All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino January 14, 2012
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Picture Books , add a comment
This is a charming picture book about four generations of the author’s family. It begins in Italy with the author’s great grandfather. He leaves Italy with his dreams, good advice from his parents, and a little shovel. The belief in dreams, the good advice, and the little shovel are passed on through each generation.
I really enjoyed this book. Each family member had a different dream and a different use for the shovel. However, they all followed the good advice the great grandfather received when he left Italy. The colorful pictures and simple text make for a great book.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Night Before Halloween by Natasha Wing October 13, 2011
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If you like Halloween and if you like easy books, then you will like this book. It is about goblins and ghosts, kids all dressing up for Halloween night. It starts in a spooky house. They get lots of candy. When they went to the spooky house and all of a sudden a witch came out and…
P.S. I think it is a fun book and the pictures help me understand.
~Payton, Gates Mills 3rd Grader~
The Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler October 7, 2011
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It is a scary and funny book. The boy has nightmares of who his teacher is. The story takes place in a class room. A teacher named Miss Green is really green. Every time kids do something wrong they get destroyed. Why do kids keep getting in trouble? Read it and find out.
Isaiah, Gates Mills 3rd Grader
Flower Girl Butterflies by Elizabeth F. Howard October 7, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Picture Books , 1 comment so far
I think you will like this book if you like weddings. It can teach you how to be a flower girl. You can learn about weddings and the rehearsal. Weddings are fun. Robin is the bride. Sarah is the flower girl. Robin was getting married. They went to the mall to get her wedding dress. Sarah was in her room. Robin was in the living room thinking about the wedding. She was sort of nervous and happy at the same time. Sarah was scared walking down the aisle.
~Abby, Gates Mills 3rd Grader~
My Buddy by Ted Rand October 6, 2011
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Buddy is attached to the boy. Buddy helps the boy do activities that people in wheelchairs can`t usually do. Buddy is a service dog. He is very helpful. The main characters are the boy, Buddy and Mike. Mike wants the boy to play ball. But Buddy has to go everywhere with the boy to help him move. The boy has no power in his arms and legs. Buddy likes the ball the best. If you want to know what happens find the book MY BUDDY in a local library near you.
~ANTONIO, Gates Mills 3rd Grader~
Flower Girl Butterflies by Elizabeth F. Howard October 6, 2011
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If you like weddings and elegant descriptive words this book is great for you and if you would like to be a flower girl this book will teach you. There are a lot of characters like Aunt Robin and Sarah. They went to the mall to get Sarah’s dress.
The uncles and aunts came and stayed at Sarah’s house for the wedding. Sarah cleared everything off her desk at home for the makeup that aunts brought from home. All the uncles and aunt came and hugged Sarah when she opened the door. All the uncles and aunts came into the living room. Sarah had to practice walking down the aisle for the wedding. The problem was that she was scared that she would do something embarrassing in front of the crowd at the wedding. My opinion is it’s a great book. I love it because it feels like a real story. Maybe it is. Will there be a flower girl?
If you read this book maybe you’ll find out!
~ JoAnna, Gates Mills Third Grader~
Billy and Milly, Short and Silly by Eve B. Feldman September 29, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Picture Books, Poetry , add a comment
This book has 13 very short stories. They only have three or four rhyming words! All the words are simple nouns and verbs. The pictures are colorful, sometimes funny, and very helpful with understanding the story. I think kindergarten and first grade students will enjoy this book.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora March 19, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Folk/Fairy Tale, Picture Books , 1 comment so far
You are probably familiar with the old fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. This book is a retelling of the classic Hans Christian Anderson tale. In this version, the setting is Africa. The prince wants to marry, but he can’t find the right girl. One small pea will help the prince find his true love. Try this book to find out if the prince finds a wife, learn a few African words, and enjoy the colorful illustrations.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Three Little Pigs by Steven Guarnaccia March 11, 2011
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This is the typical three pigs and big bad wolf story. Three pigs leave home and build their own houses. The big bad wolf huffs and puffs, and the three pigs wind up in the strongest house. What makes this story different is that the pigs’ houses are similar to those of three famous architects. They are filled with furniture created by world famous designers. As the cover reads, this is “An Architectural Tale.”
If you’re looking for a unique fractured fairy tale, try this one.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems. February 27, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Picture Books , 5comments
This is the last book in the Knuffle Bunny picture book series. Mommy, Daddy, and Trixie go to Holland to visit Trixie’s grandparents. After arriving at her grandparents’ home, Trixie realizes Knuffle Bunny is still on the airplane. At first, she really misses her stuffed rabbit. One night, she dreams of the happiness that Knuffle Bunny is bringing to children all over the world. The next morning she wakes up feeling very happy. There is a surprise ending to this story, but I won’t give that away. If you like the Knuffle Bunny books, you have to read this last one.
~Mrs. Carlson~