Capital Mysteries Series

 

Reading Level: 2.5
Each book is less than 100 pages- GREAT for Reluctant Readers!

What a GREAT SET OF BOOKS!
I stumbled upon these books at the Library and instantly fell in love!
(It might have a HUGE soft spot for Washington D.C.. I grew up a mere 25 min metro ride from our Nations Capital so I relate to romping around the monuments and museums in these stories!)

Meet the Author: Ron Roy has his own site! Ronroy.com



Each book would make a great field trip of its own.

Book 2: Kidnapped at the Capital would make a great field trip to the Air and Space Museum

Book 3: The Skeleton in the Smithsonian is suspenseful and sure to peek interest in visiting the Smithsonian Castle on the Mall.


Other books include plots at the Lincoln Memorial, The National Treasury, The FBI building, Washington Monument and National Zoo.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

It's a new year!-

Our Book Clubs are starting up again.
An easy book club to host- especially for

parents new to this idea
are
MOVIE Book clubs.


Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules has a movie coming out in March!
(March 25th, 2011)

Click HERE for movie details

My 2nd grader read the first book- and is in love with the series.
(I actually bought the series a year or so ago- for my 5th grader.)










WARNING: They are full of boy humor and antics.
Our nephew who only has sisters- doesn't appreciate the dynamics of having a older brother. He's also home schooled... so he doesn't appreciate the dynamics of public school. (He thinks the book is very mean.)

It's not for everyone.
But - as far as our house goes- my boys love the series and sadly relate to many of the characters. (I had to laugh- in book 4 his mother starts a READING IS FUN club for he and his friends over summer vacation. "So today was the first meeting of the Reading is Fun Club. I felt kind of bad for all the boys whose moms made them come." )


Since my son has read the first book already- and the movie is out. We are going to watch the first movie this Friday.



We'll pass out the books and then these 2nd graders have until March to finish the book.



(It looks thick- but really there are a lot of doodles and pages are "handwritten" instead of typed... I would be interested to know the real word count.)

Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers

This truly is a delightful romp in a swamp read!

If you missed entering our give-away to win a free copy- don't fret.
click HERE for a free book mark. (and then join our Book Club Round Up- so you'll be entered in our NEXT give away!)

Summary: Grady is an orphan whose only "family" is a crook and a liar. A traveling salesman by the name of Professor Floyd. Set in a time of buggy traveling salesmen, Grady serves as a side-show or side-kick (depending on their angle) to earn a few coppers. You never know how they'll be received from town to town. This story follows their adventures and Grady's yearning to find out where he came from and where he fits in the world.

Jonathan Rogers is a master story-teller and The Charlatan's Boy is sure to be a "classic". It is a DE- light to read.

If you would like to see our book club in action- CLICK HERE.
(as a reward- you'll get access to a tri-fold book mark I used for this book.)

If a book is REALLY good- but has lots of details and is for independent readers and above....

I like to give the kids TRI-FOLD book marks... so they can jot down their thoughts and predictions while they read.

It really helps with our book club discussion.

Me and My Robot

Me and My Robot is so adorable! It is a great easy reader and very fun to read aloud!

(Using a robot voice- for the robot responses is a crowd pleaser.)

Summary: Reese has a robot. While they have lots of fun together, sometimes Reese has to teach Robot new things. Like when a friends kitten goes missing, Robot leads the friends to every other small and furry animal- except a kitten!

I have not read Me and My Robot #2- but I have ordered it so I can read it to our book club the DAY of our activity. We love book one so much- I can't wait to read book 2.

I stumbled upon this adorable activity to do with our kids at Family Fun Magazine.

(CLICK HERE to be directed to their site~.)

Magnets hold their features in place. This is a metallic equivalent of a Mr. Potato Head.

I plan on preparing the cans and gluing magnets on items (bolts and nuts, etc.) BEFORE book club, since you have to use a hot glue gun.

But I will also invite them to bring items from their junk drawers. That way while they play- I can glue more magnets onto their items also. (Hot glue dries quickly so they can incorporate their pieces too in their robot.)

I think this is a great project! And I love that all the extras can be stored IN the can when not in use!

AFTER they make a robot and get there's looking "just right" we'll go around the table and talk about the book.

What was the name of Reese's' robot?

What are you going to name your robot?

What kinds of things does Reese have to teach his robot?

What kinds of things will you teach your robot?

etc...

The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan

Charlie West, a typical teenager enjoying his senior year. He likes to instant message, while working on homework and watching re-runs of Star Trek all at the same time. He's a black belt in Karate but gets tongue tied when around girls. An over-all "good kid". He studies hard, trains hard, and always tries to do the right thing. So how in the world does he end up strapped in a chair, tortured with someone outside the door ordering his death? Charlie panics as he asks himself, "WHAT IS THE LAST THING I REMEMBER?".....



