Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Breakfast with Books (Selections)

Many years ago, I started a book club for the students in my room.  I started keeping track of
the books that were chosen about five years ago.  Each month I announce our book club selection.  It is a big day when a new book is announced.  The students have the choice if they would like to read the book club selection.  If they do want to participate, they find a copy of the book, read it on their own, and attend our monthly book club.  It is called "Breakfast with Books" because we meet before school.  The book club enjoys some tasty breakfast treats (brought by book club members) and discuss the book.  We meet for about 45 minutes before the school day.  "Breakfast with Books" has got to be one of the most rewarding parts of my teaching career.  I usually pick all the books for the book club the summer before the upcoming school year, but I have found that I change many titles when a new, exciting, must read book comes out during the school year.

Here is a list of the books we have read for our book club over the last several years...


“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2023-2024

1st:  Gossamer Summer by H.M. Bouwman (September 2023)

2nd: 
The Gray by Chris Baron (October 2023)

3rd:  The Great Peach Experiment #1 by Erin Downing Soderberg (November 2023)

4th:  Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz (December 2023)

5th:  The Curious Mysteries of Eli Marks by John Gaspard (January 2024)


“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2022-2023

1st:  The Great Peach Experiment (#1) by Erin Soderberg (September/October 2022)

2nd:  The Daredevils by Rob Buyea (October/November 2022)

3rd:  We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan (November/December 2022)

4th:  Sardines by Sashi Kaufman (December 2022/January 2023)

5th:  The Real Deal by Lindsey Stoddard (January/February 2023)

6th:  Wayward Creatures by Danya Lorentz (February/March 2023)

7th:  The Brave by James Bird (March/April 2023)

8th:  Sticks & Stones, Bubbles, Friend or Fiction by Abby Cooper (April/May 2023)



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2021-2022

1st:  The Great Peach Experiment (#1) by Erin Soderberg (October 2021)

2nd:  The Adventure is Now by Jess Redman (November 2021)

3rd:  Willodeen by Katherine Applegate (December 2021)

4th:  The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman (January 2022)

5th:  Brave in the Woods by Tracy Holczer (February/March 2022)

6th:  Dear Student by Elly Swartz (March/April 2022)

7th:  The Great Peach Peach Experiment (#2) - The Peach Pit by Erin Soderberg (May 2022)



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2020-2021

1st:  The Quirks: Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg (September 2020)

2nd:  Enginerds and Revenge of the Enginerds by Jarrett Lerner (October 2020)

3rd:  The Wonder of Wildflowers by Anna Staniszewski (November 2020)

4th:  Quintessence by Jess Redman (December 2020/January 2021)

5th:  Brave in the Woods by Tracy Holczer (February 2021)

6th:  Halfway to Harmony by Barbara O'Connor (March 2021)

7th:  The Great Peach Experiment by Erin Soderberg (April/May 2021)


“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2019-2020

1st:  The Quirks: Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg (September 2019)

2nd:  The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly by Rebecca Ansari (October 2019)

3rd:  The Miraculous by Jess Redman (November 2019)

4th:  Friend or Fiction by Abby Cooper (December 2019/January 2020)

5th:  Stanley Will Probably Be Fine by Sally J. Pla (January/February 2020)

6th:  Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage (February/March 2020)

7th:  Give & Take, Smart Cookie, Finding Perfect by Elly Swartz (March/April 2020)

8th:  Saving Marty by Paul Griffin (May 2020)


“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2018-2019

1st:  The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg (September 2018)

2nd:  Babysitting Nightmares - The Shadow Hand by Kat Shepherd (October 2018)

3rd:  Lemons by Melissa Savage (November 2018)

4th:  Sticks and Stones along with Bubbles by Abby Cooper (December/January 2019)

5th:  Saving Marty by Paul Griffin (January/February 2019)

6th:  The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (March 2019)

7th:  The Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (April 2019)

8th:  Matylda, Bright, and Tender by Holly M. McGhee (May 2019)



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2017-2018

1st:  The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg (September/October 2017)

2nd:  Lemons by Melissa Savage (October/November 2017)

