Book Club Books

Today we begin the long awaited Book Clubs. We discussed book choices yesterday and each student chose their top three. We then looked at the level of the book along with the make-up of the students and formed five awesome book clubs. The books are:


The War With Grandpa: Peter is thrilled that Grandpa is coming to live with his family. That is, until Grandpa moves right into Peter's room, forcing him upstairs. Peter loves Grandpa but wants his room back and has no choice except to declare war! Together with his friends, Peter devises an outrageous plan to make Grandpa surrender the room. Rather than give in Grandpa tries to get even on his own.

How to Eat Fried Worms: Because of a bet, Billy is in the uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are supplied by his opponent, whose motto is "The bigger and juicier, the better!" At first Billy's problem is whether or not he can swallow the worm placed before him, even with a choice of condiments from peanut butter to horseradish. But later it looks as if Billy will win, and the challenge becomes getting to the worm to eat it. Billy's family, after checking with the doctor, takes everything in stride. They even help Billy through his gastronomic ordeal, which twists and turns with each new day, leaving the outcome of the bet continually in doubt.

Tangerine: So what if he's legally blind? Even with his bottle-thick, bug-eyed glasses, Paul Fisher can see better than most people. He can see the lies his parents and brother live out, day after day. No one ever listens to Paul, though--until the family moves to Tangerine. In Tangerine, even a blind, geeky, alien freak can become cool. Who knows? Paul might even become a hero.


Woodsong: Gary Paulson is no stranger to Adventure. He has flown off the back of a dogsled and down a frozen waterfall to near disaster, and waited for a giant bear to seal his fate with one slap of a claw. He has led a team of sled dogs toward the Alaskan Mountain Range in an Iditarod - a 1,180 mile dogsled race - hallucinating from lack of sleep, but determined to finish.


Whittington: A battered tomcat named Whittington arrives one late-fall day at a New England barn, where he gradually befriends the equally ragtag group of animals already adopted by the barn's taciturn but soft-hearted owner, Bernie. When the year's first big snowstorm traps the bored animals in the barn, Whittington begins telling the story of his namesake, Dick Whittington, to an audience that grows to include Bernie's parentless grandchildren. The feline continues the story as winter grinds on, and the children and animals together absorb Dick's tale of good fortune, which he earned through trust in the advice of his dear friend, a remarkable cat, and his own hard work and struggles.


Groups will be gathering today to plan out their reading. They have scheduled book club discussions and will decide how far into the book to be at each meeting. Tomorrow they'll begin to read! How fun. :)