Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman January 12, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Fantasy , 1 comment so far
If you like Norse mythology, this is the perfect book for you. The main character in this book is Odd, and it’s a very odd book. But I liked it! It takes place in ancient Norway. Odd’s life is not going well. His father, a Viking warrior, has been killed. His leg is injured by a falling tree. And his mother marries a dreadful man. To top it all off, winter is not ending. Odd goes to live in the forest and meets up with a bear, a fox, and an eagle. He discovers they can talk. That’s because they are gods from Asgard who have been changed into animals by a Frost Giant. Odd goes on a fantastic journey to Asgard. Can a young boy save Asgard from the Frost Giants and end winter? Read this book by the author of Coraline and The Graveyard Book to find out.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell January 6, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Podcasts , 8commentsIf you like adventure stories, please listen to this podcast by fifth graders Alex and Miki.
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech November 16, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Family Fiction , 1 comment so far
Do you like to read about travel? Well, if you do, then this book is for you. It’s called The Wanderer. This book has a mixture of everything; it has comedy, action, and mystery. The two main characters are Sophie and Cody. Using journals, they tell their story of sailing to England. So if you are thinking about checking out this book, it is in the Millridge Library in the Great Readers section under the C’s. And this book is also a 3 pointer!!! I liked this book because I enjoy traveling and sailing.
~Alan, Fourth 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~
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman April 10, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure , 4comments
A group of fourth graders wrote reviews for The Whipping Boy. Here are a few of them for you to enjoy.
Jemmy is a whipping boy and very kind-hearted, but Prince Brat is very mean and a trouble-maker. He plays lots of dirty tricks on people but never gets punished because it’s forbidden to lay a finger on the prince. So that’s when the whipping boy comes in. One night, Prince Brat runs away, along with the whipping boy. It was so foggy you couldn’t see anything. That’s when two rude outlaws popped out of nowhere and grabbed the boys. One man was named Cutwater and the other was named Billy. I’m not going tell you what happened next. If you want to find out more, read The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman.
~Jimmy~
There was a prince named Prince Brat. He was mean and usually played tricks. He was happy because he was not allowed to be whipped. So they found a boy named Jemmy. He was the new whipping boy. His job was to get whipped when the prince did something wrong. One day the prince said, “Jemmy, I am running away, and you are coming too.” So they sneaked out, but they got kidnapped by two outlaws named Hold-Your-Nose-Billy and Cutwater. If you want to know why Hold-Your-Nose-Billy is called that and what happens next, you will have to read to find out.
~Matthew T~
A prince named Prince Brat gets in trouble. When the prince gets in trouble, an orphan named Jemmy gets whipped because the prince can’t get whipped. One day, the prince decided to run away. Jemmy decides to go with him. One foggy night, two men snatched Jemmy and Prince Brat. Jemmy has to write a letter asking the king to get a wagon of gold in exchange for the prince and the whipping boy. Will the king have to give a wagon load of gold? Read The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman to find out.
~Mario~
To read more reviews, go to whipping-boy-reviews1
Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret January 14, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure , 4comments
Escaping the Giant Wave is about a boy named Kyle and his sister, Beebee. Their parents have to go on a business trip in Oregon and take Kyle and Beebee with them. The family has to move to the Totem Pole Hotel because their hotel wasn’t finished being built. Finding out that the school bully was in the same hotel wasn’t fun. The children were worried when they found a tsunami warning sign on the beach. They were told not to be concerned. Their parents then had to go on a cruise and leave them at the hotel all alone! While their parents were away, there was an earthquake, followed by a fire, followed by a tsunami! Will Kyle and Beebee make it out before the wave hits? Will their parents be okay? Read Escaping the Wave to find out!
~Katie, Fifth Grader~