A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee November 5, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Humorous Fiction, Picture Books , 1 comment so far
If you like books with great pictures, this one is for you!! Marla Frazee won the Caldecott Award for her illustrations in this book which she also authored. This story is about two boys that go off on a summer adventure for a week of nature camp. Friends James and Eamon go visit Eamon’s grandparents who live at the beach, but they learn about everything except nature– or do they? The tale follows the two boys as they experience many different activities during the week long visit. See what happens as the boys get ready to go home!
~Mrs. Amato~
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg October 27, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Fantasy, Picture Books , 5comments
One day when Farmer Bailey was driving, he heard a bump and thought he hit a deer. But instead, lying on the road, was a man. So he took the stranger home and had the doctor examine him. The doctor said the man lost his memory. But just before the doctor left the porch, Mrs. Bailey handed him his thermometer. The doctor said it was broken because the mercury stayed at the bottom when the stranger took his temperature. That night, the stranger had dinner with the Baileys. He was so fascinated by steam from the soup. He liked dancing with Katy, the Bailey’s daughter. One day the stranger climbed a hill and saw red-leaved trees. Where he was standing there were only green-leaved trees. Then one day the stranger took a green leaf from a tree and blew at the leaf. It turned red. Then the stranger decided it was time to leave. Over night the leaves around the house turned beautiful fall colors. But I always wondered who’s the stranger. Read this book to find out.
~Kristen, Fifth Grader~
Mrs. Carlson’s Top Ten Favorite Picture Books August 20, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Picture Books , 12commentsThese are my top ten favorite picture books, although they could change tomorrow. There are so many wonderful books being published every day! Notice that some of my favorites have been around a long time. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published in 1902, and Mop Top was published in 1955.
Think about your favorite books. Some day you will want to share them with your children. 
Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken March 11, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Animal Fiction, Picture Books , 4comments
Mrs. Meyer insisted that we read the book, Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken, because of who the author is… Kate DiCamillo! Yep, that’s right! She’s also the author of The Tale of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Louise is a chicken in search of adventure. She goes out to sea and gets attacked by pirates. Barely escaping death, she manages to make it back to the farm. Her friends are anxious to hear where she has been; however, Louise is not interested in sharing her adventures. The safety of the farm soon becomes boring, and she seeks more adventures. Louise joins the circus. She finds adventure under the big top, but eventually she has a heart-racing fall that almost lands her in the mouth of a vicious beast. Louise narrowly escapes and returns home. Again, she does not share her adventures, and again she grows bored of life on the farm. This time she travels to far away land where a fortune teller predicts she will meet a dark stranger. Are you wondering what happens next? Do you think Louise will continue to seek out dangerous adventures? Will Louise ever share her experiences with her friends back at the farm? Will she even make it back to the farm? You’ll have to read, Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken to find out!
Teachers will love how this book is organized into mini-chapters for each adventure. There are also a lot of opportunity to use context clues and inferring throughout this story. Kate DiCamillo does not disappoint her readers with this quick one sit read!
Mrs. Meyer’s Enrichment Reading Class
To hear Louise and her friends chatting in the farmyard, listen to the podcast.
Gerald McBoing Boing February 27, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Picture Books , 7comments
This is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books because it shows that it’s okay to be different. More than 50 years ago, Dr. Seuss wrote a story about a boy who spoke in sound effects, not words. It was made into a cartoon which won an Academy Award in 1951. In 2000, the book Gerald McBoing Boing was published.
Yes, Gerald cannot speak words. He makes noises instead. Boom! Bang! Clop, clop! Clang! Sadly, Gerald doesn’t have any friends and decides to run away. Before he has a chance to escape, the owner of a radio station discovers him and hires him as a sound effects specialist. Gerald is happy because someone appreciates his unique talent.
March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Why don’t you celebrate it by reading one of his books?
~Mrs. Carlson~
For the Love of Autumn by Patricia Polacco February 23, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Animal Fiction, Picture Books , 5commentsDo you believe in love at first sight? Danielle Parks does! Miss Parks fell 
in love immediately with Autumn, her playful kitten companion. Autumn attacked her ankles, knocked over the trash, and would lie right in the middle of any papers that Miss Parks tried to grade! At the end of each day Autumn would snuggle up in Miss Park’s arms until they both fell asleep. Miss Parks seemed to have everything going for her… she loved her job teaching, her cottage by the sea, and especially Autumn. Then one night there was a terrible storm, and Autumn disappeared. Miss Parks and her students looked everywhere for little Autumn. After several weeks, they began to believe she was gone forever. They were wrong! Autumn, also known as Stormy, was living a double life! Read For the Love of Autumn to find out how Miss Parks lost her cat, temporarily, but gained a family in the end!
Help Me, Mr. Mutt!: Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems by Janet Stevens January 7, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Humorous Fiction, Picture Books , 6comments