Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling September 29, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Fantasy , 6comments
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a magical book where Harry Potter is in danger at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. This book is a bit of a mystery because Harry and his friends need to figure out who entered Harry into the deadly competition, the Triwizard Tournament. Harry has to go through three treacherous tasks, and it’s bad enough with the Yule Ball coming up. Also, the whole school thinks Harry’s a loon. The whole thing is another plan of Voldemort’s to kill Harry. It’s an exciting adventure from page 1 to page 734, even though they lose a friend along the way.
~Jenna, Fifth Grader~
26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola September 28, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Biography , 2comments
26 Fairmount Avenue is about a little boy who’s moving to a new house. The new house is on 26 Fairmount Avenue. They’re building it from scratch. A tornado hit before the house was built. It took a long time to build it. If you like true stories, this book is for you. So take it out!
~Emma, Fifth Grader~
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond September 28, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Animal Fiction , 1 comment so farThis story is about a bear named Paddington. Paddington’s grandmother sent him away, and he ended up 
in Paddington train station. That’s how he got his name. A nice family finds him there. He goes to a lot of places like the mall and the beach. Paddington gets into so much trouble no matter where he goes. If you like a book about a bear, this is for you! So check it out!
~Emma, Fifth Grader~
The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley September 23, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Folk/Fairy Tale , 1 comment so far
If you love fairy tales and your world has Prince Charming as mayor and Snow White knows karate, then this book is perfect for you. That’s life for Sabrina and Daphne Grimm. They’ ve been living in an orphanage ever since their parents disappeared. Now they’re sent to live with their grandmother, who they thought was dead, in Fairy Port Landing. As Sabrina figures out that Fairy Port Landing is like a jail for fairy tale creatures, she has a giant problem. The giant takes her grandmother and her old friend, Mrs. Canis, also known as the Big Bad Wolf. Will Sabrina and Daphne save their family and adapt to like their new home? I love fairy tales and fractured ones too!
~Kristen, Fifth Grader~
Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry September 14, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure , 1 comment so farThis story is about a boy. He is afraid of the water. All of other tribe
members make fun of him. When the fish all disappear, he goes on a journey with his dog. This is a story of adventure and courage. I liked the book because of the adventure.
~ Sierra, Fifth Grader~
Who Was Elvis Presley? by Geoff Edgers September 9, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Biography , 5comments
This biography is a great book to read if you’re interested in the the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It begins with Elvis’s childhood and follows his rise to stardom, his time in the United States Army, his marriage to Priscilla, his movie-making career, his loss of popularity in the 1960’s, and his huge comeback. It also describes Elvis’s problems and his sad death.
Who Was Elvis Presley? is about 100 pages and a pretty easy read. It contains black and white sketches as well as sidebars on related topics like Las Vegas, The Elvis Jumpsuits, and Graceland. At the back of the book is a timeline of Elvis’s life.
This book is part of the Who Was …? series. Some of the other books in the series are about Anne Frank, Annie Oakley, The Beatles, Ben Franklin, Harry Houdini, Thomas Jefferson, and William Shakespeare. I think these books are a good starting point when doing a research report on a famous person. They’re short but give a lot of information.
~Mrs. Carlson~