Dear 6th Graders and Parents,
This club welcomes any 6th grader who would like to join and any parent who wishes to volunteer as
a meeting leader!
Harmony Book Club will meet once a month, starting in October. Students will have lunch in the
library on a designated day each month (schedule to follow once groups have been assigned) while
they discuss the book of the month in a small group setting. Discussions will be facilitated by a
volunteer parent. The included books are those that have been nominated for the Middle School
Level of the 2014-2015 Virginia Reader’s Choice Award as well as other “must-read” books
recommended by Harmony students and staff for this age group. Upon conclusion of the program,
each student will have a chance to vote for the book that he/she thinks should win the prestigious
Virginia Reader’s Choice (VRC) award! Our votes will be tallied with all other participating Virginia
schools at the annual Virginia State Reading Association conference in the spring. The Virginia
Reader’s Choice winner will then be awarded! The selections for this year are:
1) Endangered (VRC) by Eliot Schrefer: When one girl has to follow her mother to her Congo
sanctuary for bonobos, she's not thrilled to be there. It's her mother's passion, and she'd rather
have nothing to do with it. But when revolution breaks out and their sanctuary is attacked, she must
rescue the bonobos and hide in the jungle. Together, they will fight to keep safe, to eat, and to
survive.
2) Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein: Kyle Keeley is the class clown,
popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word
games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative
gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town
library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight
of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and
the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route.
And the stakes are very high. This book is like a cross between Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory and A Night in the Museum!
3) How They Croaked (VRC) by Georgia Bragg: Over the course of history men and women have
lived and died. In fact, getting sick and dying can be a big, ugly mess-especially before the modern
medical care that we all enjoy today. How They Croaked relays all the gory details of how nineteen
world figures gave up the ghost. Readers will be fascinated well past the final curtain, and feel
lucky to live in a world with painkillers, X-rays, soap, and 911.
4) One for the Murphys (VRC) by Lynda Mullaly Hunt: Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep
her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child, and moves in with the
Murphys, she's blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the stable family life she never
thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookie-cutter-perfect household. Despite her
resistance, the Murphys eventually show her what it feels like to belong--until her mother wants
her back and Carley has to decide where and how to live. She's not really a Murphy, but the gifts
they've given her have opened up a new future.
5) Drums,Girls,and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick: Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally
normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school,
and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with
leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and
his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with
devastating realities, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is a heartwarming journey through a year in
the life of a family in crisis.
6) Ungifted (VRC) by Gordon Korman: When Donovan Curtis pulls a major prank at his middle
school, he thinks he’s finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators,
instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special
program for gifted and talented students. Although it wasn’t exactly what Donovan had intended,
the ASD couldn’t be a more perfectly unexpected hideout for someone like him. But as the students
and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just
about anything), he shows that his gifts may be exactly what the ASD students never knew they
needed.
7) Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but
she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever
experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her
classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally
challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral
palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow. In this breakthrough story—
reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly—from multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winner
Sharon Draper, readers will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever
how they look at anyone with a disability.
8) Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine: Caitlin has Asperger's. The world according to her is black
and white; anything in between is confusing. Before, when things got confusing, Caitlin went to her
older brother, Devon, for help. But Devon was killed in a school shooting, and Caitlin's dad is so
distraught that he is just not helpful. Caitlin wants everything to go back to the way things were,
but she doesn't know how to do that. Then she comes across the word closure--and she realizes
this is what she needs. And in her search for it, Caitlin discovers that the world may not be so black
and white after all.
9) Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Luke has never been to school. He's never had
a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.
Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his
entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his
family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside. Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in
the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow
child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows. Does Luke dare to
become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?
Students participating in the Virginia Reader’s Choice Program must read a minimum of 4 (out of
10) nominated books to be eligible to vote in April. The remaining nominees (not assigned to a
specific month) are:
Bomb - The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Cinder by Marissa Mayer
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lia
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
On the Day I Died by Candace Fleming
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
*Read some of these as well if you have time  They will be listed on the VRC Ballot in April!
The 6th Grade Book Club program is very popular! The students enjoy breaking down the stories,
looking at them from different perspectives, and making connections to real life issues. Plus, they
get to eat lunch with a small group of friends who share a common interest- while enjoying a special
treat each month! We encourage your child to take this opportunity to read some amazing books and
share his/her thoughts regarding the books with their peers.
All students wishing to participate should fill out the attached registration form and return to
school no later than SEPTEMBER 26TH. On the attached page, you will see an order form for the
books we will be reading. If you wish to purchase the books, please fill out the form, attach a check
payable to “Harmony Middle School”, and return it with your order. Our Library has limited copies
of each book; these books will be available on a first come, first serve basis. These books are also
available through the Loudoun County Public Library.
HELP! We need the participation of parents in order to make this program possible. It is only a 30
minute per month obligation. Discussion materials and activity ideas will be provided each month and
you can either lead a group on your own or “job-share” with another parent.
Once all applications have been received and we have secured parent volunteers, we will send home a
letter with your child that lists his/her group, group leader with contact information, and the dates
of each meeting.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Wendy Ricci
CCE Library Media Specialist
(703) 957-4480
wendy.ricci@lcps.org
REGISTRATION AND BOOK ORDER FORM
Please complete and return by SEPTEMBER 26TH
________(please
check)
1. Yes, I would like to sign my child up for Harmony Book Club!
Child’s Name_________________________________________________________
English Teacher_______________________________________________________
Parent’s email address__________________________________________________
(By providing this address, you agree to be added to our Book Club email contact list which will be shared with our
volunteer leaders. It is our primary means of communication for the school year. If you wish to be contacted another
way, please provide the necessary information above.)
2. My child DOES/DOES NOT
(circle one)
have food allergies that would be a concern
during the book club meeting. If so, please specify any
accommodations______________________________________________________.
________(please
check)
3. Yes, I would like to be a Harmony Book Club Leader!
(This club relies on help from our terrific parent volunteers- please consider being the leader of a group for just 30
minutes a month. Leaders and students have a great time )
Name_______________________________________________________________
Home Phone________________________Cell Phone__________________________
3. Complete the order form below (many students like to have their own copies of the
books we readFall Book Fair)
books will be ordered from Scholastic and profits will benefit our school in the same way as the
OR
___________(please
check)
My child will get a copy of each book from the Harmony
library (if available), public library, an eReader, or another way.
4. Make check payable to “Harmony Middle School” and attach check to form.
HARMONY BOOK CLUB ORDER FORM
Please mark the books you would like to order for Harmony Book Club:
Quantity
Title
Endangered
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
How They Croaked
One for the Murphys
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Ungifted
Out of My Mind
Price
6.99
6.99
9.99
6.99
9.99
6.99
6.99
(Free @ LCPL- 1 Book 1 Community Program!)
Mockingbird
Among the Hidden
TOTAL FOR ALL BOOKS $67.91
5.99
6.99
Total
payment
Total