Blubber by Judy Blume January 27, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 3comments
Do you try to blend in with the kids that think they are cool? If you do, then read this book and you’ll probably change your mind! In this story, a girl named Jill makes fun of a girl named Linda along with the girls that think they are popular (even though they’re not) and call her Blubber, like a whale. On Halloween, Jill, her friend, and the popular girls play tricks on the people in their neighborhood. Will they get caught? Will Jill forget about the popular girls and be friends with Linda? Read to find out!
~Lily, Fourth Grader~
Horrible Harry and the Drop of Doom by Suzy Kline November 13, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Beginning Chapter Books, Friendship Fiction , 3comments
I think the book Horrible Harry and the Drop of Doom is a good book. First, Harry’s friend Song Lee gets a couple tickets to an amusement park and asks Harry, Mary, and Dexter. Then she gets her mom to go. All of them are talking about the Drop of Doom. That is a ride with a 13 story drop. Harry is scared to go on it. Will he go on the ride? Read this book to find out!
~Alex, third grader~
The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill October 21, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction , 6comments
The Toothpaste Millionaire is about a boy named Rufus. He became a millionaire by making low-price toothpaste. Kate had just moved to Cleveland and met Rufus. Rufus met Kate when her books fell off her bike. One day Rufus made different flavors of toothpaste. That’s how Rufus, an eighth grader, became a millionaire. If you want to know more, check out The Toothpaste Millionaire.
~Emma, Fifth Grader~
There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by Louis Sachar May 14, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, School Fiction , 7comments
At Red Hill School, fifth grader Bradley Chalkers was a very big bully! He gets bad grades, has no friends, and sits in the last seat, last row. A new kid Jeff arrives at the school and wants to be friends with Bradley until some trouble comes when Bradley gets a black eye. The new school counselor Carla Davis tries to help Bradley with his problems. While Carla is helping Bradley with his problems, Bradley makes friends and gets invited to a birthday party! But something bad happens to Carla and things don’t go that well with Bradley and her. Bradley wishes he could still see Carla, but he knows that they will never forget each other!
~Jackie, Fifth Grader~
The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill April 25, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction , 5commentsThis story takes place in Cleveland and has some math in it. It’s about a boy named Rufus who 
thinks 73 cents for toothpaste is ridiculous. So he and his friend Kate make millions selling 15 cent toothpaste. If you’re a math and adventure person, you’ll love this book. I liked the book because it had math in it.
~Kristen, Fourth Grader~
Stuart Little by E.B. White April 9, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Animal Fiction, Friendship Fiction , 12comments
This book is about a mouse named Stuart Little. Stuart is in a family of 4 with a cat named Snowbell. This family contains a mom, dad, and a brother named George. Stuart likes to go on outrageous adventures. One day, a bird named Margalo shows up at Stuart’s house. Once when Stuart gets trapped in a garbage truck, Margalo came and saved Stuart. Margalo gets lost one day, so Stuart goes out to find her. A lot of things happen to Stuart while he is out to find Margalo. Will Stuart find Margalo? Just read this great book to find out!
Also this book is a great reader (1 pt.)
~Jack #1, Jack #2, and Jillian, Fourth Graders~
The Cay by Theodore Taylor January 12, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, Historical Fiction , 24comments
Phillip, his mom, and his dad lived on Curacao, an island. Phillip’s mom wanted to move because she didn’t like the smell of oil and gas, so she decided to move from the island they live on to Virginia. Phillip doesn’t want to go on a ship called the SS Hato. It gets torpedoed because they are in the middle of a war. Everyone is in the water, but Phillip gets hit on the head with something. Not long after, Phillip wakes up to see that he is on a raft in the middle of the ocean with an African American named Timothy. The next day Phillip goes blind, and they see a cay and live on it. After a few months, they get hit by a hurricane, and Timothy dies. Now Phillip is blind and alone with a cat named Stew Cat. Does he get rescued? Read and find out.
~Alan, Fifth Grader~
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker December 2, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, Humorous Fiction , 7comments
Poor Clementine! She’s named after a fruit. She’s always being told by adults to pay attention. She spends a lot of time in the principal’s office. What more could go wrong? In this very funny beginning chapter book, eight year old Clementine wants to help her best friend Margaret. Cutting off Margaret’s hair and coloring it with a flaming sunset permanent marker seemed like such a good idea. Unfortunately Clementine has a lot of ideas that don’t seem to work out. Thank goodness her idea to solve the Pigeon War worked.
I thought this book was hilarious. Clementine is as funny as Junie B. Jones and Ramona. I can’t wait to read Clementine’s Letter and The Talented Clementine.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Holes by Louis Sachar November 20, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction , 14comments
Holes is a book about a boy named Stanley Yelnats, but there is something special about his name … it is spelled the same way back and forth. Stanley is a boy who has to go to a camp called Camp Green Lake because the police thought he stole a pair of shoes from a famous baseball player. He meets lots of friends at camp. They all have to dig holes every day because the warden is looking for something. Stanley and his friend Zero run away from camp. I hope you read this book.
~Ben, Fourth Grader~
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~