Parent Child book club selections

[Sheherezade]

Hi guys -

I'm in a mother daughter book club this year. We had our first meeting today. It went very well. The group is a nice group of both girl-friends and moms that get along well. I volunteered to host our next gathering and I need to select a book. I was hoping I might get a few ideas from all my favorite readers here at iMSN. The girls are all 11 years old in fifth grade. They all read at about the 7th grade level though -- and can handle advanced topics if they aren't too out of the understanding of an 11 year old. The moms come from diverse political/religious backgrounds but seem fine (actually excited) to share topics that might be more controversial than what the girls get at school. That said, the kids still want this to be fun. Who needs more homework?? No one in the group is a reluctant reader - but time is limited by homework and activities so 500 page novels are out.

I'd like to lean towards something more upbeat if possible - but don't want something unrealistically cheery because it is made for kids. Today we covered "Snow Treasure" which was a story from Norway in the WWII era. The group thought it lead to great discussion but felt it was slow moving and a little too pat. One mom thought it had been written by a child because it was "simplistic".

I've thought of A Wrinkle in Time and The Phantom Tollbooth because they are both classics that I enjoyed and I think the kids would like them. I've also considered the Mixed Up Files of....(can't remember the name!! ) I'd consider a teen title or adult title that the kids could handle.

Any and all ideas are welcome!!! Please weigh in with the pros and cons of your favorites.

[poky]

I think that's about when I read Wrinkle in Time, and loved it. I think that's a good choice.

The mixed-up-files is "from the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" I remember liking that one, too. It looks like there's a guide for using it in the classroom available, too.

I can also highly recommend "Enchantress from the Stars" by Sylvia Engdahl. Lots of interesting fodder for discussion, I think:

Elana, a member of an interstellar civilization on a mission to a medieval planet, becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back an invasion. How can she help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, without revealing her own alien powers? At the same time, Georyn, the son of an Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a dragon in the enchanted forest, and he must defeat it. He sees Elana as the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy. One of the few science fiction books to win a Newbery Honor, this novel will enthrall teenage and adult readers.

From another source:

Girl from advanced civilization is part of contact team observing natives undercover on less advanced worlds. Deals with growing up, responsibility vs love, the pain of watching tragedy that you can't do anything to fix

There are four other books set in the same universe, including a sequel to that one, but that's a good one to start with, and stands alone.

Another suggestion:

Dragonsong, by Anne McCaffrey - love this book, and devoured it at about this age, but it's hard to describe. Start of a loose trilogy with Dragonsinger and Dragondrums. Read some of the reviews on amazon for a feel of it.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

One of my favorites from that age was 'Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry". It has a lot to discuss including race, education, and geographic issues. I remember being completely fascinated by it and the narrator is a 9 year old girl. It's not depressing but it's not a "happy ending" type of story.

[scarlett09]

Unfortunately, my bookshelves are full of political science and higher education books, but I did have a few favorites of mine mixed in there.

I loved the whole Anne of Green Gables series, and anything Jane Austen. I think Austen is a little harder to read though.

There was a book that I enjoyed reading in college called "Warriors Don't Cry" by Melba Pattillo Beals. It is the author's memoir of what she endured by being one of the Little Rock Nine, who desegregated Central High School in 1957. It's young adult material and deals with issues of race, personal strength and courage and growing up. Here's the Amazon.com info on the book: http://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Dont-...7395553&sr=1-1.

There is a blog that an acquaintance of mine has about young adult literature. She is a sixth-grade language arts teacher who loves reviewing books and sharing them with her students. I know she recently featured some books that were either nominated for or won literature awards. If my time weren't spent reading about adult higher education and strategic planning, I would read some of the books she highlights on her blog, which is here: http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/.

Happy reading!!

[L.Jane]

Its an oldie, but a goodie, Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I was 11 when I read it, so I don't know how out dated the issues are, but the girl was 11 in it and going through issues I was going through in it at the time. Then again, that was a while ago.

I loved The Giver. Its pretty complicated and I am sure there are discussion outlines out there about it.

Also, Number the Stars. A lot of these books might be covered in school. I don't know the fifth grade curriculum.

A newer book is called The House of the Scorpian by Nancy Farmer has some more scientific and moral issues in it... Publisher Weekly wrote, "In this eerily realistic depiction of society 100 years hence, the wealthy class harvests the organs of clones to prolong their lives. Farmer explores vital and soul-searching questions about what it means to be human." Ages 11-up.

