Blue Berry- Barf Off by R.L Stein

Summary: Rotten School is a residential school where Bernie Bridges wants Sherman Oaks' fancy new watch. A challenge to a pie eating contest is part of Bernie's plan but will it work? How will he get the watch? And where does the barfing coming in? You'll have to read it to find out.


Prepare: Book Journal to be passed along with the book.

This was one of the first books we did. I tried buying one book and the boys sharing it. It worked out o-k-a-y. It's not the ideal. Since we were passing the book around. I was afraid that the boys who read it first- would have a hard time remembering things for our discussion. So I made a little question book that got passes around with the actual story. The question log book consisted of 5 envelopes stapled together with a cover. The envelopes were SEALED with a small slit in the side- so the boys could tuck in a piece of paper with their answers on it.

ON the inside cover of the "log book".
"Hello fellow Boyz Book Club members! This month you have a week, ONE WEEK to read your book! After your week you pass the book, this "log book" and book bag to the next club member. As you read- stop and answer the question is on the sealed envelopes. The next book club meeting is ------. We will open all the envelopes and talk about the book. Be prepared to have some ROTTEN FUN!"

On the back-inside cover was a list of all the boys and a place to check off if they had already read it.

Envelope 1- If you went to Rotten School, which school club would you join? a. The 3rd grade swim team, b. Nyce House Volunteer club, c. Dental Hygiene club.
Envelope 2. If you could design a fancy cool watch.. what would it be able to do? (chapter 4)
Envelope 3. Would you want to shave a letter on your head- if your friends did? if so... which letter and why? (What would the letter represent?) ( Chapter 7)
Envelope 4 If you were in an eating contest... would it be PIE or CAKE? and what flavor? (chapter 11)
Envelope 5 Would you have given up your cool watch?

Our Energy/Opening game- we tossed water balloons off my balcony.
I had half the boys on the balcony and half the boys at the bottom with buckets. The boys with the water balloons on the balcony tossed the balloons and the boys on the bottom tried to catch them in the buckets. After 5 tosses- a boy from the balcony would run down and tag a boy with a bucket and they would switch places.
Our boys are so good natured. They all wanted to get hit with water balloons- I thought they would all want to do the tossing. But it was the other way around! You can never have too many water balloons. So fill as many as you possibly can. They did not get tired of this activity- and in fact. After our discussion and dinner- we filled up MORE water balloons so they could continue until parents came for pick up!

Refreshments:
Then we had pizza- opened up the envelopes and we took turns reading the responses.
We had blueberry pie for dessert!- of course :0)
Then like I said, they were back outside for more water-balloon fun!