Category Archives: Book groups

Book groups, Children's literature

Crispin: At the Edge of the World

Avi’s sequel to his Newbery medal winning Crispin: Cross of Lead is the subject of today’s fifth grade book group.  Historical fiction doesn’t tend to be the hottest genre for this age group, but the kids in the book group passionately love both of these books.  We discussed Cross of Lead a few months back, and though I know that most of the kids went on to read the sequel, At the Edge of the World, on their own, I thought it would be an excellent choice for this month’s book discussion. 

So, if historical fiction isn’t usually as popular as fantasy or realistic fiction, why do these books appeal to the fifth graders?  First of all, as I’ve mentioned before, these fifth graders are an exceptional group of strong, interested, active readers.  But clearly the books take a fair amount of credit here.  In Crispin, who would have lived roughly 650 years ago, Avi has created a character of depth and feeling who can draw today’s readers into England of 1377.  We care about Crispin, and our caring draws us in to the rest of the story.  And Crispin’s adopted father and sister, Bear and Troth, form a loving nuclear family that balances the horror and bloodshed of the violent free company and the destruction wreaked by the French upon the town of Rye.  Had Avi not juxtaposed love and war, I doubt that the readership would be as great for these books.  But he did, and the results are masterful. 

I’m looking forward to today’s discussion, and will post the fifth graders’ comments here in the coming week.

Book groups, Young adult literature

The Golden Compass

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As I mentioned yesterday, the teen book group discussion of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass took place last Tuesday.  Though only three teens attended, we had a great conversation about the book, and all of us walked away with a far better understanding of this contemporary classic.

It’s a tough book, so deep and intricate that the reader really needs to work hard to understand it.  Add to that the current controversy about Pullman’s religious beliefs, and there is a lot to digest when reading The Golden Compass.  I had questions about Dust, the alethiometer, and daemons coming into Tuesday’s discussion, and the fact that I had these questions really irked me.  I like to know and really understand a book before sitting down at a book group meeting – I like to have a definitive lock on my own opinions before sharing with others. 

It turned out that the teens at the meeting had similar questions, though, and so we together teased out a deeper understanding of the book.  At various points in the discussion, one or all of us had “a-ha!” moments:  for me, my biggest “a-ha!” was about the daemons; for B., it was to do with the ending of the trilogy (she’s the only one of us who had read all three books, and had initially said that the trilogy’s finale didn’t make sense to her); for K. and I., the “a-ha!” was to do with Dust and the church/book controversy.

I wish I’d had a tape recorder running to capture our conclusions, and thus to share them here, but I’ll have to rely on my memory to sum up our thoughts:  Dust is the residue of original sin, and a human cannot live without some amount of sin in them.  The daemons are an outward manifestation of the human soul, and the two have a sort of yin and yang relationship; separate the human from his daemon, and there is no Dust – no sin – but the human will die.  As for the controversy, we decided a couple of things: younger readers won’t “get” the layers of meaning within the text, and most likely will read the book for the fantasy and not the theology; and, though Pullman obviously possesses some amount of bitterness towards the Catholic church, he’s also presenting a theoretical church, one in an alternate universe, one that has no Pope, one that has become corrupt.  Does he hate God?  Based upon the first book alone, we couldn’t determine that.  Nor did it seem relevant to our discussion.  It’s an intelligent book, not a hateful one, and masterfully written.  It raises questions, certainly, but it doesn’t brainwash its readers. 

Without a doubt, this was the best book group yet, since we all left the meeting with new thoughts and a better understanding of a complex text.  In fact, I personally like the book much more after our discussion than I did before, and feel inspired to delve a bit deeper into the controversy that surrounds it, and to read its two sequels. 

Book groups, Young adult literature

A laugh

At the teen book group meeting last Tuesday, about mid-way through our conversation on Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, I said to the girls attending, “So, did you guys hear which book won the award for best young adult book of the year?”  Then I indulged in a big, mischievous grin, and they collectively gasped and said, “Ack!  Not that Antarctica book!!!!”  When I nodded, all three girls (the three who posted their thoughts on The White Darkness here a few months ago) burst into unrestrained laughter.

I still love the book, though.  🙂

Book groups, Young adult book review

The Golden Compass and me

I’m pre-writing this entry on Sunday, prior to the teen book group’s Tuesday discussion of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass.  While in graduate school, I had to read The Golden Compass, and totally hated it; the hatred was probably mostly driven by my unadulterated hatred of the professor of my fantasy and science fiction class, but perhaps also partly by the book, too.  Because, lazy little reader that I’ve become, I’m struggling with this book once again.  It’s such hard work.  It makes me think.  And thinking makes me cranky.

