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📚 Bookelicious Middle Grade Book Club: Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman

Writer: Jennifer LaGardeJennifer LaGarde
3 days ago8 min read

Updated: 3 hours ago

A cartoon-style digital illustration, called a Bookmoji, of a blonde-haired person with large blue eyes and freckles, wearing red glasses. They are dressed in a striped red and white shirt, a black puffer vest with a small pin featuring an ice cream cone and books, blue jeans, and black boots. They have a red superhero cape flowing behind them. They are holding a red coffee mug with the word 'COFFEE' written on it. They are standing on a stack of colorful books, with visible titles including 'This Is a School,' 'Bathe the Cat,' 'Anzu the Great Kaiju,' 'My Pet Feet,' 'Holding On,' and 'Perfectly Pegasus.' The character has a friendly and confident expression.

At a time when we're all bombarded by negative news, the Bookelicious Middle Grade Book Club remains a source of joy for me. If you've never participated, these monthly events feature:


  • a new title written for middle grade readers, and...

  • a focus on helping educators nurture the reading identities of the readers they serve.


Structured, in part, as a "build your own book club" workshop, participants leave with book lists and resources to use back at school, but the best part is that the authors and illustrators of the books we read join us in conversation!


Oh, and did I mention these events are free?? Seriously, y'all... how cool is that?


MARCH BOOK CLUB

This month our book club focused on Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman. As a former MS teacher and librarian, it's tough for me to take that hat off as I read titles written for this age group. Indeed, I often find myself thinking about the kids I've taught, over the years, whose hearts might connect with a specific story or character. With that in mind, while not every book is for every reader, Safe Harbor feels like one of those rare titles that has something for just about everyone. From the conflicting emotions that Gheeta feels about her parents' divorce and her subsequent move to Rhode Island from far away India, to the friendship between Geetha and Miguel, as well as their mission to rescue an injured seal that they find along the beach, Safe Harbor offers young readers a meaningful exploration of empathy, activism, and personal growth. Add to that themes related to bullying, music + mindfulness and I found myself thinking about so many readers I could hand this book to!


As an adult, my heart also deeply connected with Gheeta's mom, whose mental health journey feels like a breath of fresh air in the world of kidlit. Don't get me wrong, books that center parents whose mental health struggles make it impossible for them to care for their kids are necessary, because it's vital that young people in similar situations connect with stories that help them understand that they are not alone. Still, I'm grateful for Gheeta's mom, who offers young readers an example of a parent who is able to create a loving and healthy home for her child, because she's found the support she needs to manage her depression. I hope we see more books for young people featuring parents navigating mental health journeys with support and success, because readers need to see examples of what this looks like, too.


A photograph features a woman with light skin, blonde hair styled in a curly bun, and red cat-eye glasses, smiling while holding a book titled Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman. The book cover depicts an illustration of two children on a beach, with an otter in the water. In the background, a room with a lamp, bookshelves, and framed pictures is visible. Above the woman, there is a word cloud with words related to Safe Harbor, including 'resilience' (in large pink font), 'Friendship,' 'Family,' 'music,' and other words such as 'empathy,' 'self-care,' and 'environmental.' A circular inset highlights the woman’s earring, which is shaped like a white seal resting on a stack of books.

All of that said, if you've attended our book club in the past, you know that my Partner in Book Club Crime™️, Aliza Werner, and I often try to make sure our outfits and/or backgrounds are thematically connected to that month's book club pick. These efforts have turned into a (VERY FRIENDLY) competition that I look forward to ALMOST as much as I eagerly anticipate the conversations that take place during these bookish gatherings. I don't know about y'all... but I'm actively seeking out opportunities for joy right now, and planning a book themed wardrobe for these monthly meetings brings me A LOT of joy!


I'm particularly chuffed by the seal earrings that I found for this month's bookclub. Not only are they on theme, but they were also created from recycled cereal boxes - which felt perfect considering the emphasis on caring for our planet in Safe Harbor. While I don't usually share products in this space, many people have asked me where I got these, so here is the link. Note: I am not affiliated with Jabebo Studio in anyway, and do not benefit if you purchase something from them - but our planet might!


