Matilda by Roald Dahl October 30, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Humorous Fiction, School Fiction , 33comments
I think this is a great book. I think you should read it. The main characters are Matilda, Miss Honey, and the Trunchbull. It takes place in England. It is very funny and a great reader book worth 3 points. I hope you read it.
~Ben, Fourth Grader~
I agree with Ben. This is a very funny book. Young Matilda is brilliant, and
she has special powers. She uses her intelligence and her powers to deal with all the nasty adults in her life and to help sweet Miss Honey. Read this book to find out how Matilda frees Miss Honey from the wicked Miss Trunchbull.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Matilda is a shocking book. Matilda is a small little girl who has the mind of a genius. She is in kindergarten and knows all of her multiplication facts. Miss Honey is Matilda’s teacher, and she is so attached to her mind. Miss Trunchbull, the headmistress, has a cold heart to all kids. Matilda has powers that help her face her fears in the story. Read this book to find out what happens. We loved this book for all of the exciting parts that scare you and shock you and things that you are just so happy about.
~Riley and Emma, Fourth Graders~
In this book, there are so many exciting things and characters. Matilda has powers that she can move objects with her eyes when she is angry. There is also Miss Trunchbull, and she is very mean. She disrespects kids and teachers. Miss Honey is Matilda’s loving and caring teacher who is being bossed around by Miss Trunchbull, her aunt. Matilda set out to get back at Miss Trunchbull. Matilda’s parents are rude, and they act like Matilda is invisible. This book is full of adventure and fun so check it out! I really liked this book.
~Michaela, Fourth Grader~
Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech October 29, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Poetry Fiction , 10comments
If you loved reading Love That Dog, you must read Hate That Cat. In the continuing story of Jack, we learn that his teacher, Miss Stretchberry moved a grade with him. Jack still misses his dog Sky and continues to write poetry. In Hate That Cat, poetry writing is fun because Miss Stretchberry makes everything in school fun.
Throughout the book, Sharon Creech leaves you clues about silence and sound. You will not figure out what the clues mean until the end of the story. Read carefully to find out more about Jack’s family, his letters to Walter Dean Myers (a real life author) and how he feels about cats.
This book hooked me from the first page. The reading goes quickly because every page looks like a poem. At the end of the book, there is a list of poems from the story that are fun to read. As a huge fan of Sharon Creech, I was not disappointed; in fact I have given the book to two other teachers to read. They loved the story. So if you read Hate That Cat and love it, pass it on to someone else who will enjoy reading the book.
Let me know what you think and if you were surprised by the silence and sound clues.
Happy Reading,
Mrs. Shultz
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl October 28, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Fantasy, Humorous Fiction , 37comments
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a great book for young people to read. All of the characters have fantastic and funny personalities. Charlie, the main character found the last golden ticket presented by Mr. Willy Wonka. Charlie and his grampa have a great time going to the chocolate factory. Read this book today.
~Emma and Riley, Fourth Graders~
The following review is also by Emma. It was published in the Winter Edition of the Mustang Dealer.
I think Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is a great book and movie. If you like candy, you will Love this movie and book. You will also like this book and movie because of the characters personalities. Willie Wonka is wacky and fun, but when he hears about his dad he becomes sad. Charlie is thoughtful and kind and you root for him to win the entire time. My favorite part is when Charlie finds the golden ticket. He is very excited and that is when the fun begins…….
Pinkalicious and Purplicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann October 28, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Picture Books , 8comments
Pinkalicious absolutely loves the color pink. When she eats too many pink cupcakes, her entire body turns cotton candy pink. One more cupcake and she turns fire engine red. How will she get back to her normal color?
Poor Pinkalicious! All the girls at school decide that black is the cool color. They tease Pinkalicious causing her to feel blue. Does anyone like pink?
I believe little girls love these books because, just like Pinkalicious, they love pink and purple. Both books are overflowing with bright, bold, and very pink illustrations. If you know a little girl who adores the Fancy Nancy books by Jane O’Connor, share these books with her.
~Mrs. Carlson~
COOKIES: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal October 27, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Picture Books , 4comments
Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter – whatever the type, cookies taste great. Unfortunately, our parents often prefer we eat gross foods like brussel sprouts and liver. Thanks to Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s book Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons, parents will realize that cookies are more than just sweet little treats.
