No Shelf Control! A Book Club for Grades 4-6

This Month: "What Fell from the Sky" by Adrianna Cuevas

Reading lovers in Grades 4-6! Join us to find out "What Fell from the Sky" in Adrianna Cuevas's novel set in 1952 Texas that includes an army invasion, aliens, and a group of determined 6th graders!

Sixth grader Pineda Matlage already has difficulty feeling like he fully belongs in his small town in central Texas in 1952. As the son of a Cuban-born, Spanish-speaking mother, not everyone in the town treats him like an equal. When the U.S. army announces plans to use his town for a training exercise that looks a lot like an invasion, Pineda stumbles upon the secret reason for the mission: aliens have landed nearby and one of them is hiding in Pineda's family's barn! With the help of a soldier who also is treated like he doesn't belong, Pineda and his friends try to hide her from the army, reunite her with her parents, and find a way for them to get back home. Find out more about this story and whether the rescuers will be successful!

If you are in grades 4, 5 or 6 and love to read and have fun talking about books and characters, join us for No Shelf Control! and see if it just might be the place for you! No Shelf Control! meets monthly for discussion and activities related to a book chosen by a librarian just for this age group, freely available through the library, and read ahead of time.

You can borrow a copy of What Fell from the Sky, along with a specially prepared reading guide for our group, from the Connie Morella Library; just ask at either the Circulation Desk or Information Desk for the book for the November meeting of No Shelf Control! The book is also available in electronic formats from the library’s free services: as an e-audiobook on the Hoopla app (or online at hoopladigital.com) or the Libby app (or online at mcplmd.overdrive.com) It is not currently available as an e-book, though. If you use an electronic version, please contact librarian Jeff Coster (Jeffrey.Coster@montgomerycountymd.gov) to request a copy of the reading guide. He can also be contacted with any questions about the program and participant eligibility.

Over the course of the school year, we’ll read books from a wide range of genres—realistic fiction, mystery, humor, science fiction, fantasy, adventure—featuring characters your age and themes such as friendship, family, overcoming adversity, confronting challenges, sorting through conflicting values and other people's expectations, and navigating life, school, sports and other extracurricular activities, while expanding their knowledge of themselves and the world around them. We often use new books published within the last 2-3 years and titles from such award programs as the Black-Eyed Susan. Each session’s interactive discussions and hands-on activities will relate to the major topics and themes of the book in a fun and engaging way.

Library Program Attendance (both virtual and in the branch) is limited to participants within the suggested age range of the program. Children attending an MCPL program under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Adults attending a program intended for children must have an accompanying child.

Don't have a card right now? Find out how to Get a Library Card.

Have questions about this program? Contact the Connie Morella Library at 240-777-0970 or librarian Jeff Coster at jeffrey.coster@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Accommodation Requests

To request an accommodation, contact the library branch where you want the accommodation. If they are unable to help, or if you need an accommodation for an online resource or event, complete our Accommodation Request Form online or call Library Administration at 240-777-0002.

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