Books Rule in Middle School
(BRIMS)
2014-15
Members 2014-15
BRiMS is a book group made up of students in grades 6th though 8th who love books and reading. Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of the month during lunch, and a special snack is provided. BRiMS was formed on February 29, 2012.
Meeting Dates and topics for each meeting:
August 27th -- Bring a book or title that you would recommend to someone
September 24th -- Mystery or suspense story, you choose the title and author
October 22nd -- Skype visit with Chris Grabenstein, author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
December 10th -- Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell (book provided by Donor's Choose Donation)
January 28th -- Mythological fiction, you choose the title and author
February 25th -- Paperboy by Vince Vawter (book provided by Donor's Choose Donation)
March 25th -- Out of Mind by Sharon Draper (book provided by Donor's Choose Donation)
April 29th -- The Real Boy by Anne Ursu (book provided by Donor's Choose Donation)
August 27th -- Bring a book or title that you would recommend to someone
September 24th -- Mystery or suspense story, you choose the title and author
October 22nd -- Skype visit with Chris Grabenstein, author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
December 10th -- Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell (book provided by Donor's Choose Donation)
January 28th -- Mythological fiction, you choose the title and author
February 25th -- Paperboy by Vince Vawter (book provided by Donor's Choose Donation)
March 25th -- Out of Mind by Sharon Draper (book provided by Donor's Choose Donation)
April 29th -- The Real Boy by Anne Ursu (book provided by Donor's Choose Donation)
April 29, 2015
The Real Boy by Anne Ursu
Some students really wanted to get into a deep discussion of The Real Boy. They wanted to ponder whether Oscar was a real boy or made of wood, and the students even compared him to the famous wooden boy, Pinocchio. Though the group was able to discuss the role of the magicians and the wizards in the community and the relationship between Caleb, Wolf, and Oscar, many members of the group had not finished the book. Some said it was time that got away from them and others just didn't like it. Whatever the reason, to have an effective discussion, the students need to have read the book. To keep the group focused and talking, we veered away from the book at hand and began to make suggestions of what and how we would read for BRiMS next year. Only one member will move on to high school, and all the students said that they wanted to continue in BRiMS next year.
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March 26, 2015
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This book offered us a chance to have a real meaningful discussion about what it is like to be different and misunderstood. The students were angry with the teachers and the other students in the book who did not think that Melody could be smart. A majority of the BRiMS' members believed that they would have befriended Melody if she went to our school. It is hard to really know how one would react to someone like Melody who has such a severe disability, but the students believed in themselves to do the right thing. This book seemed to be beloved by all who read it, and it is probably because everyone could relate. No, the students don't have any noticeable disabilities, but at their age, they all know what it feels like to not belong. What a great read this was.
If you liked Out of My Mind, you also might like: Countdown (The Sixties Trilogy #1) by Deborah Wiles Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Reaching for Sun Tracie Vaughn Zimmer Rules Cynthia Lord. Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine |
February 25, 2015
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January 28, 2015
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It is a new year, and members of BRiMS were ready to discuss all books mythological. Of course a number of the group members read Riordan's Percy Jackson series and the Heroes of Olympus series. Those series seem to resonant with the students because of the blend of modern life with the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Most of the readers thought that Heroes of Olympus was more serious and had more action and preferred it. An 8th grader was required to read Edith Hamilton's Mythology for English. He loved it--his favorite story was Odysseus' tangle with the Cyclops. Last year the authors of Loki's Wolves, Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr, visited our school. Their story with Norwegian mythology woven through it was a real hit with the students because of the well-drawn characters and the inclusion of so much action and adventure. Two girls found the mythological world built by Tamora Pierce riveting because of the way the author used myths, magic and the medieval era in her stories.
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December 10, 2014
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This was BRiMS very first meeting where all the members had a copy of the book, Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell. The library received funding for two projects through Donor's Choose that will allow the group to have four different books to read this school year. It was unfortunate that most of the group were not big fans of the book. The students did not like Dovey's voice because of her poor grammar or use of old-fashioned idioms. They felt that she was too whiny. Though the few that were fans liked the way that this voice developed Dovey's character. The students also were disappointed that the conflict came so late in the story, and that the trial was only a very small part of the plot. Historical fiction is a hard sell with students at PFTSTA, and though the group in general did not appreciate the book, they did get a true sense of place and time of 1928 Appalachia that they would not have otherwise discovered.
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Louisiana Book Festival November 1, 2014
With Kendare Blake, the author of
Anna Dressed in Blood |
Enjoying lunch at the festival
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October 22, 2014
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
 Posing with the author
For BRiMS monthly scheduled meeting we did something a little different. All the students were asked to read Chris Grabenstein's Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, and then instead of our usual group discussion, we had a skype session with the author. The students were asked to come up with a question ahead of time. We spent a half hour talking to the author, and all who wanted to were able to ask their question. See more pictures and find out more here.
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Asking Chris a question
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The theme for this month centered around mysteries. Most of the books read by the students were found on the shelves of the PFTSTA Library. Some of the favorite books were selected because of the intense action, good writing, ability to keep the reader on edge, the many elements involved in the story, fast pacing, and the fact that the books were written by a favorite author. The students would recommend the following books to readers looking for a good mystery: Sammy Keyes series by Wendelin Van Draanen, Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy, Running Out of Time by Margaret P, Haddix, Scat by Carl Hiassen, Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead and Midsummer Night's Scream by R. L. Stine. Visit the library to check one out.
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September 24, 2014
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August 27, 2014 |
During this first meeting of the year, students had to introduce themselves and share a book that they would recommend. It was interesting that many of the books that they shared have been made into movies. Invariably the kids liked the book better. Here are some of the titles that were mentioned and why the student liked the book: Coraline by Neil Gaiman was recommended because it was so descriptive, Unwind by Neal Schusterman was a creepy story, the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landry is not like any other book that the student has read, the Percy Jackson series, the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series are all perennial favorites, even in 6th grade there are some John Green fans, the students who shared The Giver by Lois Lowry did not know that the series continued and someone shared a book that is not available in the PFTSTA library but should be: Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans.
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