Clearly, Pullman is brilliant, and has an amazing creative vision for this book and its sequels.  It’s not a book to try to skim quickly on Super Bowl Sunday before heading to a friend’s house for the game, though that’s what I’m trying to do.  And the depth of the fantasy in the text reminds me that I’m not really a fantasy reader – I struggle with many of the fantasy conventions and with things like daemons and Dust and althiometers.  So while I recognize Pullman’s genius, I can’t say that I’m engaged in the text.  I’d rather be reading the book for the older teen book group:  Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.  Delicate observations on humanity, gentle romance, and an ultimately optimistic view of the world and its people: that’s the kind of book that I like to read, not fantasy. 

Book groups

Magyk & Guys Read

This past Tuesday, the 6th grade book group met to discuss Magyk by Angie Sage.  This group, which used to be thriving, is definitely suffering from various middle school “things”:  the girls have drifted towards realistic fiction that addresses issues that are important to them, while the boys have wholly shifted to a preference for action, adventure, and fantasy; each of the kids has a much more demanding extracurricular schedule now, so all nine group members never attend at the same time (this last meeting only four could attend); and there is a lot more homework in 6th grade, meaning some of the kids simply can’t finish the book group books, and thus have little to discuss at our meetings.

With that in mind, our discussion was ok, but not great.  One of the four attendees hadn’t read more than the first page of the book, since he thought the first page was boring (this really surprised me, because I had predicted to myself that this particular boy would love Magyk), and one other boy hadn’t been able to finish the book, leaving just two kids and me to really discuss it.  Luckily, the two kids who had read the book in its entirety are both huge Angie Sage fans, and have read the entire trilogy, so they had a lot to say and intrigued the rest of us with previews of the other two books, Flyte and Physik. 

But I left the meeting thinking that perhaps I need to create a “Guys Read” book group for the middle school boys.  I really, really hate to separate the boys from the girls, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that by the middle of 6th grade the tastes of each group are completely opposite.  It is beyond difficult for me to pick books for the 6th grade group and for the 7th – 9th grade teen group that will appeal to both the boys and the girls.  I end up alternating genres from one month to the next, losing the interest of the boys one month, and of the girls the next month.  And then there’s the issue of attendance: inevitably there are months in which there is only one girl attending or only one boy attending book group, and that one boy or one girl feels very awkward and uncomfortable. 

What to do?  Should I create a “Guys Read” group?  Or is better to keep the groups as is, and emphasize that being a member of a book group entails reading books that one wouldn’t normally pick for oneself?  I’m leaning towards the latter option, but would love input from others.

Book groups, Children's literature

Five Children and It

At the last 5th grade book group meeting, we discussed E. Nesbit’s Five Children and It.  Without a doubt, this was our best book discussion ever, and I give all the credit for that to the kids in the group. 

About half of our discussion progressed in the usual way, sharing what each of us liked and disliked about the book, trying to figure out anything that puzzled us along the way, and such.  But then one of the kids reminded me that I had mentioned that J.K. Rowling specifically talks about E. Nesbit as being one of the authors who has influenced her the most.  “Why is that?” asked all of the kids.

So I read aloud a quote I had found from J.K. Rowling, which states that Rowling feels more connection with Nesbit than with any other author.  As a group, we tried to figure out why Rowling would say that.  One kid suggested that they both write fantasy, and we all agreed that was true, but that there must be more of a connection between the two writers for Rowling to say what she did. 

Eventually, we teased out that Nesbit’s fantasy takes place in the real world, and is experienced by only a few chosen characters, and that Rowling’s wizards coexist with unknowing muggles in a world that is real aside from the fantasical elements.  Everyone was fully involved in this discussion, and it was engaging, quick-paced, and certainly opened my eyes to an aspect of both Nesbit’s and Rowling’s books that I had never consciously thought about before.

Midway through this conversation, M. exclaimed loudly, “This is SO cool!!  I wish our book groups at school could be like this!!!!” 

Which was so cool for me – because I love these book group discussions, and it’s so rewarding to know that the kids do, too.

Blog administration, Book groups, Library events

I’m still here

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Though my blog has been silent for the last week or so, I’m still here.  Things are looking up in library-land: Jen, our fabulous new part-time children’s, part-time reference librarian, is now on her third day of work here, and is quickly moving up to warp speed.  Jen’s arrival means no more six day work weeks for me (yay!), and thus I’ll actually have free time at home to post regularly to my blog (double yay!).

Last week was a big one, and I’ll write posts tomorrow and the next day on the 5th grade book group’s discussion of Five Children and It (it was a terrific discussion, our best yet), and on Hugh Hanley’s visit to the library on Saturday for his “Circle of Songs” program (which was a big hit, of course).  But for now it’s back to preparation for today’s book group, the 6th grade discussion of Magyk by Angie Sage.

Book groups, Young adult book review

Bloody Jack

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Yesterday the teen book groups met, and my group discussed L.A. Meyer’s Bloody Jack.  Though they’re usually a very talkative group, there were many silences in the course of this book discussion, and towards the end of the meeting we all agreed that perhaps that was because there just isn’t too much to discuss in Bloody Jack.  Not one of us had a strong opinion either for or against the book, which is rare.