Beautifully illustrated by Jane Dyer, Cookies teaches new words and concepts through scenes featuring cookies. To define “polite,” for example, Rosenthal has a girl say please and ask her friend to pass the cookies. Later, a friend offers the girl some weird-looking cookies that she has never seen before. She tries one and teaches us what it means to be “open-minded.” Cookies is full of delightful examples just like these.
So grab a plate of your favorite cookies and sit down with this book. Just try not to get any crumbs between the pages!
~Dan Carlson~
Poetry Books by Jack Prelutsky October 27, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Poetry , 9comments
Jack Prelutsky is a popular poet whose collections of poems are delightful to read aloud. Did you know that our Millridge Library has 32 books that he has written? Some of his books celebrate holidays, with funny poems about holiday happenings at home and school. (It’s Thanksgiving and It’s Christmas and It’s Valentine’s Day.)
Others are scary-spooky-funny. (Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep and The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep.)
Some are just plain silly. (My Dog May Be a Genius and The New Kid on the Block.)
He has even written a book about poetry writing. (Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem)
I think Prelutsky loves to write.
I think he does it day and night.
So, Millridge kids, don’t be a klutsky…
Check out books by Jack Prelutsky!
~Mrs. Gaston~
To visit Jack Prelutsky’s web site, go to http://www.jackprelutsky.com/
Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco October 27, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Realistic Fiction, School Fiction , 7comments
With honey poured on a book, Grandpa taught his granddaughter at age five that knowledge was sweet, but she would have to chase it through the pages of a book. Trish was eager to learn to read, but as much as she wanted to read she could not make sense out of all those squiggles. Trish suffered through many years of hardship and cruel teasing from her classmates until her teacher, Mr. Falker, recognized her problem and worked with her after school until she was able to make sense of it all. Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod October 25, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Picture Books , 4comments
Kids love superheroes. Have you ever heard of Goo Girl? How about Astro-Man? Or Water-Woman? This colorful book is filled with original superheroes, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each superhero performs heroic acts that begin with his or her letter. Bubble-Man blows big bubbles at bullies! Children can learn the alphabet while laughing at the comic book-like pictures. A great way to learn the alphabet!
~Mrs. Carlson~
All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall October 24, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction, School Fiction , 2comments
When I read that this book was about middle school students building a tetrahedron, I didn’t think it would be very interesting. Boy was I surprised! The book has five narrators: four students and their math teacher. They decide to build the world’s largest tetrahedron. They share their stories about the tetrahedron and their personal secrets. Living in the inner city, their lives are tough. They learn that being on a team, even a “tetrahedron team”, can improve their lives.
I liked this book because it is fast-paced. It has some interesting features like cartoon sketches, math problems, and barbecue recipes. Best of all, the characters are very realistic. I laughed, cried, and cheered with them.
Three interesting facts about this book: 1. It is based on a true story. 2. It’s written by a woman who used to teach at Center Elementary School. 3. The cover pictured here is not the original cover. The original wasn’t very appealing, so a new one was designed.
A question for you: What is a tetrahedron?
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick October 19, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Mystery , 48comments
Why does a book win the Caldecott Award? It wins for the illustrations, of course.
Do you know the winner of the Caldecott Award in 2008? It is the Invention of Hugo Cabret, written and illustrated by David Selznick. It’s over 500 pages long and contains about 250 charcoal sketches. These marvelous sketches are like scenes from a silent movie. The first pictures introduce the story while later pictures guide along the action. These pictures truly help the reader understand the story. No wonder it won the Caldecott Award.
What is this book about? It’s about a 12 year old orphan named Hugo who lives in the walls of a Paris train station. He takes care of the station’s clocks and steals whatever he needs to survive. In his spare time, he’s working on a project his father left him: an automaton. The automaton is a human-like figure seated at a desk with a pen in hand, seeming as if he’s ready to write a message. Is there a message? Who made this automaton? Does the grouchy old toymaker who owns a shop in the train station know something?
I sure have asked a lot of questions. Do they make you curious about the book? I hope so because I really liked this book. It was filled with mystery and adventure. Plus all the pictures made it fun to read.
~Mrs. Carlson~