[peggyfromwastate]

DD did The Giver for her summer reading between 5th and 6th grade- so it may be about the right target for advanced readers. (I would not say the Giver is a 5th grade level book.)

I just love that you are able to get a book club going with kids this age. Kudos to you!!!

No real suggestions! Sorry!!!

[ladymoreta]

Nothing But the Truth (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothi...he_Truth_(book)) by Avi might be good. It looks like there are several guides out there (quick Google search), so that could help you with discussion questions.

It's documentary style, which was something I'd never really read before when I first read it. That could be interesting for them. Since there's no real narrator, it makes you do a lot of your own interpretations.

[Thirteen]

The Rain Catchers by Jean Thesman (maybe a little bit edgy for the age-group)
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Julie of the Wolves
Number the Stars
A Wind in the Door (2nd book by L'Engle, after A Wrinkle in Time)
The Giver
A Time for Dancing (again, maybe not as age-appropriate)
Ask Me No Questions
Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood
Airhead
Ender's Game (a little sci-fi, but amazing)
The Patron Saint of Butterflies

The topics on each of these vary, but each one is an amazing book GL!

[PrincessFiona]

Did you decide, Angie?

[Sheherezade]

No!!!! I'm re-reading The Mixed Up Files one. DD wants to do something "exciting". I'm leaning away from The Giver because I think they read that next year. Island of the Blue Dolphins intrigues me because all the girls are big on nature and animals. So - I'm still in flux. I love all the suggestions, though.

My daughter just finished "Nine Days a Queen" about Lady Jane Grey and loved it. She has suggested it but I don't want us to always do historical fiction. *sigh*

I picked up The Princess Bride in the book store today and I was tempted to do that. I love that book and I think this generation may miss it because it was so popular in the last generation.

[PrincessFiona]

Nine Days a Queen...Wow!

I'll be curious to see what you pick.

Kris

Oooohhh, I love book talk!! As I was reading through the list, I did have to agree with a few of the previous recommendations . . . The Chronicles of Narnia, The Giver, Ender's Game, Diary of Anne Frank, The Phantom Tollbooth. Other classics that I can remember from my own childhood include The Boxcar Children (that might be a bit under their level though), Roald Dahl titles (Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc.), and then I also think of Harry Potter, which can tend to get dark and many have probably read them. I read YA quite often and some that I have read recently that might be good are The Magician's Elephant, The Hunger Games (love, love, love this one, but may be a bit on the older side depending on the girls' maturity, BUT then again GREAT for discussion), and if you want to change things up a bit, why not a graphic novel with a take off of some classic fairy tales, Rapunzel's Revenge. Those are a few that I can think of off the top of my head. I'm curious to hear what you end up deciding though!!

[Sheherezade]

My non-reader son LOVED the Hunger Games. I've been wondering if that would be too dark for them. Thanks for an adult opinion on it. I haven't read it myself. I'll check out The Magician's Elephant. I ordered DragonSong and The White Dragon from the Anne McCaffrey series last night for my daughter. I don't think I'll do these for the group - but my daughter is nuts for dragon and fantasy stuff. I hope she likes them. I finished re-reading The Mixed Up Files...and I decided against it. It is a little too basic for the girls -- but I do remember loving it and loved it this time, too. I think I just want to run off and live at the Met.

[ladymoreta]

I ordered DragonSong and The White Dragon from the Anne McCaffrey series last night for my daughter. I don't think I'll do these for the group - but my daughter is nuts for dragon and fantasy stuff.

The White Dragon is actually close to the middle of the series - she might be a little lost if she hasn't read the ones that come before it. You might have her start with Dragonflight, or maybe even Dragonsdawn. Here's the chronological order of the series: Chronological Order of Pern Books.

[poky]

Definitely start with the harper hall trilogy (dragonsong, dragonsinger, dragondrums). That's the most YA of the Pern books. I remember the other, more adult, novels fondly, since I read them in Jr. High, but I *really* hesitate to recommend them to young girls; they're more aimed at adults, for one, and the earlier ones are quite problematic, from a feminist viewpoint; further reading on that: http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=152 (warning: it's a laundry list of specific complaints, some of which don't make a lot of sense if you haven't read the books and aren't familiar with the characters and situations involved; it does give an idea, though, and some of the comments are less specific and might make you a little less scared; a lot of us read them when pretty young and didn't really pick up on all the rape and other crap going on - it's not worth FORBIDDING, if she wants to read them, but I'd definitely read them also so you can discuss things if she has questions).

I'm trying to think of better dragon-y books your daughter might like; I'll let you know if I come up with any.