Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney October 6, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Friendship Fiction , 1 comment so far
Greg has a life with two brothers. One of the brothers beats him up. The other brother keeps getting Greg in trouble all the time. He also has a mom and dad who keep on yelling at Greg for something he didn’t do. His brothers names are Rodrick and Manny. He goes to middle school with his friend named Rowley and an enemy named Patty and a weird person named Fregly.
~Truman, third grader at Gates Mills~
The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo July 11, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 1 comment so far
Can you imagine finding a caged tiger in the woods? That’s exactly what happens to twelve year old Rob. He wants to show the beautiful animal to someone, but he’s not sure who. He’s new in town, so he doesn’t have any friends. Matter of fact, he seems to have a lot of enemies. His mother has died recently, and he’s not communicating very well with his father. Then he meets Sistine. He realizes that she’s the one with whom he can share his secret. Sistine wants to release the tiger, but Rob knows that could cause serious trouble. Read this book to find out how the tiger helps both Rob and Sistine face their problems.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies May 29, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 5commentsHow would you feel if your younger sister was advanced a grade and she 
wound up in your class? Angry? Jealous? Embarrassed? Evan felt all of these emotions when he heard the news that his sister Jessie was going to be in his class in the upcoming school year.
Evan and Jessie had always gotten along very well … until now. They declared war, a lemonade war. Winner takes all. This realistic fiction book was great fun to read. It has humor, math, business tips, and a super ending. This book is a perfect summer read!
~Mrs. Carlson~
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper May 24, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction , add a comment
Can you imagine having a million thoughts in your mind and not being able to talk? Eleven year old Melody is very smart, probably the smartest kid in her school. However, she has cerebral palsy. She can’t walk, feed herself, get dressed, or talk. Finally she discovers something that will allow her to communicate. It changes her world. Unfortunately, she still faces disappointment and heartbreak. Read this touching book and meet Melody, a girl you’ll never forget. She’ll teach you some valuable lessons about disabled people.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Scumble by Ingrid Law April 5, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Fantasy, Friendship Fiction, Magic Fiction , add a comment
Scumble is a companion novel to the Newbery Honor winner Savvy. I liked both books, but I think I liked Savvy more. A savvy is a special power. In this book, Ledger Kale’s savvy arrives on his 13th birthday, and it’s quite destructive. Ledger spends the summer at his uncle’s ranch in Wyoming learning how to scumble, or harness, his savvy so that it becomes a positive power. While Ledger is scumbling, he has to deal with 13-year-old Sarah Jane Cabot, who seems to be nothing but a trouble-maker. Ledger uncovers secrets about Sarah Jane and her mother while dealing with Sarah Jane’s mean father. This 400 page fantasy book is filled with adventure and humor.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O’Connor January 12, 2011
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The main setting of this book is the shabby old Sleepy Time Motel in Shawnee Gap, North Carolina. Aggie, an old widow, decides to sell her motel even though it’s filled with fond memories of her husband. During her final days living at the motel, three children wind up staying there. Like Aggie, each child’s life has recently changed, and they’re all struggling to cope with the change. The old motel becomes a place for all of them to find friendship and hope. This heartwarming book reminds you that everyone has problems, and friends can help you handle them.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Big Nate in a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce December 14, 2010
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If you like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, you’ll like the Big Nate series. Matter of fact, Jeff Kinney, the author of the Wimpy Kid books, said,”Big Nate is funny, big time.” Nate is 11years old, loves cheese doodles, and gets in trouble all the time. In this first book, he receives a detention slip from all of his teachers and the principal. Even though you would think he’d be upset, he was actually happy. Read this book to find out why.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O’Connor November 16, 2010
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Barbara O’Connor, the author of this book, wrote How to Steal a Dog, which I really liked. It’s a great example of realistic fiction. The narrator is a girl whose family is homeless, and she tells her story with honesty and humor. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis because I didn’t like the characters.
In this book, young Popeye’s summer has been really boring. Life becomes more interesting when the Jewell family’s motor home gets stuck in the mud near Popeye’s house. The Jewells aren’t going anywhere for a while. Popeye starts hanging around with Elvis Jewell. Elvis uses foul language, doesn’t follow rules, and gets in trouble all the time. Popeye thinks Elvis is cool and hangs out with him as much as he can. The two boys are looking for adventure when a series of small homemade boats with secret messages come floating down a nearby river. They set out to find the maker of the boats and the meaning of the messages.
Even though I didn’t like this book, some kids will really enjoy the humor and the adventure. If you decide to give it a try, be prepared for interesting and difficult vocabulary.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Talent Show by Dan Gutman October 12, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction, School Fiction , 1 comment so far
Dan Gutman is one of my favorite children’s authors. I have read all of his books, and my two favorites are Getting Air and The Million Dollar Putt. Kids seem to really like The Homework Machine and the My Weird School series.
When I saw that Mr. Gutman had published a new book called The Talent Show, I had to read it. It takes place in Cape Bluff, Kansas. After a tornado, the town decides to have a talent show to raise money to help rebuild the school. The winner will get a Hummer. There are a lot of talented kids in Cape Bluff. But there are also a lot of kids with no talent. Who will win? Will it be Paul and his band who love to play rock and roll? Or Julia, a lovely ballet dancer? Perhaps it will be Elke who can sing like an angel or Richard who can rap like Eminem. Is it possible that drumming gorillas could win? Or the kid who pretends to be sizzling bacon? You’ll have to read this book to find out the winner.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes September 15, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction , 5comments
Wanda is a girl who wears the same blue dress every day to school. She is a nice and shy girl. One day all the girls were talking about pretty dresses in the morning before school. Wanda got there and said, “I have one hundred dresses all lined up in my closet.” Do you like dresses and drama? If you do, this is a good book for you!
~Olivia C, Millridge Fifth Grader~