The Book Club Shelf

The Lemonade War

Author: Jacqueline Davies

Lexile Score: Not yet listed, I'm guessing 650?

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Maturity level: 3rd grade

Pages: 175  Chapters: 14  Average Chapter Length: 12 pages

Theme: Sibling Rivalry & Business math

Project ideas:  lemonade stand?  Any type of business, math, economics-related projects.  Create a business proposal for a new product?

First Line: The book has economics terms as definitions at the start of each chapter; chapter one has the term "slump."  The first line of the story is: Evan lay on his back in the dark, throwing the baseball up in a straight line and catching it in his bare hands.

Main Character: Evan and Jessie (brother and sister)

Review in 25 words or less:  Great inclusion of math concepts in fictional writing.  Captures the frustration of sibling rivalry, gets the reader's alliance to tilt back and forth between the warring siblings.

Grade: A

This book was a great story for third graders.  I wonder if the math concepts were lost on them or not.  Jessie makes notes about economic ideas like franchising and profit margins, which may be a little abstract for younger readers.  There are some wonderful math ideas within the story, however, like when Evan figures out division using pictures.  It is a great conversation starter on how people use different strategies to solve math problems.  And the real-world number problems are fantastic! 

The kids' parents are seperated and the father has left them.  This isn't really a strong theme for discussion, other than possibly how it affects the kids' relationship.  (i.e. they are actually really good friends and help each other a lot, complimenting each other's strengths and weaknesses.)  Something to keep in mind.  My students did not seem to even notice this part of the story.

The Golden Compass

Author: Philip Pullman

Lexile Score: 930

Genre: Fantasy

Maturity level: middle school?

Pages: 350

Theme: Good vs. Evil; religion; What Daemontypes say about their humans; parallel universes - string theory? etc.

Project ideas:  What is your daemon?

First Line: Lyra and her daemon moved through the darkening hall, taking care to keep to one side, out of sight of the kitchen.

Main Character: Lyra Belacqua (or, Lyra Silvertongue)

Review in 25 words or less:  Nonstop action and adventure; thoroughly realized - to the smallest of detail - alternate world.  Complicated physics/theology tie the story together

Grade: A

Philip Pullman has so completely imagined Lyra's world and envelopes you in it.  Case in point: Lyra makes a face of disgust near the end and wonders to herself whether the bears can read human expressions. 

There is a lot of controversy around this book, mostly due to the coming movie release.  (Why would the film incite more trouble than the book?)  Though I don't agree with those who have decided to pull this book from school shelves, I do see the reason for concern.  I have not read the entire series, so I cannot speak to the final book which evidently has the children trying to "Kill God."  I do see the questioning of truth and human nature written into the story, which I think is always welcome in children's literature.  The story does paint the Catholic church in a negative light, which I can understand would be a concern for Catholics.  The children are abducted, there is reference to the Catholic church castrating boys, and although it is part of the fantasy, the "Intercision" of cutting daemons from children is very distressing.  I have read that the books include actual castration and female circumcision, but I cannot find any evidence of this.  Some reviews have likened the intercision of daemons to these acts, as they are all attempts to prevent children from maturing. 

For several reasons, I would have a hard time using this book in school.  I have absolutely no reservations about having it on my classroom shelf, in the school library, or even recommending it to mature readers.  But I would not use it for a third grade school book club.

Holes

Author: Louis Sachar

Lexile Score: 660

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Maturity level: 3rd grade

Pages: 230

Theme: Cruelty, Friendship, Fate, History

Project ideas:  Character relationship web graphic organizer, Dig a hole and bury... what... artifacts from the story?  Family trees?  Palindromes?  Where are the holes in the story?

First Line: There is no lake at Camp Green Lake

Main Character: Stanley Yelnats, the Holes?

Review in 25 words or less:  My favorite children's book since the day it was published.  I mourned the release of a movie, this one was meant to be read.

Grade: A