Join us for the 1st (6th grade) Lit-Lunch & Listen in the media center during lunch.
Thursday, October 15th…..Be sure to vote for the book you would like to listen to!
Lit-Lunch & Listen
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Parent Google Academy
March Reading Month
MakerSpace @ Reuther
AIA: Runt
Which character in the book did you relate to the most?
If you could rewrite the ending, how would you do it?
Maggie is your standard mean girl. One of her main targets, Elizabeth, is painfully insecure unless she’s attending to the dogs that her inattentive mother boards in their house. Elizabeth doesn’t realize that Maggie, whose parents are rarely home, is also lonely. Maggie and Freida used to be best friends, but went their separate ways when Maggie moved on to the popular crowd. Allison worries about pimples, her braces and her weight. Ethan worries about his status, acknowledging that if he doesn’t participate in the bullying he will likely be the next victim. And then there’s Matthew who’s been mistreated by Stewart for years, saving his seat, listening to his insults, and obeying his orders. Matthew finally snaps and Maggie eventually goes too far in her bullying, but do either of their actions result in any change in the group dynamics?
AIA: The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah
Have you ever been afraid to be yourself because you thought you might be excluded or bullied? Do you think it takes courage to stand up for yourself? Have you ever been in a situation where you have tried to conform to fit into a group and regretted not being true to yourself?
The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah is a story about a 12-year-old girl’s search for who she is, who her friends are, and the desire to understand and be comfortable with herself. Nora Raleigh Baskin has written about the universal quest for identity that in Caroline’s case is centered on her religious heritage. This book is a celebration of Jewish traditions and within that context Nora takes an honest, informative, very humorous, and touching look at all things that are important: teenagers, parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, school, relationships, respect, acceptance, and love. The book opens with the funeral for Caroline’s grandmother, but even after Nana is gone, she continues to teach Caroline through the countless links to the past symbolized in the Star of David necklace that she leaves for her. It is this gift that leads Caroline to question, to learn, and come to treasure her connection to the past and where it will lead her in the future.
AIA: Basketball (or Something Like it)
Basketball (or Something Like It) follows the experiences of four sixth-grade students who are involved with their school’s basketball team, the North Bridge Panthers. The story is in alternating chapters from the perspective of each person: Hank, Jeremy, Nathan and Anabel. Hank plays ball mostly to please his parents. Jeremy, the hot shot of the team, was abandoned by his dad and forced to live with his grandmother. He thinks that running away might solve his problems and ease his pain. Nathan, one of the worst players on the team, is also the only African American on the team. He is haunted by the knowledge that his uncle turned to drugs after playing professional basketball. Anabel plays basketball very well, but she is ignored and lives in the shadow of her brother.The three boys feel inadequate, uncertain, and confused as they try out for the team. They struggle to seek their place and attempt to find relationships. Basketball gives them an outlet for their frustration and a chance to “sink or swim.” As the story progresses, the three boys connect with Anabel when they are all in detention. They form a bond that gives them support in good times and bad. That bond helps them to learn about friendship, trust, and loyalty. It also leads to Nathan’s chance to shine and the teams’ victory in a very important game. The story offers insight into the pressures of being a part of a team, friendship, and family dynamics.
-Submitted by Renee Bailey
AIA: The Summer Before Boys
The Scoop The Summer Before Boys—Book Review {spoiler alert}
This is the perfect book for those tween girls with one foot still in childhood while everyone around them is growing up, whether they like it or not. Engaging and relatable, The Summer Before Boys is a speed read with surprising depth. The backstory of Julia’s mother in Iraq, told through a series of flashbacks and facts about women who have served in U.S. wars, is both informative and poignant. Julia fears that her mother will be different when she comes home, like her friend’s father. She also worries that her mom won’t make it home at all. In the midst of all this worrying, Julia develops a crush on a local boy. This puts a big strain on her friendship with Eliza. When Julia receives her first kiss, Eliza goes missing, and although all is well in the end, an important lesson is learned about letting a boy come between friends.
StorySnoops- See more at: http://www.storysnoops.com/detail.php?id=1131#sthash.9x4VKRQ7.dpuf
Library_Lady Lawshea 