Meeting Notes: Extra Credit

Before I jump into a description of the great time we had at the meeting, I need to   I've had some people ask me if the Mother-Daughter Book Clubs were just a summer thing or if they are going to continue after school starts.  I'm thrilled to say it will be continuing!  I love the book clubs and wouldn't dream of stopping them now, we're having too much fun.

Now, about the meeting, it was fabulous!  We had a few more people come than I was expecting because of the holiday weekend, but that always makes me happy.  More people makes for a better discussion with more ideas floating around.  I love it.

Because we were trying to tie in the summer reading program this month, we had a flag matching game to keep us busy until everyone arrived.  The refreshments were an assortment of cookies from different countries.  There were cookies from Mexico, Germany, the Carribean, Holland, Thailand, and fortune cookies "from" China.  We also had some Japanese candy and a drink called Guarana from Brazil.

We started the book discussion by asking if everyone liked the book.  As far as I could tell it was a unanimous yes.  We talked about whether we were more like Abby or Sadeed.  A couple of the girls were more like Abby.  They like the outdoors but like Sadeed, they like to read.  I think all of us have a little in common with each of them.  We talked about the differences in the cultures.  Why are only some girls in Sadeed's village allowed to go to school and why are the books the children can read regulated by the government.  We talked about why it is important to do your school work and why an education is beneficial.  Every month I'm amazed more and more at the insight the girls have.  I'm learning so much from them.

We drew for the monthly prize next and I'd like to send a big Thank You to the Washington City Recreation Center for providing the prize.  They donated two free passes to the rock climbing wall for the girls.  The two girls that won were very excited to go.

 The contenders for next month books had been waiting patiently all meeting and now it was time to let them shine.  They are as follows:

The Black Stallion:  First published in 1941, Walter Farley's best-selling novel for young readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis:  Shasta is a young boy living in Calormene with a cruel man who claims to be his father. One night he overhears his "father" offering to sell him as a slave, so Shasta makes a break and sets out for the North. He meets Bree, a talking horse who becomes his companion. On their way they encounter Aravis, a high-born girl escaping an arranged marriage, and her talking horse. Despite their differences the children and horses learn to work together to reach the freedom they long for.

Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff:  Twelve-year-old Lidie must leave her beloved home in Brazil for a new life in New York. She reunites with Pai and her older brother, who left shortly after Mamãe died five years earlier. Lidie's father and Rafael train racehorses for a wealthy benefactor. When she meets the filly Pai has dubbed Wild Girl, Lidie remembers her mother calling her by that name. The horse's story parallels hers, as they are both plunked down into an unfamiliar, sometimes harsh environment. But when at last Lidie rides Wild Girl, it is as if their spunky, spirited souls gloriously merge.

It was decided that we will be reading Wild Girl next.  I'm really excited about this one.  It's a beehive nominee for this year, so it might be a little hard to get a hold of.

The next meeting will be on August 26, 2011 at 3:00 pm at the St. George Library.  I hope to see you there!

Gloria

Get Talking: Extra Credit

This list of discussion questions came from Andrew Clements website.  I really liked the topics they brought up so I decided to use them for our book club.

Author Andrew Clements chose the state of Illinois in the United States and Afghanistan as the settings in Extra Credit. Why do you think Clements selected these locations? What kinds of differences between the two countries -- cultural and otherwise -- can you identify after reading the book?

On the first page of Extra Credit, Afghani student Sadeed thinks that his teacher is going to "recommend him for a special honor," but when he finds out that his teacher wants him to help write letters to a girl in America, he is very disappointed. Nevertheless, how does this letter writing eventually turn into a "special honor" for Sadeed?

The character of Abby is introduced in the story when she is climbing a rock wall in her school's gym. Are you surprised to find out that Abby is struggling in school after reading about her abilities on the rock wall? Despite her grades, do you believe that Abby is actually very smart? Why or why not?

As a class, have a discussion about Abby and Sadeed. Do Abby and Sadeed have similar personalities? Also, compare and contrast their everyday lives by talking about the following: their homes, their schools, their teachers and their parents. How are they alike and how are they different?

As pen pals, Abby, Sadeed, and Sadeed's sister Amira communicate the old fashioned way -- by sending letters to each other in the mail. Why is this their only method of staying in touch? What are some conveniences Abby and her friends have in the U.S. that Sadeed and Amira do not have in Afghanistan?

The rock wall at Abby's school in Illinois and the mountains of Afghanistan are symbols in Extra Credit -- they stand for something else. What do they represent?

Abby learns from Amira and Sadeed's letters that not all of the girls in their Afghanistan village are allowed to go to school. Amira is glad that her father "permits" her to go to school. How did this make you feel when you read this?

In the novel, Sadeed writes to Abby that he only has one book in his home, and at his teacher has taken a chance by allowing him to read books that are not approved by the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan. What did you think about this?

While reading this book, we learn that Abby and Sadeed are taking risks by communicating with one another. Why do you think Sadeed decides to correspond with Abby when he knows that it is forbidden? Do you think Abby realizes that her letters to Sadeed would create controversy at home and in Afghanistan?

When Abby gives her oral report on her project at the end of the book, her classmates look bored and uninterested. Imagine you are a student in Abby's class. Would you feel the same way about her report? Why or why not?

Abby is reluctant to do her extra credit assignment at first. But how was the project actually a good thing for her in the end?

By the end of the story, Abby and Sadeed have a greater understanding of each other's lives and cultures. After finishing the book, talk about what else you think Abby and Sadeed learned from exchanging letters.

I hope these questions get you thinking about the book.  I'll see you on July 22!

Gloria

Book Blurb: Extra Credit

Extra Credit

It isn’t that Abby Carson can’t do her schoolwork. She just doesn’t like doing it. And in February a warning letter arrives at her home. Abby will have to repeat sixth grade—unless she meets some specific conditions, including taking on an extra credit project: find a pen pal in a distant country. Seems simple enough.

But when Abby's first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, the teacher takes it to the village elders. And everyone agrees that any letters going back to America must be written well in English. And the only qualified student is a boy, Sadeed Bayat. Except in this village, it is not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So Sadeed’s younger sister will write the letters. Except she knows hardly any English. So Sadeed must write the letters. But what about the villagers who believe that girls should not be anywhere near a school? And what about those who believe that any contact with Americans is . . . unhealthy?

As letters flow back and forth—between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of central Asia, across cultural and religious divides, through the minefields of different lifestyles and traditions—a small group of children begin to speak and listen to each other. And in just a few short weeks, they make important discoveries about their communities, about their world, and most of all, about themselves.



About the Author

I found a lot about the author of Extra Credit, Andrew Clements, but the best biography I found was one he had written himself and posted on his website (it's also where I got the information about the book).  Here is the link to the page.  It was just a little too long to copy and paste.

http://www.andrewclements.com/bio.html

I hope you are enjoying the book so far.  I'm looking forward to discussing it with you!