Y'all! I did the most fun and wonderful thing ever last night! I attended book club with my sweet girl and her friends! We are reading through the Texas Bluebonnet List! For those of you who are non-Texans, the Texas Library Association publishes an amazing list of fabulous books and has all kinds of fun promotions to go along with them. Libraries across Texas promote these books and have programs to encourage young readers. (Needless to say, I'm a big fan!) I'm sure most states have a similar list, so be sure to check for a list in your home state!!
We started off easy because we didn't have much time between school letting out and our first meeting. We read Lester's Dreadful Sweaters by K.G. Campbell and Monsieur Marceau by Leda Schubert, two picture books that made the list. I had read Lester's Dreadful Sweaters before, but Monsieur Marceau was new to me and was fun to read along with my daughter.
RULES FOR BOOK CLUB (please read in your most serious voice):
You must read the book. That's it.
Lester's Dreadful Sweaters
The Blurb
A fastidious fellow, Lester likes everything just so. So when Cousin Clara moves in and knits him truly dreadful sweaters as fast as he can surreptitiously dispose of them, Lester must think of a way to get rid of them for good -- or be doomed to look like a clown forever.
What We Discussed
We decided whether it was fiction or non-fiction. The kids defined both for me.
We talked about our favorite dreadful sweaters. Everyone had their own definition of horrible!
The use of alliteration. I asked if anyone remembered what alliteration is...they did! I read the first sentence aloud, and then they pointed out a few more.
Monsieur Marceau
The Blurb
Marcel Marceau, the world's most famous mime, enthralled audiences around the world for more than fifty years. When he waved his hand or lifted his eyebrow he was able to speak volumes without ever saying a word. But few know the story of the man behind those gestures .
What We Discussed
We decided whether it was fiction or non-fiction.
We talked about what a mime is.
We talked about Marceau being a hero in real life, having saved children during during the war.
My favorite thing we did was work on our mime skills! There is a cute section at the end of the book. I read the prompts and the girls acted it out. Lots of fun!
We ended our discussion with popsicles and swimming and I think everyone had a great time. The goal is to keep them reading and to make it fun! We are reading Rump for our next meeting...stay tuned for a re-cap!
