Books Rule in Middle School
(BRIMS)
2011-2012
Members of BRiMS with some of their favorite books
BRiMS is a group made up of students in grades 6th-8th who love books and reading. Meetings are held monthly in the library after school, and snacks are provided. BRiMS initial meeting was February 29, 2012.
May 22, 2012: Skype Event with Sherry Shahan
This special event was planned on the last full day of school. Author, Sherry Shahan, skyped with BRiMS about her book, Ice Island. She told us stories about some of her experiences that were the germs for some of her fictional books. Read more about this event on the librarian's blog.
If you liked Ice Island, you may want to read these titles:
Sherry Shahan's Death Mountain that is based on Sherry's experiences hiking in the mountains
More survival stories:
The Problem with Paradise by Lesley Dahl
Neptune's Children by Bonnie Dobkin
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata
Peak by Roland Smith
If you liked Ice Island, you may want to read these titles:
Sherry Shahan's Death Mountain that is based on Sherry's experiences hiking in the mountains
More survival stories:
The Problem with Paradise by Lesley Dahl
Neptune's Children by Bonnie Dobkin
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata
Peak by Roland Smith
May 16, 2012: Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
This was BRiMS last official meeting for the school year. To celebrate the end of the year, we had pizza as our snack for this event. All of the members loved reading this book. It was a surprise to them that it was first in a series. Read more about this event on the librarian's blog.
If you liked Airborn, you may want to read these titles:
Kenneth Oppel's Skybreaker and Starclimber both of which feature characters, Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries
The Bloody Jack series by L. A. Meyer
Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins
Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld
If you liked Airborn, you may want to read these titles:
Kenneth Oppel's Skybreaker and Starclimber both of which feature characters, Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries
The Bloody Jack series by L. A. Meyer
Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins
Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld
April 18, 2012: In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth
Though the turnout for this event was small, we had a good discussion. The students liked the book better than the librarian did. The students seemed to like that the book was set back in time without easy communication with cell phones and email. They thought that it was a safer time, so Erin travelling by herself cross country on a Greyhound Bus did not seem so unusual. The group talked about what books spoke to them, and a few members of the group mentioned the Harry Potter series. Once Harry Potter was mentioned, the discussion moved away from Ellsworth's work and into magic.
March 28, 2012: Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Tangerines were served as snack for the afternoon discussion. Students had lots to say about the book. Some felt that there was no real plot, but others thought there was a true beginning, middle and end, including Ms. Valence and Ms. Kahn. The readers all seemed to like how Paul was able to assert himself at the end of the story. Karma was a theme for the afternoon, and yes, Eric deserved whatever he gets for inflicting pain on so many people. If you want a good read, BRiMS recommends this book.
If you liked Tangerine, you may want to read these titles:
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
Caroline Cooney's The Face on the Milk Carton and sequel, Whatever Happened to Janie?
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konigsberg