Author Skype Event!

Members of the FES Mock Newbery Book Club are invited to Skype with

 Augusta Scattergood, author of Glory Be, 

from 3:30-4:30 on Wednesday, November 28th. 

Students need to sign up in advance with Mrs. Potter.

Many of the 75 members of the book club have read Glory Be this fall. The FES Library copies of Glory Be have been checked out 32 times since September 4th, and we still have a waiting list!

The historical fiction novel has had a huge impact on our readers; kids have had a lot to say about the character of Glory during our lunch discussions.

Ms. Scattergood lives in Florida, and she has graciously agreed to meet with our book club. Visit Augusta Scattergood's web site for more information about her background as a librarian and a writer. http://www.augustascattergood.com/

The Spindlers

The Spindlers

by Lauren Oliver

Harper Collins

From the publisher:

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different.
When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.
She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.
To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids . . . as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests—or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

Little Rock Girl 1957

Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration

by Shelley Tougas

Compass Point Books

From the publisher: Nine African American students made history when they defied a governor and integrated an Arkansas high school in 1957. It was the photo of one of the nine trying to enter the school a young girl being taunted, harassed and threatened by an angry mob that grabbed the worlds attention and kept its disapproving gaze on Little Rock, Arkansas. In defiance of a federal court order, Governor Orval Faubus called in the National Guard to prevent the students from entering all white Central High School. The plan had been for the students to meet and go to school as a group on September 4, 1957. But one student, Elizabeth Eckford, didnt hear of the plan and tried to enter the school alone. A chilling photo by newspaper photographer Will Counts captured the sneering expression of a girl in the mob and made history. Years later Counts snapped another photo, this one of the same two girls, now grownup, reconciling in front of Central High School.

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95

by Phillip Hoose (Maine author)

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

From the publisher: B95 can feel it: a stirring in his bones and feathers. It’s time. Today is the day he will once again cast himself into the air, spiral upward into the clouds, and bank into the wind.
 

He wears a black band on his lower right leg and an orange flag on his upper left, bearing the laser inscription B95. Scientists call him the Moonbird because, in the course of his astoundingly long lifetime, this gritty, four-ounce marathoner has flown the distance to the moon—and halfway back!
B95 is a robin-sized shorebird, a red knot of the subspecies rufa. Each February he joins a flock that lifts off from Tierra del Fuego, headed for breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, nine thousand miles away.  Late in the summer, he begins the return journey.
B95 can fly for days without eating or sleeping, but eventually he must descend to refuel and rest. However, recent changes at ancient refueling stations along his migratory circuit—changes caused mostly by human activity—have reduced the food available and made it harder for the birds to reach. And so, since 1995, when B95 was first captured and banded, the worldwide rufa population has collapsed by nearly 80 percent. Most perish somewhere along the great hemispheric circuit, but the Moonbird wings on. He has been seen as recently as November 2011, which makes him nearly twenty years old. Shaking their heads, scientists ask themselves: How can this one bird make it year after year when so many others fall? 

On the Road to Mr. Mineo's

On the Road to Mr. Mineo's

by Barbara O'Connor

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

From the publisher: Summer days drift by slowly in Meadville, South Carolina--that is, until Sherman the one-legged pigeon flies into town and causes a ruckus. First Stella, who's been begging for a dog, spots him on top of a garage roof and decides she wants him for a pet. Then there's Ethel and Amos, an old couple who sees the pigeon in their barn keeping company with a little brown dog that barks all night. The pigeon lands smack in the middle of Mutt Raynard's head, but he's the town liar, so no one believes him. And when Stella's brother Levi and his scabby-kneed, germ-infested friends notice the pigeon, they join the chase, too. Meanwhile, across town, Mr. Mineo has one less homing pigeon than he used to...

Splendors and Glooms

Splendors and Glooms

by Laura Amy Schlitz

Candlewick

From the publisher: The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants.
 

Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall.
 

As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late.

Starry River of the Sky

Starry River of the Sky

by Grace Lin

Little Brown Books for Young Readers

From the publisher: The moon is missing from the remote Village of Clear Sky, but only a young boy named Rendi seems to notice! Rendi has run away from home and is now working as a chore boy at the village inn. He can't help but notice the village's peculiar inhabitants and their problems-where has the innkeeper's son gone? Why are Master Chao and Widow Yan always arguing? What is the crying sound Rendi keeps hearing? And how can crazy, old Mr. Shan not know if his pet is a toad or a rabbit?

But one day, a mysterious lady arrives at the Inn with the gift of storytelling, and slowly transforms the villagers and Rendi himself. As she tells more stories and the days pass in the Village of Clear Sky, Rendi begins to realize that perhaps it is his own story that holds the answers to all those questions.

Newbery Honor author Grace Lin brings readers another enthralling fantasy featuring her marvelous full-color illustrations. Starry River of the Sky is filled with Chinese folklore, fascinating characters, and exciting new adventures.

Twelve Kinds of Ice

Twelve Kinds of Ice

by Ellen Obed (Maine author)

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

available in November 2012

With the first ice—a skim on a sheep pail so thin it breaks when touched—one family’s winter begins in earnest. Next comes ice like panes of glass. And eventually, skating ice! Take a literary skate over field ice and streambed, through sleeping orchards and beyond. The first ice, the second ice, the third ice . . . perfect ice . . . the last ice . . . Twelve kinds of ice are carved into twenty nostalgic vignettes, illustrated in elegantly scratched detail by the award-winning Barbara McClintock.

Let the reading begin!

We have over 70 students signed up for the book club this year! 

We will meet in small groups during lunch to discuss the books you read from the Mock Newbery reading lists.  At our first book club meeting in September we will talk about how the book club works. I will booktalk titles from the reading list, and I will show you Edmodo (a secure web site for kids where we can discuss books online).

Book club members should come to the library check out a Mock Newbery book and begin reading as soon as you can. (Remember, you need to complete 5 books by December 21st.)

See the list of titles on the bottom of this post. We have copies of the books in the library, and Falmouth Memorial Library also has copies of the books.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Potter

FES Mock Newbery Reading List #1

A Diamond in the Desert by Katherine Fitzmaurice
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, thirteen-year-old Tetsu and his family are sent to the Gila River Relocation Center in Arizona where a fellow prisoner starts a baseball team, but when Tetsu's sister becomes ill and he feels responsible, he stops playing.

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
In the country of Carthya, a devious nobleman engages four orphans in a brutal competition to be selected to impersonate the king's long-missing son in an effort to avoid a civil war.

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood
In the summer of 1964 as she is about to turn twelve, Glory's town of Hanging Moss, Mississippi, is beset by racial tension when town leaders close her beloved public pool rather than desegregating it.

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
Seventh-grader Georges adjusts to moving from a house to an apartment, his father's efforts to start a new business, his mother's extra shifts as a nurse, being picked on at school, and Safer, a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their building.

May B. by Caroline Starr
When a failed wheat crop nearly bankrupts the Betterly family, twelve-year-old May's father pulls her from school and hires her out to a couple new to the Kansas frontier.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson
Tells the tale of the sinking of the Titanic using the narratives of the witnesses and survivors to the disaster.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunts and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.


(A second list will be revealed in late October.)

Liar & Spy

 Liar & Spy

by Rebecca Stead

Random House, 2012

When seventh grader Georges (the S is silent) moves into a Brooklyn apartment building, he meets Safer, a twelve-year-old coffee-drinking loner and self-appointed spy. Georges becomes Safer's first spy recruit. His assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: how far is too far to go for your only friend?

May B.

May B. 

by Caroline Starr Rose

Schwartz & Wade, 2012

When a failed wheat crop nearly bankrupts the Betterly family, Pa pulls twelve-year-old May, who suffers from dyslexia, from school and hires her out to a couple new to the Kansas frontier.

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster

by Deborah Hopkinson

Scholastic, 2012

Tells the tale of the sinking of the Titanic using the narratives of the witnesses and survivors to the disaster.

A Diamond in the Desert

A Diamond in the Desert

by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Viking 2012

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, thirteen-year-old Tetsu and his family are sent to the Gila River Relocation Center in Arizona where a fellow prisoner starts a baseball team, but when Tetsu's sister becomes ill and he feels responsible, he stops playing.

Book Trailer

The False Prince

The False Prince

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Scholastic, 2012

In the country of Carthya, a devious nobleman engages four orphans in a brutal competition to be selected to impersonate the king's long-missing son in an effort to avoid a civil war. 

Book Trailer

Glory Be

Glory Be

by Augusta Scattergood

Scholastic, 2012

In the summer of 1964 as she is about to turn twelve, Glory's town of Hanging Moss, Mississippi, is beset by racial tension when town leaders close her beloved public pool rather than desegregating it. 

 Book Trailer for Glory Be.

Wonder

e

Wonder

by R.J. Palacio

Random House 2012

Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student. 

Pledge to Choose Kind.

Book Trailer for Wonder

Book Trailer created by Mrs. Hembree from Lake Washington School District

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

Harper Collins, 2012

When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

http://theoneandonlyivan.com/book/

Book Trailer for The One and Only Ivan

 

Book Trailer by Mrs. Hembree- Lake Washington School District

2013 Reading Lists Will Be Revealed

The FES Mock Newbery Book Club will re-convene in September. During the first week of school we will open registration to 4th and 5th grade students who are interested in reading and discussing books eligible for the 2013 Newbery Medal.

Over the summer you can check this site to see which books we will read and discuss during our lunch meetings. Members need to read a minimum of five books from the reading lists to be eligible to vote in January, and summer is a great time to get a head start.

Be sure to check the FES blog often for Mock Newbery updates.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Potter

Members of the 2012 FES Mock Newbery Book Club

Members of the 2012 FES Mock Newbery Book Club discussed Small as an Elephant with author, Jennifer Richard Jacobson.

And the Winner Is...

The winner of the 2012 FES Mock Newbery Medal is...

Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Honor Books:

True Sort of... by Katherine Hannigan

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder

No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko

Newbery Medal Predictions

Members of the Mock Newbery Book Club cast their ballots this week. The winner of the 2012 FES Mock Newbery Award will be announced at a 4th and 5th grade assembly on Friday, January 13th.

In the meantime, students and teachers at FES have been having a great time trying to predict which book will win the Newbery Medal. The winner of the actual Newbery Medal will be announced live on January 23, 2012 from Dallas, Texas.