Change Can Be Hard: Seeing the World from a Dog's Point of View

Fenway and Hattie by Victoria J. Coe

Hello, Readers!

This week, 2nd and 3rd grade book club members are discussing Fenway and Hattie by Victoria J. Coe. This entertaining story is told from the point of view of a dog, Fenway, who is dealing with a lot of change. He needs his best friend, Hattie, to help him navigate all that is new, but even Hattie is changing. If you've ever wonder what a dog would say if it could talk, you'll love reading Fenway and Hattie.

Meet Fenway, a little dog with a GIANT personality!

Fenway and his beloved short human, Hattie, are the perfect pair. She loves romping in the Dog Park, playing fetch, and eating delicious snacks as much as he does. 

But when they move from the city to the suburbs, there’s bad news. While Fenway’s hard at work deterring intruders and battling a slippery floor, Hattie starts changing. She hangs out in a squirrely tree house. She plays ball without him. What could be happening?

Crushed and confused, Fenway sets out on a mission. He’s going to get his Hattie back and nothing will stop him—not the Wicked Floor, not the dreaded Gate, not even a giant squirrel!

Get a dog’s-eye view of the world in this hilarious and heartfelt story about two best friends who learn that big changes aren’t always easy, but sometimes trying new things can get you everything you want.

Source: http://www.penguin.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Classroom-Guide-to-Fenway-and-Hattie-Sept-2015.pdf

Possible Discussion Questions:

1. What happened in Fenway and Hattie that surprised you? Why were you surprised?
2. What did this story make you wonder?
3. How has the story changed the way you think or act?
4. Fenway notices changes in the place they live. What are some of the similarities and differences between the apartment and the house?
5. What are some of Fenway's strategies or plans to get the old Hattie back?
6. What are some challenges that Hattie faces?
7. What did Hattie and Angel learn in this story?
8. Both Fenway and Hattie change from the beginning of the story to the end. How did Hattie change? How did Fenway change?

Curriculum Connections:

• Dogs (animals' needs, caring for a pet, communication)
• Social Skills and Character Development (friendship, problem solving, kindness, coping with moving or change)
• Visit author Victoria J. Coe's website to learn more about her and the books she writes.

What 2nd and 3rd Grade Book Club Members Thought:

• Our rating: 3.71 out of 5 - It was okay for some and others said it was good.
• "My favorite part was the wicked floor." --Caleb
• "My favorite part was when Fenway snapped the leash in half trying to save Hattie from the ice cream truck." --Rivian
• "I wondered why Fenway suddenly started liking walks at the end." --Sanika
• "My favorite part was when the brown truck keeps on following Fenway and Hattie." --Jake
• "My favorite part was that Fenway thought that his new backyard was a dog park." --Valeria
• "One question I wondered was why did they move?" --Nathan
• "My favorite part was when Fenway saw the wicked floor." --Boris

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What Would It Take for an Intelligent Robot Survive in the Wilderness?

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Hello, Readers!

This week, 5th grade book club members are discussing The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. Through his words and his illustrations, Brown has created a winning story. His combination of a robot with wild animals in nature don't necessarily guarantee easily made friendships, but readers will come away with the idea that kindness wins in the end.

The Wild Robot is the story of Rozzum unit 7134, a robot who wakes up for the very first time to find that she’s alone on a remote, wild island. Roz doesn’t know how she got there, or where she came from: she only knows that she wants to stay alive. And by robotically studying her environment she learns everything she needs to know. She learns how to move through the wilderness, how to avoid danger, she even learns how to communicate with the animals. But the most important lesson Roz learns is that kindness can be a survival skill. And she uses kindness to develop friends and a family and a peaceful life for herself. Until her mysterious past catches up with her.