Great- FAST moving- Page Turner! {Click HERE} to start reading!

This is the first in a series and is great for boys who enjoyed the Alex Ryder Series. (Older teens who aren't ready for adult suspense/thrillers yet.) So so good!

Windcatcher by Avi

This is a great book for older boys who are reluctant readers! Written at a 5.3 reading level- but only 120 pages! Not intimidating at all! There are some "boating" terms I would introduce to the boys first... maybe have them identify parts of a boat on a diagram before they start the book so they are familiar with terms like, port, starboard, tiller and stern.

What a great little book filled with adventure and hunting for sunken treasure!

(Also a great book for Scouters! Bears have a Boats Elective pg 196, and Boy Scouts have a Rowing Merit Badge click HERE to see.)

(photo from wikimedia.org.) This is a picture of what a


frigate ship looked like.... what the Swallow would have looked like.

















Preparation:


Buy trinkets and goodies to be your hidden treasure. Prepare and set up your treasure hunt- in your house, yard or neighborhood.





Snack/Dinner: Clam chowder, or corn chowder if you are worried about allergic reactions


Energy Game: "Captain- May I" (adapted version of game Mother - May I?)


Play this game with at least three players.
One player will be "Captain."
Line the players up facing the captain about 10 feet away.
Give commands to the players one at a time. Use boating terms: port =left, Starboard =right, Captain says, for example, "John, you may take one starboard step forward." ( meaning he can take one step with his right foot forward.)



Wait for the player to respond. If he says, "ey, ey Captain!"


If the player forgets to say "ey ey Captain!" he must go back to the starting line.



Captain continues to give commands to the players in any order that he chooses.
Play until one boy is close enough to the captain to touch him.. then he is the next captain.





Incentive Game: Going on a Treasure HUNT!


Use the following questions as clues to your treasure hunt. For every right answer- the boys will earn a letter and a step closer to finding the hiding spot for your hidden treasure.





(The Letters spell out the words : In the Dryer. Hide the treasure in your dryer if you use my clues exactly. Or change your clues to match your hiding spot.)





1. How did Tony earn his money?


g = by mowing lawns


t = walking dogs and washing cars


i = delivering news papers


Next clue is hidden _________________





2. What is the name of his sailboat?


n = snark


o = shark


a = spark


next clue is hidden ___________________





3. what does a Harbor Master do?


b = keeps the harbor free of sharks


t = is like a water cop


h = master of all the ships in the harbor


next clue is hidden _______________





4. What can shift and change the sea bottom?


r = earth quakes


g= tidal waves


h = hurricanes


next clue is hidden _________________





5. How were the treasure hunters looking for the treasure?


e = diving


s = digging


y= with radio waves


next clue is hidden _______________________





6. What did Chris say about respecting the sea?


b = never turn your back to the sea


d = it's always bigger than you


t = it's unpredictable


next clue is hidden____________________





7. What looks like whale bones?


r = the sides of a sunken boat


o = a whale - duh


b = dinosaur bones


next clue is hidden _________________





8. Who would the treasure belong to?


m = finders keepers , loser weepers


a = no one- it goes in a museum


y = the state of Connecticut


next clue is hidden ________________





9. why is the town called Swallows Bay?


t = a long time ago a sailor was choking and the crew chanted "Swallow!! Swallow! Swallow!" the name just stuck.


e = named after the ship that sank in the bay.


h= lots of swallows nest in the cliffs during spring.


next clue is hidden ____________





10. Why did Tony dive down to the bottom when he saw the sunken Swallow?


r = he was trying to find his shoe


s = he was trying to find his watch


n = he was trying to find his compass








Snack/Dinner: Enjoy nice warm bowl of chowder and talk about the book. What would the boys have done differently than Tony- if anything.


What would they have spent $300 on?


Would they have made a deal with the treasure hunters?

Marvin Redpost- Super Fast by Louis Sachar

This book I highly recommend for reluctant readers! Written at a 2.5 reading level and with only 79 pages Louis Sachar fills every page with humor as Marvin faces his worst fears.

Summary:

Poor Marvin. The word at school is Marvin is riding down Suicide Hill on Saturday. Riding down Suicide Hill is scary enough, without adding the fact that Marvin can't even ride his new mountain bike. The truth is, he can barely climb on! So who started this rumor and what will his classmates think if he chickens out? Does he have what it takes to face his fear? Does he even want to?

(This would be a great book for scouters! Bike safety requirement 9e for Wolves, Ride Right for Bears pg 118.)

Basic Outline: Play Wizzle Fish Tag while waiting for all Book club members

Go for a bike ride: make sure everyone has helmets.

