Creative Learning & Smart Solutions
CLASS Academics
- a customized, engaging, & meaningful approach to learning -
Book Talks 2024-25
Our reading specialist, Ms. Colleen, has selected four wonderful books for the 2023-2024 book club!
Meet us on the date posted and we’ll celebrate the story by discussing literary themes and reading comprehension strategies in a relatable and meaningful way over a spread of delectable treats, while also incorporating art or STEM projects (depending on the story)! We hope you can join!
This event is only open to 8-12 year olds (or 2nd-5th graders) and you will need to RSVP to join in on the reading fun. See the descriptions below for additional information.
————
Why is the Reading Optional?
Right now, our students are working hard to learn how to become better readers.
CLASS Academics invites its students to celebrate reading so that it can be associated with a positive experience. Through the planned activities for the event, it will help enrich the child's background knowledge, which is crucial for reading comprehension and to pique student interest. It is CLASS Academics’ hope that by celebrating great pieces of literature, it will encourage students to want to read more!
The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown
BOOK CLUB DETAILS:
Saturday, 10/12 @ 9:30 - 11:30 AM
Meet Ms. Colleen at El Dorado Nature Center for an adventurous 1-mile nature walk through the woods, just like Roz the Robot and her friendly forest friends. We will meet at the front gate: 7550 E. Spring Street, Long Beach 900815.
You will need to pay to park, but there is no admission fee. Bring a snack, water, and comfortable shoes.
book synopsis:
“When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home--until, one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her.”
The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe
By C.S. Lewis
BOOK CLUB DETAILS:
Saturday, 11/16 @ 11 AM - 1:00 PM
Meet Ms. Colleen at our Huntington Beach office. We will be making Turkish Delight, like Edmund and the White Witch along with winter-inspired crafts while discussing book elements. We hope you can join the magic!
book synopsis:
“Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.”
Esperanza Rising
By Pam Muñoz Ryan
BOOK CLUB DETAILS:
January (more details coming soon)
book synopsis:
“Esperanza thought she'd always live a privileged life on her family's ranch in Mexico. She'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--because Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.”
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
By Florence Atwater
BOOK CLUB DETAILS:
March (more details coming soon)
book synopsis:
“A humble house painter is sent a male penguin by the great Admiral Drake and, thanks to the arrival of a female penguin, soon has twelve penguins living in his house.”
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
By Alice Dalgliesh
BOOK CLUB DETAILS:
May (more details coming soon)
book synopsis:
“People have always told Jonathan that there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, no bears at all. So he isn’t afraid to set out alone over the mountain. But as Jonathan discovers one cold winter night, people aren’t always right…There are bears on Hemlock Mountain!”
