THE PEGASUS BOOK CLUB

You are not done with a book until you pass it to another reader.” says Donalyn Miller, co-founder of The Nerdy Book Club, an online community which provides inspiration, book recommendations, resources, and advice about raising and teaching young readers.

Books connect us, and one of the best ways to make a connection is by sharing what we’re reading with others. When you read a book that is so good, you just have to tell others about it.

We asked two Pegasus eighth graders, our librarian, and one of the school’s third-grade teachers to share their favorite books. These books are as diverse as their readers. Our

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

Reviewed by Seth Bartels, third-grade teacher

Adventure, fantasy, magic, friendship, and ultimately redemption…I’m in!

Last year, the BOB* assigned to me was A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat. This story is about two orphan boys born in a women’s prison and their quest to see the lights of the city on the other side of the bay.

Soontornvat’s book focuses on determination, friendship, and ultimately redemption. A Wish in the Dark is easily the best book I’ve read in a long time. Dive in and find out if “light shines on the worthy, while all others fall into the darkness.”

BOB stands for Battle of the Books, a voluntary program

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Reviewed by Ally Shaw, eighth-grade student

Monica Hesse’s Girl in the Blue Coat follows the story of Hanneke, a young black-market dealer, who deals with not only teenage issues, but also World War II. Since the war has started, Hanneke has lost both her boyfriend and her best friend. On top of all her struggles, Hanneke receives a surprising and unexpected request from a routine client. Instead of being asked to find material items, her task is to find Mirijam, a Jewish girl who was hiding in the client’s house. Hanneke does not know what she throws herself into because with each new answer comes even more revelations and questions.

Hesse created a story that is enjoyable to read and every chapter left me with an “I want to read more’’ feeling. The characters felt real and relatable. All the characters had problems and hardships to face and overcome. Some hardships were specific and directly related to the war, but others were things that everyone deals with, such as love, loyalty, and loss. The imagery conveyed a message in the novel, and it helps with the comprehension of the events. This story kept me on the edge of my seat, and I the dual perspectives of June and Day. Different in every way, these protagonists believe that they face unique challenges. However, they are quick to find out that their differences might not be so different after all. As they learn to trust each other, the reader adjusts to Lu’s beautiful writing style and her action paced plot.

I read it. remember the freshness of the characters the first time I read Legend, and I remember the heartbreaking end of their character development many books later. The relationship between June and Day have became one of my favorite bonds in the fictional world, and I am sure that it will also impact others who read it. Timeless and brilliant, Legend by Marie Lu is an unforgettable novel that demonstrates and offers a new perspective on life.

by Jim Trelease

Reviewed by Carin Meister, The

Pegasus School Librarian

occupied a prominent space on my nightstand. At the time, not only was I a new librarian, but I was also a new parent, searching for the answer to one of life’s greatest How does one instill a life-long love of reading in a child?” Luckily, a revered mentor had gifted me Trelease’s book, which provided clear guidance, plenty of research, and a litany of ideas to help nurture readers. I read it cover to cover, and I quickly implemented new read-aloud techniques each night as I read to my daughters, but also each day as I read to Pegasus students.

At the foundation of Trelease’s work is the idea that the time parents spend reading aloud to their children directly translates into reading success through the modeling of whether that was while waiting in the doctor’s office or in the car before school started, we would read to our girls. And, because Trelease’s book is partially a read-aloud manual and partially a treasury of book recommendations, there was no shortage of book choices. The titles we chose facilitated the discussion of important topics and meaningfully connected us as a family. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane showed us that all people deserve love. Echo illuminated lives and experiences so different from our own. And finally, Charlotte’s Web, read tearfully each time, taught us unwavering devotion to our friends. Now in its 8th edition, The Read Aloud Handbook has hundreds of quality recommendations I hope our Pegasus families can read and discover together.