Book Talk

Game: Wizzle Fish Tag pg 15-16

(I've never heard of this game. If it is a real game and you know it- feel free to play it. Or you can play my version.)

Give each boy two paper plates.

Toss a few paper plates around in your yard or playing field.

Boys use their plates as a Frisbee to toss and tag people out. Plates that are on the ground can either be picked up and tossed OR can be used as a "base" a safe place to rest. To stand on a base- you MUST have a plate in hand to toss. (In other words: no "camping" on plates.) Run around and gather plates to toss, while dodging other people's attempts to get you out. If a boy is standing on a base, once they toss a plate they must run. They can pick up the "base" plate and move to another space.

So bases and boys are always on the move! Last boy standing- wins!

ACTIVITY: Make sure to review bike safety before you head out on your bike ride. You can just let the boys go around the block, or you can meet at a park with a bike trail and have a longer ride. If you plan on a longer ride, make sure to bring water and a snack of trail mix would be a great treat.

* You can use extra treats as rewards for answers to your book questions.

Book Talk: Your book talk can be done before you ride, while you stop for water breaks along longer bike rides or at the end of your ride. ( Or throughout the whole trip!)

1. Who is the main character? Marvin

2. Who are his best friends? Nick & Stuart

3. How did the rumor of riding down suicide hill begin?

4. What did Linzy, Marvin's sister, want to play?

5. What does frolic mean? pg 19

6. What was Jacob's advice about riding down Suicide hill?

7. What was Linzy afraid of?

8. How did Marvin encourage her to be brave?

9. How did he encourage himself to be brave- when he started down Suicide Hill?

10. Why did the Police Officer come to his school?

General Topic to discuss: Peer Pressure

What is peer pressure?

Do you ever feel pressured by friends or parents to do things?

Talk about the good and bad of peer pressure.

What do you think about the end of the story?

What is a fear or challenge you have faced?

Are you a golden unicorn?? (just kidding)

Slob by Ellen Potter

RL: ages 9-12

My boys love OREOS and have an unhealthy obsession with these cookies -so how could I pass up on a book where the main character loves OREOS and obsesses about his 3/day limit?

That was what initially attracted me to this book/story but after the first page my boys and I were hooked and connected to Owen Birnbaum, the main character, his humor and ability to deal with issues of bullies and negotiating friendships and family life.

Statistically speaking: Owen Birnbaum might be fatter than the average twelve year old boy but he is also smarter. While he spends his days being teased by his classmates and tortured by his gym teacher, he finds himself trying to out-smart the new school psycho who has started stealing his oreo cookies from his lunch.

Before you judge this book to be too sad- Life isn't all bad. Something happened a few years ago and Owen's learning to deal with his past and current challenges with humor and relying on his family and friends. Plus he's a genius and can invent cool stuff like a new thief catching device--to help capture the Oreo snatcher and an invention that reflects the past that he hopes will help heal his heart.

IT IS SUCH A GREAT BOOK! Like Owen points out- most books start out with some kid's first day at a new school where everything is new and slightly scary.
"The thing is, when you are fatter and smarter than the national average, practically every day is like the first day at a new school."

SLOB is a great book to kick off our Back-to-School Season!

Don't miss the chance to win a free copy!

Later this month- I'll add our Book Club Outline for this book along with an interview with the AUTHOR!

Sign of the Beaver

Twelve-year old Matt and his father establish a new homestead in the Maine wilderness while his expecting mother and younger sister stayed behind to await the birth of a new baby. The time has come for his father to travel and bring the family to their new home. It will take weeks for his father to return so it is decided that Matt will stay behind in charge of the cabin and crops. Matt does his best to survive on his own but a foolish attempt to gather honey leaves him severely injured. Through the care of a Native American boy and his grandfather Matt recovers while creating a strong bond of friendship. What was suppose to be weeks turn to months. Matt is worried something terrible has happened to his family. Or is weather just delaying their arrival? Matt must decide if he should continue waiting for his family or begin a new life with his friends. A really great read! Exciting & thoughtful.

Basic Outline:
Snack- Corn bread and honey butter
Buy toy bow and arrows (dollar store)

Option: Host a Book and Movie Night

Prepare: Rent Movie version of the book
Cook corn bread and honey butter. (Wait for butter to soften then mix honey into it.)
Prepare cardboard animals for boys to knock down with arrows.

Energy Game:
Play some Attean inspired games. At the Indian village- the boys played some rough and tumble games.
Have boys pair up- facing each other with a line between them.
Have pairs hold each other, clasping forearms.
Have pairs try to pull the other boy over the line.
Have boys trade partners and play again.
(Different types of “wrestling” type games are available in Cub Scout books.)
Have pairs sit back to back with elbows locked.
Have pairs work as a team to get to a standing position by pushing back to back.

