November Grades 1-2 Book Club: It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green

For November's Grades 1-2 Book Club, we read It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green by Dan Gutman. Chase, Colten, Luna, Matt, Reis and Zack were present. Here's some of what we talked about during our meeting.

Why does A.J. hate October 30?
-because he doesn't get any candy

  

How does A.J. feel about Halloween?

-he loves it

What is Mischief Night?

-when the older play tricks on you

Why is A.J. going to get revenge on Andrea?

-Andrea went to AJ's house and TPed it.

What was A.J.’s secret plan?

-he asked his mom to go to Ryan's house to do homework When he got there, he told Ryan his plan and went to Andrea's house. They were going to put soap on the windows.

What does incognito mean?

-to be hiding in stealth

How did Andrea react when she caught the boys getting ready to soap her windows?

-she threw open the window and yelled at the boys

Do you think she really is the one who TP’d A.J.’s house? Why or why not?

-I think that Andrea doesn't like AJ but I believe her when she says that she didn't do it.
-I don't think she did because she doesn't usually do something bad
-Andrea hates AJ so I think she TP'd his house.
-I think it was Andrea. It was obvious that she did it. It made her happy to do it.
-When she opened the window, she really didn't know why they were there. She didn't expect them because she didn't have a guilty conscience.

Describe A.J. and his friends’ Halloween costumes.
-Darth Vader/deer was funny
-I think the guy in the underwear was funny. Billy, the underwear wolf
-someone on a dinosaur skateboard

Describe Billy’s costume.
-he was the Underwear Wolf

What was Michael’s plan for maximum candy accumulation?
-he made a map of all of the best streets to get candy

What was the kids’ first stop on their trick-or-treat route?

-it was a man

Why didn’t the kids get candy at the house?
-because the man at the house had already eaten the candy

How did they feel about not getting candy?
-horrible
-they thought everyone would give out candy. They felt really weird.

What did the man expect from the kids?
-to give them a trick, not a treat

Why did the kids think the lady at the second house was mean?
-she would only give one piece. They asked for 2 pieces and she said yes. When they asked for three, she said no.

How did the kids lighten their loads?

-by eating the candy as they went along

Why did the kids go to Mrs. Yonkers’ house?

-because she said that she had a Halloween surprise that you can't get anywhere else

What caused the kids to get lost?
-Andrea because she really didn't know where Mrs. Yonkers lived and she didn't know the real directions

How was A.J. trying to scare Emily?

-he made up a Halloween Monster (but then it really came true)

Describe the Halloween Monster.
-he was very hairy and he had a little bit of stripes and he had a tail
-he was the mayor
-he was brown (fur from head to toe)
-He was red and orange
-He was purple and brown

What did the kids do as a result of the Halloween Monster taking all of their candy?

-they went trick or treating to get more candy

What did the kids do with their new candy? What effect did it have on them?

-ate it
-they had a contest to see how much they could eat and fill in their mouth
-AJ had a sugar shock
-he had bad dreams when he was passed out

Describe A.J.’s dream.

-all of the teachers at his school were coming after him
-there were penguins who said that they'd bring him to Antarctica

Why did Ms. Hannah dump green paint on A.J.’s head?

-they were all saying that candy is bad for him

What did the penguins tell A.J. to persuade him to come to Antarctica with them?

-they said that Antarctica is full of candy
-and they said it was just around the corner

Who is Mrs. Yonkers? Describe her.
-she works on computer's at the school

What was the surprise Mrs. Yonkers had for the kids?
-she had a machine that made things bigger
-the MicroMole 4000 Expandinator

Who is Edwin Hubble?
-the mayor
-he was very mean
-he had already been arrested
-he got out of jail for good behavior
-he wanted to steal the MicroMole 4000 so that he could take over the world
-he was evil, selfish and he took candy from kids
-he had a big nose and not much hair

Professor A.J.’s Weird Halloween Facts

1. How big is the largest pumpkin in the history of the world?

2. What percent of parents sneak Halloween candy from their kids?

3. How much do Americans spend on Halloween costumes for their pets?

4. What is the superstition about black cats?

5. How did trick-or-treating begin?

6. What are jack-o-lanterns based on?

7. What is the most popular trick-or-treat candy?

For December's Book Club, we will be reading Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald. We will meet on Wednesday, December 5 at 3:00 p.m.

The shortest kid in the second grade, James Moody, also known as Stink, learns all about the shortest president of the United States, James Madison, when they celebrate Presidents' Day at school.

Please be sure to register for Book Club and pick up your library copy of the book at the Circulation Desk!

