[PW] Looking for a book for discussion at the grade 4-6 level

[Marian Drabkin]

As the only dissenter (and a retired children's librarian) I have to point 
out that Phantom Tollbooth isn't for everyone.  Those who like it, love it. 
Those who don't, go from boredom to throwing paper airplanes in about 30 
seconds.
There's always My Side of the Mountain
(an almost sure grabber if properly introduced), Harris and Me (it's Gary 
Paulsen but it's a funny, funny Paulsen)
and quite a few things by Louis Sachar
or Jerry Spinelli (the titles will tell you).
If this is a fourth-grade class -- do they do the Westward Movement in other 
parts of the country in 4th grade curriculum too, or is it just 
California? -- there's a good novel by Karen Cushman that isn't a comedy, 
but it's a good picture of life in the goldfields, with lots of action and 
struggle and good stuff happening, called The Ballad of Lucy Whipple.  I 
always thought it would be a good read-aloud for the 4-6 graders.
    We have a 5th-grader at home, and his strong recommendation is any of 
the Harry Potter books (but then, he's a fanatic) or any of the Spiderwick 
books.
A 6th-grader in my family thinks that anything by Diana Wynne Jones -- she 
says any of the Chrestomanci books -- would be good.  (She prefers books 
with magical happenings.)  She also wants to know if the teacher has ever 
tried the
dragon books by Patricia Wrede -- Dealing With Dragons is one of them, and 
they are about a princess who is sick and tired of princessing and goes off 
to be the personal assistant to a lady dragon.  The books are very funny, 
especially the first one, says my informant.
If it didn't sound as if the teacher only wanted something light-hearted and 
uncomplicated, I'd strongly recommend Susan Patron's The Higher Power of 
Lucky.  It has plenty of humor, but it's a very thoughtful book about a 
believable kid trying to make sense of her world.

Marian Drabkin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Hart" <hart at pglaf.org>
To: <list at project-wombat.org>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 6:10 PM
Subject: Re: [PW] Looking for a book for discussion at the grade 4-6 level


>
> I second the vote for The Phantom Tollbooth!
>
> mh
>
>
> On Mon, 25 Feb 2008, Bill Hill wrote:
>
>> /Here are a couple of worthy choices that are not grim or depressing ,
>> or are positive overall(  there are so many good ones! )
>>
>> Hoot by Carl Hiassen
>> /*Storyline:* "Unfortunately, Roy's first acquaintance in Florida is
>> Dana Matherson, a well-known bully. Then again, if Dana hadn't been
>> sinking his thumbs into Roy's temples and mashing his face against the
>> school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the
>> running boy is intriguing: he was running away from the school bus,
>> carried no books, and -- here's the odd part -- wore no shoes. Sensing a
>> mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy's trail. The chase introduces him
>> to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing owls,
>> a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes with
>> unnaturally sparkling tails. Roy has most definitely arrived in Carl
>> Hiaasen's Florida. "
>> ///Summerland by Michael Chabon
>> A Wrinkle in Time/ by Madeleine L'Engle/
>> The Phantom Tollbooth/ by Norton Juster
>> ///Where the Red Fern Grows/ by Wilson Rawls
>> //
>>
>> Sharon Custer wrote:
>>
>>> The Children's Librarian here has come to me asking for help in finding 
>>> a
>>> book for the final book discussion during the school year. She is 
>>> looking
>>> for a humorous book for grade level 4th-6th. She said that the ones they
>>> have been reading are "depressing" and wants to end the years' book
>>> discussions on a lighter note. My days of reading books at the level are 
>>> far
>>> enough behind that I have gone completely blank on a recommendation, and
>>> decided to fall back on the list for help.
>>>
>>> Some of the books they have already read are The Library Card by Jerry
>>> Spinelli, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and the current one is Mrs. Frisby 
>>> and
>>> the Rats of Nimh by Robert O'Brien.
>>>
>>> If anyone can recommend a funny book with a reading level similar to the
>>> above, that would also be a good book for discussion, please email the
>>> recommendations to me personally, and I will send a compiled version to 
>>> the
>>> list if anyone wishes.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Sharon Custer
>>> Eccles-Lesher Memorial Library
>>> 673 Main Street
>>> PO Box 359
>>> Rimersburg, PA  16248
>>> (814) 473-3800
>>> FAX: (814) 473-8200
>>> Sharon.Custer at eccles-lesher.org
>>>
>>> "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary 
>>> safety
>>> deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Project Wombat
>>> list at project-wombat.org
>>> http://www.project-wombat.org
>>>
>>>
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> list at project-wombat.org
>> http://www.project-wombat.org/
>>
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