Finally, one of the things I love most about Bookelicious is the Bookmoji. The Bookmoji is more than just a cute avatar, it's a reading identity power booster! As kids make selections to create a Bookmoji that truly represents who they are and what they love, Bookelicious creates a personalized bookshelf full of titles that reflect those choices. It's fun! It's creative! But more importantly, it serves as a conduit between kids and story. I love it so much! That said, this month, I decided to try my hand at creating a Bookmoji for our guest. I had the most fun picking out items to add to Padma's bookmoji!

A colorful, cartoon-style digital illustration labeled 'BOOKMOJI' at the top. The central character is a cartoon avatar of a woman with dark hair, a blue hair clip, and a red bindi. She wears a red and blue outfit with a name tag labeled 'SCIENTIST,' blue pants, and matching blue shoes. She stands next to a microphone. To her left, there is a large boat with a blue and white hull, docked near a table with chemistry equipment, including test tubes and a beaker. A pink suitcase with various country flags and travel stickers is nearby. A tree behind the boat has colorful leaves labeled with words such as 'rhyme,' 'epic,' and 'verse.' Seagulls are perched on the boat. To the right, there is a large tree with hanging moss. An otter is peeking out of the water, and a black-and-white dog wearing blue snorkeling goggles is visible. The background has a light blue geometric pattern, creating a whimsical atmosphere.

BOOK CLUB BINS + MICRO-COLLECTIONS

One thing I try to emphasize during our book club meetings is that even, (perhaps especially!), in educational environments that are laser focused on phonics and skills based reading programs, reading identity remains essential. Measurable reader outcomes like volume, vocabulary acquisition, fluency and other markers of proficiency are deeply affected by motivation. Put another way, kids don't develop reading stamina without reading motivation. What's more, reading identity is the fuel that powers that motivation.


We know that kids are far more likely to be motivated to tackle skills-based reading tasks and assessments when they:


  • see themselves as readers

  • associate reading with joy

  • understand reading's relevance outside of school

  • value reading as a core part of who they are

  • are surrounded by reading mentors who share their authentic reading lives


Conversely, kids are far less likely to be motivated to tackle work that leads to the reading outcomes we adults hope for when they:


  • don't identify as readers

  • have already decided that they're not good at reading

  • associate reading with negative emotions and/or anxiety

  • don't see reading as relevant or valuable to their lives outside of school

  • don't see adults regularly modeling authentic reading lives


That's why, each month, I try to provide the educators who attend our book club with resources for creating reading communities in their schools that nurture and grow positive reading identities in young people.


Of course, book clubs are one way to accomplish this goal. With that in mind, each month, I share potential "book club bins." These micro-collections all feature that month's book club pick as an anchor text, along with several other titles that are connected by theme, genre, format or some other element that would be easy for kids to be in conversation about. The purpose of these book lists is to provide kids with voice and choice when selecting texts for book club (or literature circle) reading. Note: these suggestions are meant to serve as spring boards for educators to think about titles in their own collections that might make for great book club micro-collections, too! It's my hope that you'll also learn about some new titles to support this work AND I'm always so grateful to attendees who flood the chat with additional book suggestions.


Here are this month's book club bins and themes:


Bin 1 - Book Club Theme: Bullying + Belonging

Bin 2 - Book Club Theme: Our Connected Planet

Bin 3 - Book Club Theme: Finding Home

Bin 4 - Book Club Theme: Novels In Verse

Please enjoy a special discount of 20% off the titles mentioned above (or others of your choice) by visiting Bookelicious and using the code JENNIFERLAGARDE. Note: I do not make any money when you purchase books from Bookelicious, but I am delighted that you get to save some! HOWEVER, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that buying books from Bookelicious is the way we keep these events free while also supporting the authors and illustrators who join us each month, so... I hope you'll think of your book purchases from Bookelicous as supporting a good cause!


RESOURCES & LINKS

Each month, I also create activities, related to that month's book club selection, for participants to download (for free) and use with their students. Here are my creations to go along with Safe Harbor.


Connections Puzzle:

I wrote about the process of creating these book related Connections puzzles here - including a planning document that I created to support kids when crafting puzzles of their own. This post also include a Padlet board with links to all the book related Connections puzzles (and their solutions!) that I've made so far. You'll find the one for Safe Harbor there, too!

