Books Rule in Middle School
(BRIMS)
2017-18
Members 2017-18
BRiMS is a group made up of students in grades 6th and 7th who love books and reading. Meetings are held during the last week of the month at lunch time, and a special snack is always provided. BRiMS was formed on February 29, 2012.
Meeting Dates and topics:
August 29th -- Share a book that you think others would like too. You will be asked to explain why.
September 26th -- Elsie Mae has Something to Say by Nancy Cavanaugh (Author will visit school on September 25th)
November 2nd -- Read any book by Rick Riordan
November 28th -- Read an historical fiction, a book that takes place before you were born
January 31st -- The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke
February 28th -- Skype with The List author, Patricia Forde
March 28th -- The Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
May 17th -- Read a novel in verse as we celebrate National Poetry Month
August 29th -- Share a book that you think others would like too. You will be asked to explain why.
September 26th -- Elsie Mae has Something to Say by Nancy Cavanaugh (Author will visit school on September 25th)
November 2nd -- Read any book by Rick Riordan
November 28th -- Read an historical fiction, a book that takes place before you were born
January 31st -- The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke
February 28th -- Skype with The List author, Patricia Forde
March 28th -- The Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
May 17th -- Read a novel in verse as we celebrate National Poetry Month
May 17, 2018
This was the last meeting of the year. We had to keep pushing it back due to testing. Members were suppose to read a novel in verse in honor of April National Poetry Month. The discussion morphed into favorite reads of the year. Many of their most treasured reads were the ones that they did in English class including The Giver by Lowry and Countdown by Wiles. Other books that they mentioned as great reads included Divergent by Roth, the Lorien Legacies series by Lore, and the Blackthorn Key series by Sands. These readers are looking for action, page turners, mystery, and strong character development.
March 28, 2018
The Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman was on the middle school summer reading list. So the students who had already read the first one in this series were asked to read the second one for book group.
February 28, 2018
Patricia Forde lives in Galway, Scotland but that didn't stop us from having a virtual visit with her about her book, The List. To start, Patricia talked for about 15 minutes explaining where she got the bug to write. She told an hilarious story of how her lie to a nun at school came back to bite her. She and her mother met the nun walkingon the street, and the nun gave her sympathy to Patricia's mother. Patricia was caught in a lie, but her mother suggested that she use her imagination to tell stories rather than fabricate lies. This was the start of her interest in story telling. She wrote for television before writing books, and she has 15 books that have been published including picture books as well as novels. Her love is fantasy, and she reads as well as writes in this genre as she doesn't like the tough times of reality. Her advice for all writers it to READ a lot.
January 31, 2018
The students loved Holyoke's, The Neptune Project, and many of them finished the trilogy before book group met at the end of February. They really liked the science aspect of the book and the focus on the future, genetics, global warming, and the technology of reading other people's minds. One member said that they normally stay away from science fiction, but the imagery of the undersea world was so vivid that it really made the book enjoyable to read. Survival was a theme that was pivotal to this story, and that also made the book appealing. Because of the undersea dangers there were characters who died, and the readers said that they liked how the dead characters were not forgotten.
November 28, 2017
Historical fiction is not very popular at Taylor, but it was selected for this meeting to try and get the students out of their comfort zone. It seems that once they got into the reading of a book, it could very well become one of their favorites. Several students wanted to talk about Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone. They had read that book in their English class and had loved the action and adventure of the story. Elsie Mae had Something to Say by Nancy Cavanaugh was mentioned, but it was the September selection for BRiMS because the author visited the school the day before. The World War II era is very appealing to the students and several read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne and Making Bombs for Hitler by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson was another book that several had read. Her books are always a hit as she is a beautiful writer.
November 2, 2017
 Rick Riordan speaks in New Orleans
In October, mega-star author of the Percy Jackson series, Rick Riordan, paid a visit to New Orleans. Several BRiMS members attended his presentation along with other fans from Patrick Taylor including Ms. Kahn. One of the 7th grade members of BRiMS had suggested we read a Riordan book some time this year, and his visit seemed the perfect time to schedule it. Most of the members have read books from many of his series. Their favorite is Percy Jackson, of course. They like the humor that the author injects throughout. Some commented that they like the fact that the stories are told in today's world with the gods and goddesses speaking in a modern language and dressing in a cool way. Another highlight to them was the interconnection between the series where favorite characters make cameos in the books.
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September 26, 2017
This meeting was scheduled just after Nancy Cavanaugh's visit to school. The students had the chance to buy Elsie Mae had Something to Say and get it signed by the author. They were fascinated with how Cavanaugh explained about her research for the book and how it fit into the story that she told. The group really liked the character of Elsie Mae who was outspoken and did not always follow the rules. The book was set in a time and place that no longer exists and reading it opened the kids minds to life in the Okefenokee 100 years ago.
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Members with author Nancy Cavanaugh
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1st Meeting, August 29, 2017Nineteen students were present on Tuesday eager to talk about some of their favorite books. They were not allowed to describe the book, just explain why they recommend it to others. Some of the books shared had been summer reading like The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Lyson. It was great because though it was non-fiction it read like a story. For fans of the Maze Runner series, the Fever Code was so good because it answered many of the questions that had been left hanging in the series. Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff was a sad book, but it gives the reader an understanding about the power of friendship. If you are a fan of fairy tales, friendship, and stories with lots of plot twists, you will like the School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainai. The group also discussed the need to read series in order and not skipping books in a series as well as the adaptions of books to movies.
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