Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling April 14, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Fantasy, Magic Fiction , 2comments
It’s Harry’s second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even before he leaves to go on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, a House Elf is in his bedroom and dropping cake on Harry’s mean uncle’s guest. When the House Elf tells Harry that Hogwarts is too dangerous for him to go back, Harry is shocked! Harry feels out of sorts at his uncle’s and aunt’s house without his new friends, Ron and Hermione, and his broom and wand locked up in a cupboard. The weird thing is he starts to think that being a wizard was just a dream because his friends haven’t written to him. Not only that, but Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia have put bars on his window and locked his door because of the incident with the House Elf.
Harry gets a wonderful surprise when Ron and a few of his brothers come and rescue him with the one and only Flying Car! When they get to Ron’s house, the Burrow, he learns about the life of a wizard. The Weasleys teach him how to use Floo Powder to get to Diagon Alley. (Floo Powder isn’t all that great, so I wouldn’t advise for small children to do it.) Once Harry’s got all his books and met the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Lockhart, no one can stop Harry from going to Hogwarts now.
Unfortunately, the House Elf was right. Weird things are starting to happen, and Ginny Weasley, Ron’s sister, is caught in the middle of it. It’s up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. They are on the case! They have help from other people. Moaning Myrtle helps a lot, and even the sinister Draco Malfoy helps. They find clues like an old diary and the trail of spiders, but will they save Ginny before it’s too late? Read this adventurous book to find out.
~Jenna, Fifth Grader~
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo February 15, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Magic Fiction , 2comments
In this book, ten year old Peter visits a fortuneteller to find out if his sister is still alive. The fortuneteller advises the boy that an elephant will lead him to her. Amazingly, a magician decides to perform his most marvelous trick, resulting in an elephant crashing through the ceiling of the opera house. An interesting series of events involving some odd characters occur after the elephant appears. Will the elephant really lead Peter to his sister?
I liked this book, but I found it to be unusual. Even though it is a sweet story at times, it is also a dark story at times. Some of the characters I did not like, and some I thought were very strange. I wasn’t sure how all the events and characters fit together, but it all made sense by the end.
If you’d like to know more about this book and hear a webcast by Kate DiCamillo, visit The Magician’s Elephant web site at http://www.themagicianselephant.com.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling January 15, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Fantasy, Magic Fiction , 3comments
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an exciting sequel to the magical five books before and a prequel to the one exploding book after. This book reveals all the secrets of You-Know-Who. (Maybe.) One gigantic secret is ….. come here, I’ll tell you. Shhhhhpppp! Can you believe it?! After all this time that was how he lived after the night when he killed Lily and James Potter. Not only did they get something important, but they also lost someone important. I hope you decide to read this wonderful, adventurous story.
~Jenna, Fifth Grader~
The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain October 14, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Fantasy, Magic Fiction , add a commentWhen I read the first page or two, I did not think I was going to like this 
book because it seemed sort of creepy. However, it turned out that I really liked this fantasy book. It’s about four people who live in Coven Tree. They each buy a magic card for fifty cents from a funny little man named Thaddeus Blinn. Each one can use his or her card to make one wish. Just one wish! Three of them make a wish, and strange events follow. Thankfully, the man with the fourth card comes to their rescue. They learned to “be careful what you wish for.” If you like magic combined with humor, try this book.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne November 6, 2008
Posted by jcarlson in : Beginning Chapter Books, Magic Fiction , 32comments
One of my favorite series is Magic Tree House. The main characters are Jack and Annie. The setting takes place in many places like a forest, a blizzard, and a town. My favorite part is when they say, “I wish we could go there.” Some of their problems are when they have to try to find the solution to the mission. Also they have to do every step to beat the mission. I like this series because they go on adventures. I think these are really good books. You should read them too.
~Sammy, Fourth Grader~