February Guys Read/Girls Read Book Clubs

Did you know that we have two parent/child book clubs every month at the Provo Library? They are for children 9-12 and a parent and they meet the fourth Tuesday (girls) and Thursday (guys) of each month during the school year. Families can preregister under the Kids Corner/Program Registration tab on the library website. This month we have two great books that we will be discussing.

Guys Read
Ghost
By Jason Reynolds
Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016. Fiction. 181 p.
Castle Crenshaw (he goes by Ghost) lives in a rough neighborhood. His dad is serving time and his mom barely makes enough to put food on the table. Ghost can't stay out of trouble at school, but when he gets a chance to be on an elite track team he is motivated to keep in step both on the field and in class. For the first time he feels like he is a part of something, but when his past and his poor decisions catch up with him, he is at risk of losing it all.

Girls Read
Inside Out and Back Again
by Thanhha Lai
Harper, 2011, Fiction, 262 p.
Ha can here the bombs exploding near her home in Vietnam. As the fighting heats up, Ha's family gets the opportunity to leave on a refugee ship. This honest narrative follows Ha's journey from the refugee ship to a refugee camp in Florida, to a home in Georgia. She tells of her struggles to learn English and the teasing from the other children at her school. The story is written in fluid free verse. An end note explains that many of the experiences recounted in the book are autobiographical and that Ms. Lai, herself, came to America as a refugee in the 1970's.

Comments

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog