The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski

 A podcast of an interview with Marie Rutkoski
at Book Expo of America

MacMillan Book Trailer featuring The Cabinet of Wonders

and the next book in The Kronos Chronicles The Celestial Globe

http://us.macmillan.com/BookCustomPage.aspx?isbn=9780312602390&m_type=2&m_contentid=1451119#video

Questions:

1. How would you feel if you suddenly went blind like Petra's father? How would life be different for you?

2. If you could invent something, what would it be? How would your invention help or make life easier for people?

3. If you could have a magical power, what would it be? How would you use your power? Would you let others know about your power?

Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet by Graham Salisbury

http://kids-book-club.wikispaces.com/Surfer+of+the+Century+and+Calvin+Coconut

Questions:

1. Who was your favorite character in the book? Why?

2. Would you like to be friends with Calvin Coconut? Why or why not?

3. How would your daily life change if you lived on an island in Hawaii?

4. Does anyone at school bully you? What would you do if they did? What did you do if someone did?

That Book Woman by Heather Henson

http://newdeal.feri.org/library/j_1k_bg.htm

First Book Podcast: Heather Henson author of “That Book Woman”

Questions:

1. Describe what your day might have been like as a packhorse librarian.

2. Why did the packhorse librarians risk their lives to deliver books?

3. What would you have said to a reluctant reader to get him or her interested in reading if you were a packhorse librarian?

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Questions:

1. In what way would this story have turned out differently if the two main characters had been two boys or two girls?

2. If you could write a sequel to this story, what would it be called and what would the story be about?

3. Where do you think Amanda and Leo will be on their 21st birthday? Describe what you think they will be doing and what their lives will be like.

4. If you could live a special occasion all over again, what would the event be and how would it be different?

14 Cows for America

Questions:

1. Explain what the author means when she says "There is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty comfort?

2. Can the quote above appy to children, too? If so, how?

3. If you had to choose something to give to someone to help them in their suffering and to show them you cared, what would it be? Why would you choose what you chose?

Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker

Questions:
1. Describe Ming-Li's personality. What was she like? What were her strengths? What were her weaknesses?

2. Describe what happened to Ming-Li after the story ended.

3. What did Ming-Li grow up to be?

Sara Pennypacker - the author - also wrote the Clementine books. Watch this video to learn more about the Clementine series.

Pirates by David Harrison

Questions:
1. What would be the best part about being a pirate? What would be the worst?

2. Some women were pirates. How would their life have been different from a male pirate's life?

3. Would you shelve this book in the non-fiction section under poetry or history or in the fiction section? Why?

4. If you were a pirate, what would your name be? Write a sentence describing yourself.

All Stations! Distress! by Don Brown

Questions:
1. You are a survivor of the Titanic. Write about how you survived and what you were feeling after you were rescued.

2. If you were a reporter interviewing the Titanic survivors, what would the headline read for the article you are writing about the disaster?

3. Would you rather have been a first class passenger or a third class steerage passenger? Why?

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins

Origami Sea Creatures

Origami Angel Fish

Questions:

1. If you could be a marine animal, which one would you want to be? Why? Do you think you would be friendly with any other marine animals? If so, which one(s)? If not, why not?

2. What is the mood of the book? If the book had actual photographs of marine animals instead of pictures made out of paper and put together as a collage, would it make a difference? Why or why not?

3. What topic do you think the author/illustrator Steve Jenkins should use for his next nonfiction book? Why? 

The Uglified Ducky by Willy Claflin

Questions:

1. Can you identify with the Uglified Ducky - Maynard Moose? Why or why not?

2. Do you feel like "a giraffe being raised by a family of gerbils or a ladybug being raised by a family of elephants"? Explain your answer.

3. Explain the quote: "Everybody is a beautiful something or other." What does the author mean? How are you beautiful?

3.

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino

by author/ illustrator Dan Yaccarino

Questions:

1. What did Cousteau and his team invent? If you could invent anything, what might it be? What would you explore with your new tool?

2. Was Jacques Cousteau more of an inventor or a scientist? What is the difference? What would you rather be?

3. What do you think is the most interesting thing that Cousteau discovered? Where would you like to explore? What might you discover? 

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

Book trailer source: librarian Analine Johnson from Laredo, Texas

Katherine Applegate discusses her book: Home of the Brave

(click on this link)        Macmillian 2008

Questions:

1. How was Kek's experience different from Ganwar's experience?

2. Kek and Ganwar demonstrate important character traits. Describe these two young men. Which one would you rather be and why?
 
3. Why are cattle so important to both young men and their communities?

4. Are animals this important in our community? If so, which animals and why?

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

Questions:

1. Why do the characters have such funny sounding names in this punny book? Choose one character's name and comment on why his/her name fits him/her perfectly.

2. If you could create a punny name for yourself, what would it be? What would it mean?

3. Did you like the epistolary style of writing or letters written between one character and another as the narration of the story? Why or why not?

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow by James Rollins

Questions:
-If you could time travel, would you go forward or backward in time? Why?

-Describe what it might be like to suddenly travel to a different time. How would it be different from the time you are living in now and how might it be the same?

-If you could, who and what would you take with you?

-If time travel was a possibility, should it be open for anyone or just scientists? Why? How would it affect how we live today?

-What would be the worst part of time travel and what would be the best?

Surfer of the Century by Ellie Crowe

-Duke Kahanamoku was known throughout the world for several reasons. In your opinion, for what is he the most famous?

-What would it be like to be famous? Are some people famous for the wrong reason?

-Is an athlete's fame different from a political leader's fame? Why or why not?

Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff

Questions:

1. List some things of which you are scared. Choose one and describe why you are scared of it and what you might do to help yourself when you feel scared.

2. Do you think you can be too careful or overly cautious about things? If so, give an example and explain why.

3. What did Annie and her new neighbor have in common? How did they help each other? Can you think of someone you might want to reach out to and help?