Source: http://www.peterbrownstudio.com/uncategorized/the-wild-robot/

Possible Discussion Questions:

1. What happened in The Wild Robot that surprised you? Why were you surprised?
2. What did this story make you wonder?
3. How has the story changed (or confirmed) the way you think or act?
4. How did Roz come to be at the island?  What did she have to do to get herself acquainted with her new surroundings?
5. What do you think was Roz’s best survival skill?
6. Toward the beginning of her time on the island, the animals saw Roz as a monster.  What changed their attitude towards her?  
7. How would you expect wild animals (like the bears) to react to Roz? What other animal behaviors in the story were expected from a “wild” island habitat, and which behaviors weren’t normal reactions?  
8. Brightbill and Roz ended up as an unlikely family. How did they act much like a traditional family?  How were they untraditional?  What tragedy brought them together? What message can we take away?
9. Peter Brown made a point to tell readers that Roz could not feel emotion.  Do you think she eventually learned how to feel and developed emotion, or was she simply adapting to her experiences as her programming wished her to do? Do you think it is possible that robots might have the ability to learn, develop, and have emotions?
10. Why did the RECOs see Roz as defective? Why were the RECOs so insistent that Roz could not stay at the island?  Did the Makers really need every single robot back?  Why or why not?
11. Roz learned from the island, but how did the “island” learn from Roz?
12. What do you think happens to Roz once she returns with the ship? Do you think she will eventually be able to find her way back to the island?
13. How much are you looking forward to reading The Wild Robot Escapes when it is published on March 13, 2018?

Curriculum Connections:

• Science and Technology (robots, climate change, survival and needs, camouflage)
• Character Development (friendship, problem solving, kindness, teamwork)
• Visit author/illustrator Peter Brown's web site to learn more about his work.

What 5th Grade Book Club Members Thought:

• Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
• "Why did the Makers need every Rozzum bot back?" --Alex
• "I wondered why the dead robots were still there." --Alexa
• "I want to talk about when Brightbill shut Roz down." --Jordyn
• "I was always wondering what [would] happen next." --Sophie
• "Why was Roz the only robot that survived?" --Katie
• "I predict in the next book she escapes." --Aditi
• "I wondered how Roz got to the ship when she was just a torso and a head." --Kenzie 

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Once Again, Ivan, the Mighty Silverback, Captures the Hearts of Fourth Graders

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Hello, Readers!

This week, 4th grade book club members are discussing The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. This is the third consecutive year that the 4th grade book club members have voted to read Ivan, and I am always glad they select it because the story still makes me laugh, sigh, smile, and cry. Katherine Applegate, you created a masterpiece.

This unforgettable novel won the Newbery Award in 2013. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel is told from the point of view of Ivan himself.

Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan, an easygoing gorilla, has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle.

Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes. With Ruby's arrival comes change, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. Full of humor and poignancy, the story focuses on the power of unexpected friendship, optimism, and hope.


Source: http://theoneandonlyivan.com/book/

Possible Discussion Questions:

1. Is The One and Only Ivan a story of pain and sadness, or is it a story of redemption and hope?
2. When he was living at the Big Top Mall, was Ivan lonely and isolated or surrounded by friends?
3. Was Mack a good guy or a bad guy?
4. What does Stella’s story about Jambo (pp. 63-66) tell us about gorillas?
5. What does Ruby’s story about the humans who rescued her in the jungle (pp. 101-105) tell us about humans?
6. Ivan explains that gorillas don’t name their newborns right away (pp. 123-125). What do you think your name would be if your parents waited to name you until they got to know you first?
7. How does Ivan change throughout this book? What events help to precipitate (cause) these changes? Think about any of these situations: a) expression of his anger; b) perception of his surroundings; c) feelings toward Ruby.
8. Should we keep animals in zoos, or should we allow animals to remain in the wild?

Curriculum Connections:

• Science (gorillas, elephants, habitats, survival and needs)
• Animals (rights, cruelty)
• Writing (argument)
• Character Development (friendship, problem solving, kindness)
• Visit The One and Only Ivan web site to learn more about the real Ivan and author Katherine Applegate.

What 4th Grade Book Club Members Thought:

• Our rating: 4.1 out of 5
• "One question I wondered was who is Not-Tag?" --Jeb
• "What happened to Mack after the animals left?" --Varun
• "My favorite part of the story was when George agreed to put the papers up on the billboard." --Jack
• "One question I wondered was why did the humans save Ruby?" --Addie
• "My favorite part of the story was when Ivan saw the other gorillas." --Varun
• "I want to talk about why Ivan was brought to the mall." --Hailey
• "One question I wondered was why did Ruby try to hurt Mack?" --Anjulia
• "My favorite part of the story was when they were at the zoo!" --Addie
• "I wondered what happened to the mall." --Ryan
• "I want to talk about how Stella died." --Jeb

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