Ms. Jessica’s Book Club

Join us as we journey to Kenya to learn about Wangari Maathai and her incredible courage and determination to protect the land and the trees in her African village.

We meet Mr. Magee and his spotted dog Dee in this rhyming adventure. The two set out for a peaceful vacation in the mountains, but the trip doesn't turn out as planned. Imagine their shock when they awake at the top of a waterfall. How will they get out of this slippery situation?

The old woman has outlived many of her friends. To keep from feeling lonely, she names the objects around her - like her house Franklin and her car Betsy. One day, a shy brown puppy arrives at the old woman's gate. Despite telling him to go away, the puppy returns daily. Until one day, the puppy does not show up. The old woman learns an important lesson as she searches for the dog. Soon, the old woman comes to realize just how lucky she is.

This biography shares the story of Nadia Comaneci, a feisty and fearless girl who loved to swing from the trees in her Romanian village. Nadia trained hard and perfected her gymnastics routines. In 1976, a determined Nadia traveled to the Olympics and made history!

In the deep forest, past Black Bear Creek, at the top of Lonesome Mountain lives a special boy named Rink Bowagon. Rink comes from an unusual family and all of the children at school ignore him...until Angelina Quiz comes along. Rink does something extraordinary for Angelina and they become fast friends. They soon discover they have more in common than they ever imagined. This delightful story teaches us an important lesson about appreciating differences and acts of kindness.

This village tale from Kenya introduces us to Adika and his mama. They travel to the market one day to buy supplies to make pancakes. Along the way, Adika meets many friends and invites them all over for a pancake supper. Mama starts to worry that she won't be able to stretch the flour enough to feed so many guests. But, Adika is always one step ahead of Mama and he assures her that they “have a little bit and a little bit more.” This heartwarming tale teaches us the importance of sharing, even when we have little to give.

Travel with Walter into the future, a future much different than he ever imagined. This future is not filled with tiny airplanes parked on houses and jelly donut making machines, as he had imagined. Instead, the future Walter sees while traveling on his bed is filled with garbage and pollution. This life changing journey encourages Walter to make better choices and appreciate the beauty that surrounds him.

In this story we travel to China where we meet two brothers, one with a very long name and another with a very short name. When Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo falls into the well, he almost drowns because his brother can't speak his long name quickly enough for help to arrive. This is why, as legend has it, families in China give their children short names.

In this story we travel to Moskva where we meet Babushka, a very talented egg painter. Babushka becomes friends with an injured goose she names Rechenka. Babushka and Rechenka live happily together. But then one day, an unlucky accident occurs and all of Babushka's eggs are broken. The next morning, Babushka is surprised by a miracle. This tale of friendship and caring is sure to warm your heart.

Today we will travel to Africa as we hear the story of Nobiah and the well. Nobiah travels a long way to fetch water for his family. On his way home, Nobiah generously shares the precious water with thirsty animals he meets along his journey. When Nobiah reaches home, there is no water left for the garden. Nobiah's mother is very angry and worries that the garden will turn to dry, bitter dust and the family will be without food to eat. Listen to the story to hear how Nobiah's animal friends return to repay Nobiah for his kindness.

This is the story of Erandi and Mama who live in the hills of Mexico during the 1940s. Erandi's family does not have much money and they desperately need a new fishing net. Erandi's birthday is also quickly approaching. Mama decides she will sell her hair so they can purchase what they need. But, when they arrives at the barber shop, Mama learns her hair is not long enough to sell. What will they do? Listen to find out what happens in this heartwarming story.