December Grades 1-2 Book Club Suggestions

Amelia Bedelia Means Business by Herman Parish

Young Amelia Bedelia will do almost anything for a shiny new bicycle. Her parents say they'll split the cost with her, and that means Amelia Bedelia needs to put the pedal to the metal and earn some dough! With Amelia Bedelia anything can happen, and it usually does.


Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents.

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald

The shortest kid in the second grade, James Moody, also known as Stink, learns all about the shortest president of the United States, James Madison, when they celebrate Presidents' Day at school.

October Grades 1-2 Book Club: The Boxcar Children

For October 2018's Book Club, we read The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Abigail, Cameron, Chase, Colton, and Matthew were present.

We used the following worksheets from TeachersPayTeachers.com to guide our conversation: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Boxcar-Children-Book-Club-Comprehension-Pack-Freebie-405665

The votes at the end of book club for ranking the book were varied (with 1 being the worst book you've ever read and 5 being the best). We had three 5s, one 4 and one 3! The comments ranged from "it's the bestest book ever!" to "I liked it but it was kind of boring too."

The kids also voted for the book to read for next month's book club. They were all excited to be reading a Halloween book. There were three suggestions and a unanimous decision.

We will meet on Wednesday, November 14 at 4:00 p.m. for the next Book Club. Please note the later date and time (Miss Lisa is on vacation the first week on November so we will be meeting after the Grades 3-4 Book Club at 4:00 p.m. on November 14, the second Wednesday of the month.) 
We will be reading It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green by Dan Gutman

It’s Halloween, and you know what that means! Candy! Costumes! More candy! What would happen if a kid ate a million hundred pounds of chocolate in one night? One thing’s for sure—when the kids from Ella Mentry School go trick-or-treating, it will be a Halloween to remember.

Please be sure to pick up your copy of the book a few days after the last club meeting and register at the Circulation Desk!

October Grades 1-2 Book Club Suggestions

Cam Jansen and the Mystery at the Haunted House by David A. Adler

Mysteries follow super-sleuth Cam Jansen everywhere she goes...even to an amusement park. Cam, Eric, and Cam's aunt Katie and uncle George have just braved the amusement park's Haunted House when Aunt Katie realizes that her wallet is missing. Did she lose it or was it stolen? Cam is convinced that this is the start of a very spooky mystery!



Horrible Harry at Halloween by Suzy Kline

Horrible Harry and his classmates all love Halloween. Everyone wears a costume to school-even Miss Mackle. Every Halloween Harry shocks his classmates with his scary costume. In kindergarten he was a bloody Count Dracula, in first grade he was the Loch Ness Monster, and in second grade he was a slithering snake. So everyone in Room 3B can't wait to see what Harry is going to be this year-and they're in for a really big surprise! 



It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green by Dan Gutman

It’s Halloween, and you know what that means! Candy! Costumes! More candy! What would happen if a kid ate a million hundred pounds of chocolate in one night? One thing’s for sure—when the kids from Ella Mentry School go trick-or-treating, it will be a Halloween to remember.

September Grades 1-2 Book Club: I'm Just No Good at Rhyming

For September 2018's Book Club, we read I'm Just No Good at Rhyming... by Chris Harris and Lane Smith. Abigail, Cameron, Chase, Colton, and Matthew were present. We started the club by thinking of a rhyming name for ourselves (Lisa Pizza, anyone?) in order to make name badges (with pictures!). We then filled out some rhyming worksheets (do "bell," "fell," and "tell" rhyme? Then color in the bell!). We spent the next large part of the time reciting (new word alert!) our favorite poem (or two or three) from the book. Some of them included what I will affectionately forever now know as "The Avocado Poem" (but really, it's called "If You Ever Have to Memorize a Poem of Twenty Lines Or Longer and Deliver It to Your Class, Then This Is a Pretty Good Choice"), "The Last Time I Ever Went Down to Breakfast Without Making My Bed," "Jack Makes a Fatal Strategic Blunder," and "The Sweetest Lullaby Ever (For Parents to Tell Their Children)." The kids really wanted to share their favorites and we soon ran out of time!

The votes came in fast and furious at the end of book club for ranking the book (with 1 being the worst book you've ever read and 5 being the best). We had four 5s and one 3! I guess they liked it!

The kids also voted for the book to read for next month's book club. There were three suggestions and one clear "winner." Without further ado, the book club pick for October is...The Boxcar Children!

We will meet on Wednesday, October 3 at 3:00 p.m. for the next Book Club. We will be reading The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.

"The resourceful Alden children survive without adult supervision and make a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar."-summary

Please be sure to pick up your copy of the book a few days after the last club meeting and register at the Circulation Desk! 

October Grades 1-2 Book Club Suggestions

 

Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo

Two roller-skating best friends--one tiny, one tall--share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner The Aldens begin their adventure by making a home in a boxcar. Their goal is to stay together, and in the process they find a grandfather.

