The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman January 14, 2012
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Family Fiction, Mystery , 1 comment so far
This is the first book in the new 39 Clues series, Cahills vs. Vespers. Six of Amy and Dan’s relatives and Nellie, their former babysitter and new guardian, have been kidnapped. A mysterious enemy, named Vesper One, won’t release them until Amy and Dan steal a famous painting and deliver it to him. With the help of their cousins, Amy and Dan attempt to steal the painting. Will they be successful? Will anyone get hurt? Will Vesper One release his seven prisoners? Read this nail-biting book to find out!
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O’Connor November 29, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 1 comment so far
The cover of The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester is quite colorful and gives you some clues as to what it’s about. Do you see the big bullfrog? Owen Jester caught it and wanted to keep it as a pet. It became ill, and he had to make a big decision about its future. That’s not the secret, though.
Do you see anything on the cover that’s red and has windows? I’m not going to tell you what it is or where it came from. I will tell you that it fascinated Owen. It fascinated him so much that he had to ask nosy, know-it-all Viola for help, and he was glad he did.
Read this book to discover the fantastic secret of Owen Jester.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson September 12, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Fantasy, Magic Fiction , 2comments
If you like magic, adventure, and cats, this is the perfect fantasy book for you. Aldwyn is an ordinary alley cat. He is chosen by a wizard-in-training named Jack to be the boy’s familiar, a magical animal companion. Uh-oh! Magical? Just when Aldwyn thinks life is going to be easy, Jack and two other wizards-in-training are captured by the evil queen of Vastia. Aldwyn and familiars Skylar and Gilbert must save them, no matter how dangerous their mission. How will Aldwyn survive this adventure if he’s truly an ordinary alley cat? You have to read this book to find out!
~Mrs. Carlson~
Vespers Rising by Riordan, Lerangis, Korman,and Watson August 4, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Family Fiction , 3comments
Just like all the other 39 Clues books, I really enjoyed Vespers Rising. It’s filled with action, adventure, and humor. It has four different parts that provide the history of the rivalry between the Cahill family and the Vespers organization. It ends with Amy and Dan, the heroic children in the first series, learning about the Vespers and realizing they face a new challenge. I can’t wait to read the new series.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Smells Like Dog by Suzanne Selfors July 18, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Mystery , add a comment
Do you hate sad dog stories, the ones that make you cry? Well, you can read this book because it is NOT a sad dog story. It is a funny and exciting dog story that contains a mystery. I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down.
Farm boy Homer Pudding wants to be a treasure-hunter like his Uncle Drake who is seeking a very valuable pirate treasure. When Homer’s uncle is supposedly eaten by a gigantic tortoise, Homer inherits a goofy dog that that doesn’t seem to have a sense of smell, a gold coin, and a mystery to solve. Homer must figure out what happened to his uncle. He, along with his sister Gwendolyn and Dog, set off on an adventure to The City where they meet both dangerous and helpful people. The problem is figuring out which ones are the dangerous ones. Will Homer find out the truth about Uncle Drake’s death? Will he find any treasure along the way? Is there anything special about Dog? Read this book to discover the answers!
~Mrs. Carlson~
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce May 5, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Humorous Fiction, Science Fiction , add a comment
Liam is 12 years old, but he’s quite tall for his age and already has whiskers. He’s often mistaken for an adult. Liam dislikes looking older until he discovers that it’s helpful to look like a dad. Liam is chosen to be the adult chaperone for four kids who are taking a secret mission into space. Their mission is both exciting and hilarious.
I really liked this science fiction book. It had just the right amount of technology combined with action and humor. Additionally, it showed how there are different kinds of dads. The best dad may not be the smartest or the richest, but he’ll go to the ends of the earth to protect you.
~Mrs. Carlson~
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl January 12, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Fantasy , add a commentListen to this Voki by Dana and Kyle to learn a bit about this book.
Read this book to find out more!
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls December 10, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Animal Fiction , add a comment
White Fang by Jack London November 17, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Animal Fiction , 7commentsCheck out this awesome Voki by Tatyana, a fifth grader at Millridge.
The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi October 24, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Science Fiction , add a comment
Have you ever read The Spiderwick Chronicles? The Search for Wondla is the first in a new science fiction series by the same author, Tony DiTerlizzi.
Do you like science fiction? In this book, human Eva Nine lives underground in a Sanctuary on a strange planet. She has never been outside the Sanctuary. She has been raised by Muthr, her robot mother, and carries a small talking computer called an Omnipod.
Do you like adventure? Eva Nine leaves the Sanctuary and faces great danger as she searches for the Wondla. She believes the Wondla will help her solve the mystery of why she is on the planet and whether any other humans exist. As she travels, she meets many strange and sometimes hideous creatures. Some become her friends, and others want to kill her.
What is the Wondla? You will have to read the book to find out!
Where can I learn more about this book? Go to http://www.wondla.com.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out! ~Mrs. Carlson~