A digital interactive puzzle titled SAFE HARBOR by Padma Venkatraman, created by Jennifer LaGarde. The puzzle consists of multiple rectangular buttons containing words and phrases related to the book, such as 'TAMAR,' 'DHURRIE,' 'HER GRANDPARENTS,' 'MIGUEL,' 'THE OCEAN,' 'MENTAL HEALTH,' 'SAVING SANTO,' 'RECYCLING,' 'JOE,' 'BULLYING,' 'YOGA,' 'IMMIGRATION,' 'MUSIC,' 'APPA,' 'BOOKS,' and 'LISA.' Below the word selections, there are three buttons labeled 'Shuffle,' 'Clear,' and 'Submit.' A message at the bottom reads '0 Incorrect.' The puzzle interface has a simple, clean design with a neutral background and black text, encouraging engagement with the themes and characters of the book.

Coloring Sheet:

Because it wasn't quite finished in time, I did not share the coloring sheet that I created for Safe Harbor last night, but here it is! As I mention each month, I've been a bit obsessed lately with the reality that both reading and coloring are proven stress relievers. As a result, I've been creating both book related coloring sheets AND monthly reading challenges that include pages for readers of all ages to color. I hope you find these resources useful.

A black-and-white Safe Harbor coloring sheet by Padma Venkatraman, created by Jennifer LaGarde. The illustration features a seal sitting on a beach with waves behind it. In the background, there is a lighthouse on a rocky cliff and the sun setting over the ocean. Above the seal’s head is a large thought bubble with space for writing. The text at the top left prompts users to 'Use the thought bubble to share one idea for helping to make your home a "safe harbor" for animals.' At the bottom of the page, a note credits Jennifer LaGarde and provides a website link for more information (librarygirl.net).

Chatterbox:

I was recently reminded of the great reading identity related resources created by the National Library of New Zealand. One of their awesome creations is a chatter box activity that gives kids the chance to talk about reading in authentic ways while playing a game. Now... when I was a kid, we called these magical little paper concoctions fortune tellers, but I think chatterbox is actually more appropriate for this purpose. Inspired by their work, I created a chatterbox specific to Safe Harbor as a tool for getting kids talking about this book. You can download it here.

A colorful, printable chatterbox (or cootie catcher) activity sheet themed around the book Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman, created by Jennifer LaGarde. The chatterbox template is divided into eight triangular sections, each containing a different prompt or question related to the book's characters and themes. The four outermost sections are labeled with character names: 'Gheeta' (purple), 'Amma' (orange), 'Mrs. Nizinski' (green), and 'Choice' (pink), which allows the user to choose any character. Each inner section contains discussion questions, such as: 'What are some things that bring you peace when you are feeling anxiety or loneliness?' 'If you could interview the character you chose, what’s a question you would ask and how do you think they would answer?' 'What advice would you give to Mrs. Nizinski about helping Gheeta make new friends?' On the right side of the sheet, there are instructions for 'Using the Chatterbox' and 'Making a Chatterbox,' guiding users on how to cut, fold, and use the paper chatterbox for interactive reading discussions. The bottom right corner credits Jennifer LaGarde and provides a link for more information.

Virtual Field Trip:

This month, I also tried my hand at creating a virtual field trip to go along with Safe Harbor and, I won't lie, I love how it turned out! Recently, I wrote about how I was inspired to use Padlet to create some virtual field trips related to famous libraries from around the world and US National Parks. You can read more about those resources here.



For this virtual field trip, I focused on 5 locations related to the story. The idea is that readers start at stop one and make their way through all five locations. Each stop contains:


  • a reference to how this location is related to Safe Harbor

  • a link to a virtual tour and/or webcam from that location

  • a link to another Padlet board containing reflection questions for each stop. The second Padlet board is set up so that students record their response as audio - thus creating a Safe Harbor podcast that can be shared with parents and caregivers!



To use these resources, you'll need to login to your Padlet account and make copies of each board. From there, you can change the discussion questions, etc., to best serve your readers.


Finally, here are my slides from last night's event.


I hope you find these resources useful!


EVENT RECORDINGS

As much as I have shared here, really this is just the tip of the reading joy iceberg! The real value of these events comes from participating, with the next best thing being watching the recording later. However, only those who register in advance get access to the recording, so head on over to bookelicious.com/events/ right now and reserve your spot for one of their upcoming events. While I'm (obviously!) partial to the Middle Grade Bookclub, there are lots of opportunities to join this joyful reading community. I hope to see y'all there!







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