Keith Haring : The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay Haring

Traces the life of artist Keith Haring, from his childhood love of drawing to his meteoric rise to fame, with a focus on his concern for children, humanity, and disregard for the established art world.

February Grades 1-2 Book Club: Mr. Popper's Penguins

For February's Book Club, we read Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. Anne, Ella, Grant, Keira, Lucy, Luke, Matt, and Stella were present. Here's some of what we talked about!

Why does Mr. Popper wish he were a scientist rather than a painter? What would you like to be when you grow up and why?

-I want to be a teacher because I like doing science and math. Mr. Popper wanted to go places.
-So he can experiment with animals. I want to be Luke when I grow up.
-I want to be a ballerina when I grow up because I love to dance.
-I want to be a librarian because I love books.
-I want to be a doctor when I grow up. It makes a lot of money.
-I want to be an actress because I like to act.
-I want to be a millionaire.
     

Where would Mr. Popper like to visit most and why? Where would you like to visit (that you have not been to) and why?

-He wanted to be in the Arctic with penguins. I want to be in the Arctic because I like the snow.
-I want to go to the North Pole because I want to be with the reindeer.
-I want to go to the North Pole to see a friend.
-A palace with a flower garden.
-To the North Pole to see Ann and Keira.

Mr. Popper is a dreamer. What does he dream about? What do you dream about doing and why?

-Mr. Popper dreams about going to the Antarctic because he wants to make discoveries.
-I dream about spiders biting me.
-Going to a rainbow playground.
-I dream about riding on unicorns.
--I dream about going under the sea and playing with an octopus in the arcade under the sea. Seals come along and mess up the whole thing.
-Mr. Popper dreamt about seeing the penguins in the Arctic.

Mr. Popper would like a penguin as a pet. Why? What would you like as a pet?

                                        

-I would want a pet camel.
-I would want a puppy.
-I want every single creature (or bug) in the world.
-A unicorn.
-A pet giraffe.
-A husky.
-Three puppies.

Mr. Popper wrote to Admiral Drake, a famous explorer. Why is Mr. Popper so excited to write to him? If you could write to someone famous, who would you choose and why?

-Mr. Popper was excited to write to him because he's a famous Antarctic explorer.

-Justin Beiber.
-Myself.
-I would write to Dr. Martin Luther King.
-I would write to Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter.
-To Kidz Bop 
-I would write to friends.  

Why did Mr. Popper name the penguin Captain Cook?

-Because he was named after a famous captain.
-Because he always said Gork but it sounded like Cook.

Why does Mrs. Popper think the penguin will be a good example for her family? Another word for “good example” is role model. Who do you consider to be a good role model and why?

-Because he was walking nice and he was cleaning up.
-Mrs. Popper thought that the penguins would be a good example because they acted well.

Mr. Popper wants to get a license for his pet. How do the people at City Hall react on the phone? How would you react if someone asked you for a penguin license?

-They thought it was weird.
-They were surprised.
-They thought that the penguins that Mr. Popper was talking about was a man named Benjamin.
-I would say "make a license and we'll shape it into a penguin." Then the penguin can follow it around.
-I would run away.
-I would make one for myself. Out of paper. Because I have tons of paper.
-I would keep on annoying them. And then I would spy on them to see if they were joking. And if they weren't, I'd steal the penguin.
-If someone asked me for a penguin license, I would say goodbye and shut off the phone.
-I would say "this is the wrong address".   

Mr. Popper took Captain Cook for a walk. How did people react to the sight of a penguin on the street?

-They thought it was weird.
-They got kicked out of a barber shop.
-Mr. Popper was walking Captain Cook on a clothesline. A lady got tangled up in the clothesline. 

Why does Captain Cook like to climb stairs?

-They climb up the stairs and tobaggan down.

What do the penguins like to eat? What do they not like to eat? What is your favorite mea?

-They like to eat fish. They don't like the shrimps after awhile.
-They love fish.

-Pasta.
-Tacos.
-Grilled cheese.
-Hamburger or pizza.
-I have a million so I don't know.
-Cheese pizza.
-Candy.
-Everything.

Mr. Popper does not want spring to come. Why?

-Because he has penguins and the penguins will get hot and the snow melts.
-He wants the penguins to stay with him.



We didn't have time to get to these questions but here are some more!

Why are the Poppers proud and happy after their tour with the penguins? Describe a time when you were very proud about something you did.

What was you favorite scene from the Poppers' tour with the penguins?

If you were Mr. Popper, what would you do with the penguins in the spring and why?

Describe how Mr. Popper felt when he was saying good-bye to his penguins. Describe how you would feel if your best friend was moving far away.

