realistic Fiction... I'm learning to stretch, but that is very hard for me:)

How do you select the books you want to read?  

Goodreads, and what friends suggest. If I see it, then I'll read it. (Again... Depends on Genre)

What is your favorite book so far?  
That's a hard question!! I have really got to like the Mother Daughter Book Club Series.   Hoping to do a couple of reviews on them so you can get my take.

What is your favorite thing about reading?  
Down time. My schedule's so crazy!!!! I'm a golf fanatic, and I'm at the golf course with every opportunity I get! It's nice to just have that time to relax.

Do you read on an e-reader/phone/computer?

No- But that might change by the end of the year. Family sends me gift cards all the time. Since I haven't bought anything with them and I'm at more then $100 I will probably get one. Waiting for my birthday to see if I get any more. Fingers crossed!

What kinds of books do you think are most popular with kids your age?  Why? 

I couldn't say. I look around in all my classes and I see fantasy, realistic, science fiction. It all depends on what students like. (And if they don't like to read... I hand them a book to start!)

What book are you waiting to be released?
This is a toughie... What am I waiting to be released? Well, Power of Six just got released so that crosses that one off. I guess I would say Death Cure (Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner. (Shortly I'll be reading the second one)

What are you currently reading? 
I'm currently reading Power of Six, and Before I Fall (Which I will do a review on)

~ I hope that I can make good times doing this blog! I like to have a good laugh! Thanks for stopping by!!


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Introducing Aneeqah

Over the next several weeks, I'll be introducing you to several student bloggers from my summer book club. Each blogger will be answering questions from Welcome to My Tweendom.  These students are new to blogging and look forward to sharing their book thoughts with you.  Please help me welcome:


Aneeqah of
Aneeqah's Not So Real Life




What are your favorite genres to read?
 I love to read fantasy [urban fantasy to be specific] and dystopia.

 How do you select the books you want to read?
 I usually base it off of what other people think of it on Goodreads, if the concept sounds intriguing, and if any of my friends have read it and liked it.

 What is your favorite book so far? 
 Gosh, this is a hard one! I think my favorite book goes out to The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

 What is your favorite thing about reading? 
 I love being in a completely new world and meeting new characters. It also gives me a break from the real world.

 Do you read on an e-reader/phone/computer? 
 Not really, though I wish I could! =)

 What kinds of books do you think are most popular with kids your age? Why? 
 I think it depends where you are. Where I am, kids seem to be interested mainly in realistic fiction. I think it helps them connect their experiences with something.

 What book are you waiting to be released? 
 Goodness, this list is long! I think it's around 30 books right now? It could be more...
 My most anxiously awaited are:

1. The Death Cure by James Dashner 
2. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan 
3. Unwind #2 by Neal Shusterman 
4. Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins 
5. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare .... and on the list goes! 

 What are you currently reading?
 I actually just finished a book called Unwind by Neal Shusterman, which I absolutely loved! It was fantastic!

Thanks for stopping by Aneeqah! We look forward to seeing what you think of those fantasy books!


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Book Clubs in the School Library - Part 2

 For the second semester book club, I took requests.  Each student who wanted to join turned in 3 books they wanted to read.  They also chose how often they wanted to meet.  We ended up with every three weeks and I compiled a list from their choices.  I also threw in a meeting over spring break - which is what you are seeing here.  These are 6th and 7th graders, and one intern, meeting to discuss I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.  Now, I know many of you had issues with this book but it was a number one choice across the board, so we read it.  They loved it!  We met for 1 1/2 hours alternately discussing the book, the movie casting, and the Hunger Games casting.  We then speculated on what the Power of Six stood for - the girl Number 6 or all the Numbers together.

Our next meeting will be at the end of the month, during lunch with 6th graders discussing Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade and 7th graders discussing Beastly by Alex Flinn. BTW, our spring break meeting was in the public library branch walking distance from the student's houses.

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The Sunday Salon - Book Clubs in the School Library - Part 1

Some of the students that were in my Mock Newbery club would like to do a "regular" book club.  I've done a variety of book clubs over the past five years but I've yet to find the perfect formula.  I would like to offer a student-run club that's similar to adult book clubs or, at least, what I imagine adult book clubs to be like since I've never been in one!

The Past
Year 1 - had book clubs during lunch periods with separate ones for boys and girls at the 8th grade level.  I picked and library purchased ALL of the books! I also set the dates and led the discussion. I also ran a staff book club in which I picked recent and/or popular Young Adult titles and we read and discussed what would be appropriate for middle school students.

Year 2 - had genre book clubs; one fantasy and one Young Adult.  Again I picked books only this time we met after school.  Library bought four copies that were kept in special spot for clubbers.  I also priced and purchased books for students.  They had a date they had to get the money to me and I placed one huge order. I had another teacher assist me with the YA club and that really helped!  Adults read the Twilight Series and the Luxe series.

Years 3 and 4 - back to grade level at lunch.  I picked the books and we only met from January - May.  The library purchased the books for 6th and 8th but 7th had too many students so only purchased 1/2 the number of books. All grades read Nation by Pratchett so I have many copies of that title.  My plan was to  use the same books each year but students have a tendency to tell others and they'd already read the books.  Adults did a Mock Newbery from September to January with library supplied books.

Now
Year 5 (present) - I did a Mock Newbery club before school from September  to January where I supplied the book list and purchased 1, 2 or 4 copies of the books.  I also let the public library know so that students could go there and get books.  We met at library before school.  Books were always out or had holds and the more other students heard us talking, they wanted to check out those books too! A few Language Arts teachers did a Mock Printz club with library supplied books.

January - this year the library has a smaller budget due to dwindling Scholastic Book Fair monies.  Since we've done Mock Newbery or Mock Printz clubs, Scholastic hasn't offered us much that we don't have.  Also, LA teachers are avid bookclub users so students have most of the books they want at great prices! Good for them, but gives me less "extra-curricular" class to buy additional copies of titles.

Success
I've had the most success when I've hosted them during lunch (20) or before school (14) for 7th graders and after school for 8th graders(10).  I've had limited success with 6th graders (6) and I like to think it's because they haven't been in a book club before!

I've also had authors donate books (Maureen Johnson, Heather Vogel Frederick, Deborah Heiligman) or their time (Cinda Chima, Fran Cannon Slayton, Stephanie Hale, Jacqueline Kelly, Kathi Appelt) or bookmarks (Rebecca Stead, Christina Diaz Gonzales, Heather Vogel Frederick) which has really helped increase student involvement in the club! (hopefully I'm not forgetting anyone or anything!)

Except for during the summer, we've always met in the school library.  In the summers we've met at Borders, Barnes and Noble, and a local coffee shop that has since gone out of business.



Do you do book clubs?  What's your secret?  Are you in charge or students?  Where do you host them?  Do you have them on the weekends or doing school days?  Who picks the books?

If you have any information whether about adult, student, or teacher book clubs, please share in comments or email me!


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