What If a Box Could Create a Real Version of Whatever You Imagine? What Would You Choose?

Hello, Readers!

What if anything you imagined could become real? What would you choose? This week fourth graders are discussing The Imagination Box by British author Martyn Ford. Readers will appreciate the mysterious plot full of red herrings, deceitful adults, and narrow escapes.

It all starts when Professor Eisenstone, scientist and inventor, creates a box that's supposed to turn whatever you imagine into reality. There's only one problem: he can't get it to work. Until Tim shows up. An orphan with an especially keen imagination, Tim brings to life Phil, an eloquent finger monkey with a dry sense of humor.

Tim and Professor Eisenstone work in secret to master the powerful contraption. But when Eisenstone is kidnapped, Tim, Phil, and the professor's granddaughter, Dee, must find the culprits before it's too late. Creating a miniature monkey is all well and good. But in order to rescue his friend, Tim will have to face his darkest fears and unleash the true potential of his own mind. He might even come to realize that we should all "be careful what we wish for."

Discussion questions related to The Imagination Box can be found here. Be sure to visit the Grade 4 page for links to more book-related information. And, if you like this story, you will soon be able to read the sequel entitled The Imagination Box: Beyond Infinity and the last book in the trilogy entitled The Imagination Box: A Mind of Its Own.

Happy reading!

Commiserate with Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

Hello, Readers!

This week third graders are meeting to discuss Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look. This book is the first in a series of 6 books featuring Alvin Ho, an Asian American second grader who is afraid of everything—elevators, tunnels, girls, and, most of all, school. He’s so afraid of school that, while he’s there, he never, ever, says a word.

What else do we learn about Alvin in this story?

1. He is from Concord, Massachusetts, which is hard to spell.
2. He loves Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and all the superheroes of the world. In fact, he is a superhero himself - Firecracker Man!
3. He is trying very hard to be a gentleman, like his dad, but there are a lot of rules and they are hard to remember.
4. He can talk at home and on the school bus, but never, ever at school. It is just too scary.

Alvin wants to make a friend, but it's really tough when you don't talk at school and you're afraid of everything. And there is a lot more to learn about this amazing kid who is a truly unforgettable character. Fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Judy Moody, and Junie B. Jones will enjoy reading this funny and touching chapter book as well as other books in the Alvin Ho series.

Discussion questions can be found here, and you will find links to related web sites on the Grade 3 page.

Happy reading!

Kate DiCamillo Has Us Going on a Necessary Journey to Find Out Who We Are

Hello, Readers!

This week second graders are meeting to discuss Kate DiCamillo's third installment in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series entitled Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln? In true DiCamillo style, light and love and hopefulness show up throughout this story. This was my favorite book in the series not only for the humorous and lovable characters, but also for the message that all readers can take away: not matter your age, you can always set out to find your purpose, to find out who you are. DiCamillo's inspiring words are brought to life in Chris VanDusen's slightly exaggerated, yet realistic illustrations.

Baby Lincoln’s older sister, Eugenia, is very fond of telling Baby what to do, and timid Baby usually responds by saying "Yes, Sister." But one day Baby has had enough. She decides to depart on a "Necessary Journey", even though she has never gone anywhere without Eugenia telling her what to take and where to go. And in fact Baby doesn’t know where she is headed — only that she was entirely happy in the previous night’s dream, sitting aboard a train with a view of shooting stars. Who might Baby meet as she strikes out on her own (spoiler alert: some great characters), and what could she discover about herself? Will her impulsive adventure take her away from Eugenia for good?

Fans of the Mercy Watson series and the other Tales from Deckawoo Drive books will enjoy this story. It's a great read for early elementary readers and anyone who loves Kate DiCamillo's work. Discussion questions can be found here. You can also visit the Grade 2 web page to find links to Kate DiCamillo's and Chris Van Dusens' official web sites.

Happy reading!

"Sometimes Things Just Happen" and Not All Stories Have Happy Endings

Hello, Readers!

This week 5th graders are meeting to discuss Ali Benjamin's debut novel, The Thing About Jellyfish.

Some hearts beat only about 412 million times. Which might sound like a lot. But the truth is, it barely even gets you twelve years.

Suzy Swanson has always known things that others don't. She can explain the sleep patterns of ants. She knows there are 150 million jellyfish stings on the planet every year. She knows that the average middle school kid contains about 20 billion of Shakespeare's atoms. But she can't understand how Franny Jackson's lifetime could be cut so short ... before Suzy could make up for the worst thing she'd ever done to her friend.

As Suzy retreats into a silent world of her imagination, she finds that the universe won't allow her escape into her grief. Astonishing wonders are all around her ... as are the love and hope she desperately needs to forgive herself.

This achingly heartfelt story explores the defining moment in each of our lives when we first realize that not all stories have happy endings ... but that brand-new stories are waiting to bloom.

Filled with characters who are authentic, supportive, and relatable, this coming-of-age story includes thought-provoking scientific ideas and realistic life experiences that will pull in any reader who enjoys middle-grade realistic fiction, science and problem-solving, and exploring the challenges of making (and keeping) friends.

Discussion questions can be found here. Visit the Grade 5 page for links to some pretty amazing videos and web sites that were referenced in The Thing About Jellyfish.

Happy reading!