Describe how Mrs. Popper feels knowing that her husband will not be back for a long time. Were you surprised by her reaction? Why?

Please rate this book between 1 and 5, with 5 being one of your favorite books.

-Three 3s
-One 4s
-Four 5s

For March, we will be reading Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton.

A happy-go-lucky, waffle-loving narwhal and a cynical, no-nonsense jellyfish forge an unlikely friendship and share adventures while exploring the ocean together.-summary

We will meet on Wednesday, March 7 at 3:00 p.m. Please pick up your copy of the book and register for Book Club at the Circulation Desk.

March Book Club Suggestions

Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant

When Kona, a Labrador retriever, meets Stumpy, a squirrel in Gooseberry Park, they're best friends at first sight. But after Stumpy’s babies are born, disaster strikes in the form of a violent ice storm. Kona is not a fair-weather friend; he’s worried sick! How will Stumpy and her babies survive? With the help of Murray, a hilarious bat, and Gwendolyn, a wise hermit crab, Kona shows just how true--and heroic--a friend can be.


Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie to answer Papa's advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay?

January Grades 1-2 Book Club: Ivy and Bean

For January 2018's Book Club, we read the first book in the Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall. Anne, Caitlin, Elsie, Kailynn, Keira, Lucy, Luke and Matthew were present. Here's some of what we discussed.

What were some of Bean’s reasons for not wanting to play with Ivy?

-Bean thought that Ivy would be boring because she's nice.
-It seems that all Ivy does is sit on her porch and read a book.
-First, Bean thinks that reading is boring. Reading makes Bean jumpy. Ivy and Bean are two different people.
-Bean thought that Ivy's stick was weird.
-Bean thought that Ivy's costume was weird as well.
-Bean ended up thinking that Ivy was cooler than she first thought.

What do you think about Bean’s older sister Nancy? Is she mean to Bean or is she just looking out for her?

-Sometimes she is bossy to Bean.
-She's mean because she drags Bean around.
-Nancy was dragging Bean across the floor (every second of her life).
-She's mean and bossy to Bean. You see this in the dressing room at the store. 
-I think that Nancy is just a big piece of dirt because she's so mean to Bean all the time.
-I think Nancy is really mean because she orders Bean around and she talks to her in a grown-up way when she's not a grown up yet.

In what ways are Bean and Nancy similar and how do they differ?

-I think that they have being  in the same family in common.
-They both have black hair.
-One is older and one is younger.
-Bean and Nancy are both similar because they both have hair.
-They are different because one sister is bossy and one likes to play.
-They are the same because they have the same color skin.

Why did Bean try to scare Ivy by pretending to be a ghost?

-I think that she was scaring Ivy because she wanted to make her sister mad and scare her so she wanted to do it to Ivy first.

Does Ivy really have special powers? Do you think Ivy’s plan to put a dancing spell on Nancy worked?

-Ivy didn't have time to make the potion.
-Was Nancy slipping in the mud or was she dancing? It could be one or the other, or maybe both.
-Sort of.
-Yes.
-No.

Why was Bean so interested in helping Ivy fix her bathrobe?

-She thought it looked a little bad and she wanted to fix it up so it would look better.
-If Bean is good at drawing and other "art" things, it would helpful to Ivy to help her make a new one.

Why did Ivy have a large poster with “BEWARE” written largely on it?

-Because she was a witch.
-Because she wanted to make her room look witchy.
-Because she didn't want anyone to go into her room.

What would you have done if you were caught by Mrs. Trantz in her yard? Was Mrs. Trantz being fair to Bean and Ivy?

-Der, no.
-No, she wasn't being fair. 
-They were trespassing. However, they are only trying to get from one place to another.

Are you more like Ivy or Bean?

-My mom says that I'm a mix.
-A mix.
-I'm not either of them. And I'm not like Nancy either. Maybe I'm like Ivy.
-I think I'm more like Ivy.
-More like Ivy. 
-I'm not like either.
-A mix between Ivy and Bean.

What are the characteristics of a good friend?

-Being nice to each other and not bullying.
-Being kind and sharing.
-Being kind, courteous and sharing.

Do you have to be similar to someone to be friends with them?

-Yes, because our similar personalities work well together.
-No, because you can be friends with anyone.
-I've only been friends with people who have a similar personality to me.


We will meet on Wednesday, February 7 at 3:00 p.m. for the next Book Club. We will be reading Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater.

"A humble house painter is sent a male penguin by the great Admiral Drake and, thanks to the arrival of a female penguin, soon has twelve penguins living in his house."-summary

Please be sure to pick up your copy of the book a few days after the last club meeting and register at the Circulation Desk!