3rd:  Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (November/December 2017)

4th:  Sticks and Stones along with Bubbles by Abby Cooper (December/January 2018)

5th:  Saving Marty by Paul Griffin (January/February 2018)

6th:  Raffie on the Run by Jacqueline Resnick (March 2018)

7th:  Smart Cookie by Elly Swartz (April 2018)

8th:  Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2016-2017

1st:   The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg (September/October 2016)

2nd:  Maxi's Secrets by Lynn Ploude (October/November 2016)

3rd:  A Whole New Ballgame by Phil Bildner (November/December 2016)

4th:  Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks (January 2017)

5th:  Wish by Barbara O'Connor (February 2017)

6th:  Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart (March 2017)

7th:  The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish (April 2017)

8th:  Matylda, Bright, and Tender by Holly M. McGhee (May 2017)


“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2015-2016

1st:   The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg (September/October 2015)

2nd:  The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors (October/November 2015)

3rd:  The Terrible Two by Jory John and Mac Barnett (November/December 2015)

4th:  A Whole New Ballgame by Phil Bildner (December 2015/January 2016)

5th:  The Graham Cracker Plot by Shelley Tougas (January/February 2016)

6th:  Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart (February/March 2016)

7th:  Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Allison McGhee (March/April 2016)



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2014-2015

1st:  The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming 
(September/October Book)

2nd:  The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg (October/November Book)

3rd:  The Daring Escape of the Misfit Menagerie by Jacqueline Resnick (November/December Book)

4th:  The Graham Cracker Plot by Shelley Tougas (January Book)

5th:  The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John (February/March Book)

6th:  Pie and/or Honey by Sarah Weeks (April/May Book)


“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2013-2014

The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors (September Book)
Flora & Ulysses:  The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo (October Book)
Treasure Hunters by James Patterson & Chris Grabenstein (November Book)
The Valiant Quest of the Misfit Menagerie by Jacqueline Resnick (December Book)
The Quirks by Erin Soderberg (January Book)
The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L. Going (February/March Book)
By The Grace of Todd by Louise Galveston (April Book)
A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pryon (May Book)  



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2012-2013
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Capture the Flag by Kate Messner
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
The Genius Files #1 by Dan Gutman
The Daring Escape of the Misfit Menagerie by Jacqueline Resnick
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
The Magnificent Twelve:  The Call by Michael Grant
The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2011-2012
The First Day of School Forever
Wonderstruck
Pie
Canned
Edgar Allen's Crime Scene Investigation Notebook
My Life as a Book
The One and Only Ivan
Wonder
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2010-2011
Sloppy Copy Slip-Up
The Memory Bank
The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman
Drizzle
Cosmic
School of Fear
A Nest for Celeste
Pictures of Hollis Woods



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2009-2010
The Lemonade War
The Liberation of Gabriel King
Nerds
Magician’s Elephant
The Sister’s Grimm #1
The Big One Oh
Ragweed
Savvi



“Breakfast with Books” book club selections from 2008-2009

Three Good Deeds

Nightmare at the Book Fair

Tiger Rising

Remembering Mrs. Rossi

Canned

Ruby Holler

Graveyard Book

Freak the Mighty

The Thing about Georgie

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies




“Breakfast with Books” book club selection from 2007-2008

Clementine 

Friendship According to Humphrey 

Made You Look

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 

Eggs

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Ida B

Swindle

I, Freddy 

2 comments:

  1. Hi there!

    Stumbled across your blog after reading your blog post on today's Nerdy Book Club (that book sounds awesome, by the way! Thanks for the recommendation!). I am totally intrigued by your "Breakfast With Books" book club and would LOVE to hear more! I'm a fifth grade teacher and would love to start my own "Breakfast With Books" group at my school with my fifth graders. I'd love to hear more about how you structure this, what (if any) rules or guidelines exist, etc. Basically, I'd love to pick your brain. :) If you wouldn't mind e-mailing me at hazimmerman@gmail.com, I'd be ever appreciative! As we all know, the best teachers "borrow" great ideas from great teachers...

    -Heidi

    ReplyDelete