What is Bloody Jack?  Set in 1797 – 1799, it’s a tale about a young orphaned girl who has lived on the streets since the death of her parents and sister from the plague, begging for food with the company of a gang of fellow orphans.  When the leader of the gang is murdered, Mary decides to take on his identity (strips his body naked and steals his clothes) and go to sea as a boy in order to get off the streets and leave that life behind her.  Since she can read, she’s taken on by a Royal Navy ship as a ship’s boy, and embarks on a two year journey living a life of deception as she bonds with the other ship’s boys (falling in love with one of them), learns the workings of a ship, beats the ship’s drum during battles with pirates, fends off a would-be rapist, and kills two men – one the rapist, one a pirate.  After a particularly bloody battle with a pirate, the battle-scarred ship is close to sinking and must be beached on the shore of a deserted island.  Through an odd plot twist that involves Mary (known on the ship as Jack, or Jacky) being strapped to a large kite and unintentionally flown to another island, Mary/Jack becomes the hero of the ship.  She leads her shipmates to the island, which has the wood needed to repair the ship, and somehow the evil pirate shows up, too, and her shipmates are able to kill the pirate while rescuing her and discovering that she is a woman.  After this discovery, the captain determines that Mary/Jack will be put off in Boston and sent to a boarding school for young ladies.

I had expected a rollicking good read when I picked up this book, but was surprised by Meyer’s preoccupation with Mary/Jack’s sexual development.  After a hundred pages or so, I was pretty sick of hearing about how she dealt with the unknown of menstruation and the deception of peeing in the head on an all-male ship when you’re not a man.  Yes, these details needed to be smoothed out and addressed in order for the book to “work,” but enough already.  More action, please!  And I truly disliked the subplot of Mary/Jack’s love for her fellow ship’s boy Jaimy, a love that ultimately is returned when Jaimy learns of her true identity.  There was something about Mary/Jack’s discussion of her hormonally charged feelings for and encounters with Jaimy that creeped me out, frankly.  Blech. 

So the book fell flat for me, and didn’t thrill the teen book group.  Not that we hated it, or anything…it just didn’t capture our hearts and attention. 

Next up for this group, thanks to K.’s excellent suggestion:  The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.  If the movie is still in theaters, Jim and I will have an excuse to go to the movies, too!

Book groups, Children, Children's book reviews

The Fairy-Tale Detectives, part II

The 5th grade book group has completed its evolution, and it’s fantastic.  Yesterday we had eight kids (the ninth got the week wrong, and was sad to have missed the group), all of whom were bursting with enthusiasm and totally anxious to discuss The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley.  I had come to the group armed with a variety of things to discuss about the book, but in the end my role was simply moderator.  And that is how it should be, what I’ve been aiming for all along with these book groups.  There was a moment half-way through the group yesterday, as I was looking at five kids with their hands eagerly raised, and I realized that this particular group of kids has become a true Book Group.  They read the book, think about it, come to the group meeting with things they want to discuss about it, and even bring questions about the book to pose to the rest of the group members.  They stay on topic for the whole meeting, are courteous listeners when someone else is speaking, and, most of all, they make really intelligent comments.  Our only challenge yesterday was making sure that I did a good job calling on people – that everyone got equal opportunity to speak.  Sometime, in the not so distant future, I’m expecting that the kids will be able to take control of the group moderation themselves, and that I’ll just get to sit back and appreciate the discussion. 

And, for the record, they LOVED the book, boys and girls alike.  Absolutely, unequivocably, totally LOVED it.  Most of the kids in the group have moved on to read at least one of the sequels, and all were thrilled to learn that there are going to be eight books in the series. 

Next month’s book is the classic Five Children and It by E. Nesbit.  I can’t wait to hear their comments on it!

Book groups, Children's book reviews

The Fairy-Tale Detectives

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This week’s book group book is The Fairy-Tale Detectives, first in the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley.  I brought this series into the library after hearing about it from a very well-read young lady who raved to me about how much she loved the series (and she still keeps me up to date on when the next book is coming out, for which I’m eternally appreciative).  So I chose the first book for this month’s 5th Grade book group meeting, and I’m quite happy with the choice.

Not that it’s the best book that I’ve ever read, but it’s a quick, fun, invigorating story with strong characters and an interesting premise.  To think that the Grimm brothers were writing down true stories, and to think that all of those fictional characters are actually alive and living in one special town in New York – this clever plot will surely open up many avenues for discussion.  And I’m certain that the kids in the group will appreciate having a book that’s shorter and more manageable than some we’ve read lately, especially in December, the season of multiple school projects and family events.

And I did enjoy the book enough that I’m considering reading some or all of the sequels, as well.  In all my free time, that is…