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school stories
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From: Miriam Lang Budin <miriammeister_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:25:04 -0400
I usually choose a school story as the first title of the year for our book discussion groups.
A book I especially like for our Parent/Child group is A BOOK OF COUPONS by Suzi Morgenstern. At the beginning of the school year, a substitute teache r gives each student a book of coupons to be used at the student's discretion . The coupons give the kids the opportunity to do all sorts of things--some imaginative, some mildly subversive. Some of the students use up their coupons quickly, some hoard them. The principal ends up getting rid of the sub, but not before the class has had some interesting discussion about the coupons and their metaphoric meaning. It's really interesting to see our kids and their parents react to this idea. Some are horrified, some tickled. I always ask everyone to write a coupon for something they'd like and we guess whose coupon it is.
A great book for our 4-6th grade group is FLYING SOLO by Ralph Fleming. Th e teacher is absent, but the school office doesn't realize they need a sub. The kids try to get through the day on their own. Are they mature enough to handle the situation? Can they maintain a classroom atmosphere? Will they learn anything? (Will they learn the sorts of things they're supposed to learn in school?) Are they undermining authority or being responsible? Or both?
Other titles which have stimulated good discussions: DEAR WHISKERS by Ann Nagda, THE YEAR OF MISS AGNES by Kirkpatrick Hill, SHREDDERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY by Wendelin Van Draanen.
And, like so many others, we've enjoyed many discussions using various Andrew Clements books over the years.
Miriam
Miriam Lang Budin Head of Children's Services Chappaqua Library, NY
Received on Tue 06 Sep 2011 08:25:04 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:25:04 -0400
I usually choose a school story as the first title of the year for our book discussion groups.
A book I especially like for our Parent/Child group is A BOOK OF COUPONS by Suzi Morgenstern. At the beginning of the school year, a substitute teache r gives each student a book of coupons to be used at the student's discretion . The coupons give the kids the opportunity to do all sorts of things--some imaginative, some mildly subversive. Some of the students use up their coupons quickly, some hoard them. The principal ends up getting rid of the sub, but not before the class has had some interesting discussion about the coupons and their metaphoric meaning. It's really interesting to see our kids and their parents react to this idea. Some are horrified, some tickled. I always ask everyone to write a coupon for something they'd like and we guess whose coupon it is.
A great book for our 4-6th grade group is FLYING SOLO by Ralph Fleming. Th e teacher is absent, but the school office doesn't realize they need a sub. The kids try to get through the day on their own. Are they mature enough to handle the situation? Can they maintain a classroom atmosphere? Will they learn anything? (Will they learn the sorts of things they're supposed to learn in school?) Are they undermining authority or being responsible? Or both?
Other titles which have stimulated good discussions: DEAR WHISKERS by Ann Nagda, THE YEAR OF MISS AGNES by Kirkpatrick Hill, SHREDDERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY by Wendelin Van Draanen.
And, like so many others, we've enjoyed many discussions using various Andrew Clements books over the years.
Miriam
Miriam Lang Budin Head of Children's Services Chappaqua Library, NY
Received on Tue 06 Sep 2011 08:25:04 PM CDT