Incentive Game: Ask boys questions and earn arrows to knock down a BEAR!
(Cardboard animals).

Book Talk/ Incentive questions:
1. What was the plan Matt and his Father agreed on?
2. What were Matt’s responsibilities while his father is gone?
3. How was Matt suppose to keep track of the weeks?
4. What are some of Matt’s most precious items?
5. Who is the first visitor in Matt’s cabin? Was he good company?
6. What did Matt do that caused him serious injury?
7. Who helped him while he was sick?
8. What is the trade between Matt and Saknis?
9. How are the roles of boys and girls different between the two cultures?
10. What are a few things he learns from the Indians?
11. When was Matt brave?
12 . When was Matt fearful?
13. How does Attean earn Matt’s respect?
14. How does Matt earn Attean’s respect?
15. What happened to Attean’s parents?
16. What is the name of Attean’s dog?
17. What does Matt do the earn the trust of the dog?
18. What does Matt do to earn the trust of Attean’s grandma?
19. How does the story end?
20. Would you have gone with the Indians or would you have stayed behind?

Honus and Me by Dan Gutman

Summary:

Reading level for 8-12 year olds. Joe Stoshack loves baseball and has a real magical connection to baseball cards. He knows about players past and present. Too bad he doesn't know how to play well. This is a great story that introduces themes of honesty and integrity. What would you do if you found the most valuable baseball card in the world while cleaning out a neighbors dusty attic?


Game:
Play a game of baseball or if you don’t have enough boys for a full game. Have batting practice or play catch. Have two boys with gloves play catch while standing near a base. (the base can be a hat, Frisbee, etc..) The rest of the boys run trying to run to the other base without being tagged out.

Refreshments:
Have Hot Dogs, popcorn, peanuts and cracker jacks! Make it an All American Meal.

Topics to talk about:
Integrity. Honus wouldn’t let the tobacco company use his picture. Joey has an integrity issue too- what to do with the card… what would you do?

What is the secret to being a great baseball player?

p60 “lies catch up to you” Did Joey do the right thing? What would you do?

Talk about the traits of characters in the book: What do we know about the values of Joey’s mom, his dad, Joey, Honus, Birdie, etc..

What does Honus get out of doing nice things? P106

Activity: Let the boys design their own trading card. Have card stock cut to size with markers and color pencils.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single engine plane in which he is flying in- crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother has given him as a present. With only the dreadful secret that caused his parent's divorce to keep him company Brian has no time for anger, self-pity, or despair. It will take all his know -how and determination and more courage than he knew he possessed to survive.

If you have scouters this series would be great for Boys learning camping skills, the Boy Scouts Mountaineering Merit Badge and Hiking Requirements pg 263, Webelos Outdoorsman Hiking requirements pg 362, or page 107 for Bears- go on a Hike with your family.

Basic Outline

Energy Game: Host a Camp Out or Go on a Hike.

Snack: MRE meal, smores over a fire/ or grill

Review the book while you eat

Activity: Assemble Personal First Aid Kits

Energy: Let the boys set up camp. Give them tarps, cords, and construct their own shelter. Is it waterproof? Is there enough room for all the boys? This could be for an actual camp-out or just an activity for the evening.

If you go on a hike- bring your MRE meal along. Stop some point to rest- eat and review the book out in nature!

Review Book:

Some Topics from the Book

First Aid- What would you do if.... someone was having a heart attack? If someone got hit by a car? If a friend fell down while skateboarding and broke his wrist? Review some possible situations.

Positive Thinking vs Self Pity- what was more productive for Brian? What are some examples of this in the book? (pg 82) How do struggles and trials make you stronger? Have the boys share some examples.

How important is Fire? Have you ever thought about that before? What does having fire mean to Brian?

"Important Firsts"- Brian remembers important First lessons he's learned. Do you have any important firsts? First time you learned how to ride a bike? First time water skiing? etc..

Take Home Activity: First Aid Kits

Have items :

Adhesive bandages

sterile gauze pads 3x3

adhesive tape

soap

antiseptic

scissors

pencil and paper

bag to hold items- could be a school binder pencil pocket with zipper.

(If your boys are in Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts use their books as references. Boy Scout handbook: 287 First Aid, BEARS pg 96, Webelo pg 367. Boys can pass off electives during book club activities!)

Our camp out turned into a "camp in" because of weather. We let the boys try their hand at a Bow & arrow- knocking down cardboard rabbits and played board games.

If your boys liked Hatchet- be sure to follow Brian's adventures in Brian's Winter, The River and Brian's Hunt.