Mick Harte was Here by Barbara Park February 22, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 1 comment so far
If you like books by the author Barbara Park, then you will LOVE Mick Harte Was Here. It is about a boy named Mick Harte and his sister Phoebe. They have fights once in a while, but they love each other. When the tragic accident happened Phoebe was devastated. The two of them had so many great memories together; an example would be when Mick put a rubber eyeball into some meat, his mom freaked out. There are some very sad parts in this book, which are then made into funny or happy moments. To find out the devastating tragedy that happened to Mick, you will have to read this great book.
~Allie, Fifth Grader~
All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall February 15, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 3comments
Do you know who Elvis is? What if your dad became an Elvis impersonator? Would you be embarrassed? That’s exactly what happened to Josh, and this is his story.
Josh’s parents are divorced. He usually lives with his mother, but he has to move to Chicago and live with his dad for a couple months. When he arrives, he discovers that his dad has lost his job at the shoe store and has become an Elvis impersonator. Josh does not know how to deal with his dad’s craziness. When the school Josh attends hires his dad to perform at a concert, Josh has to resort to extreme measures. It’s difficult being the new kid at school. He sure doesn’t need the other students finding out his dad dresses up in a white sequined jumpsuit and sways his hips as he croons old songs.
Very cute book!
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Landry News by Andrew Clements February 2, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Realistic Fiction , 5commentsRead these really good reviews by fourth grade students.
Do you like to read realistic fiction? Or do you like to read books by Andrew Clements? Well if you do, you will like the book The Landry News. This book is about a girl named Cara Landry, who starts her own newspaper. Her teacher Mr. Larson just sits in his chair, drinks coffee, and reads the newspaper. So one day, Cara decides to give her newspaper to him. Do you think Mr. Larson will get mad? Or teach his class something? Read this book to find out!
~Chloey, Fourth Grader~
Do you like reading books written by Andrew Clements like Lost and Found, The Report Card, Frindle, The School Story, No Talking, and many others? Well then this is the book for you! The Landry News is a great book that’s about the new girl Cara Landry who loves writing newspapers. She calls it The Landry News. Her fifth grade teacher Mr. Larson doesn’t do much teaching. He just sits there and reads his newspaper and sips his coffee! Once Cara finished her paper, she puts it up on the board. Soon, Mr. Larson finds it and is pleased that Cara likes making newspapers. When he sees the part about him not teaching, he isn’t so happy. Cara soon finds friends who help her make her newspaper on the computer and print copies. Will the teacher bust them? Read this book to find out!
~Jackie, Fourth Grader~
The main characters in The Landry News are Cara Landry, Joey, and Mr. Larson. Cara decided to make a newspaper to be improved by Mr. Larson. Mr. Larson did not like the newspaper because it said …. read the book to find out! If you like books by Andrew Clements, then this is the book for you. The setting takes place at school. And if you like newspapers, this is the book for you. If I liked this book, you should too!
~Zareanna, Fourth Grader~
Do you like books by Andrew Clements? If you do, you would like this book. It’s called The Landry News. A little about this book is that the main characters are Cara and Mr. Larson. But Mr. Larson the teacher doesn’t even teach the class! All he does is drink coffee and read the newspaper. What do you think the kids will do? Will Mr. Larson change? But then one day something was written in a paper called The Landry News. What will happen? To find out, read this book.
~Brittney, Fourth Grader~
If you like Frindle or Lunch Money, you will like this book. The Landry News is a book by Andrew Clements. It has 138 pages and is very interesting. This book is about a girl named Cara Landry. She started her own newspaper, and she gets in trouble. The Landry News has challenging words. The Landry News has many exciting parts too. I would recommend this book to anyone.
~Alana, Fourth Grader~
Blubber by Judy Blume January 27, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 2comments
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~
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen January 20, 2010
Posted by jcarlson in : Realistic Fiction , add a comment
What happens when a twelve year old boy receives an old lawn mower as a birthday gift? Is it possible for him to become wealthy running a mowing business? Can he actually afford to invest his money in a prizefighter? This funny book answers all these questions. If you read it, you’ll laugh while learning about economics.
~Mrs. Carlson~
How to Be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days by Lisa Papademetriou October 7, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Realistic Fiction , 4comments
This is just one of the many books in the Candy Apple series. Nicolette Spicer, whose nickname is Nick, loves basketball and thinks more about buying new athletic shoes than new clothes or makeup. Then she meets a boy named Ben. Nick believes she has to become a girly girl if she wants Ben to notice her. Read this book to find out if Nick’s total makeover is successful.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade by Barthe DeClements June 6, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Realistic Fiction, School Fiction , 6comments
A good example of a book to recommend to your friends is Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade. This is a story about a few girls named Jenny, Diane, and Sharon trying to survive the “unfair” fifth grade. While these girls are struggling to do so, an unfamiliar disruption comes. This disruption is a fat new girl named Elsie Edwards. When Elsie first came to the new school, she did many bad things like getting into big trouble by taking other people’s unhealthy foods while being on a strict diet, stealing the class’s lunch and book club money to buy candy, and more. But soon Jenny (the main character) finds out about Elsie’s troubles outside of school like having a mom that hates you just because you’re fat and maybe having to go to boarding school. Jenny also notices that Elsie is actually nice and starts becoming her friend. When the two girls are friends, Jenny starts to get some of her friends to be Elsie’s friend, and soon Elsie is not hated anymore (but some of the boys still don’t like her)! Soon many people start to help Elsie behave and get slimmer so her mom would’t have to send her to boarding school. At the end, Elsie doesn’t have to go to boarding school and everyone is happy (especially Jenny and Elsie)!
~Victor, fifth grader~
Jenny and her friends are trying to survive 5th grade when a big disruption comes! The new fat, blonde, smart girl comes to Mrs. Hanson’s class just when things are getting better. No one wants the new girl Elsie in the class because she’s such an embarrassment to everyone in the class. Ever since Elsie came to their class everyone has been making fun of her and weird things have been going on. Jenny and her friends were also one of those people who made fun of Elsie, but when Jenny isn’t doing so great in school she asks Elsie to help when Jenny realizes Elsie is a really good person. Elsie’s mother starts to hate her because Elsie is so fat, but Elsie’s mother spoils her other younger daughter Robyn. Jenny helps Elsie go on a diet and do better in behavior so she won’t have to go to boarding school. Jenny and Elsie become good friends and Elsie can stay with her new best friend. 
~Jackie, Fifth Grader~
I think this was a good book, and I would recommend it to a friend. It is a story about a new girl who comes to school and is overweight and is made fun of. The main character (Jenny) is not good at math and needs help with it. In the book, Elsie the new kid is asking people for their desserts and the teachers catch her, and she starts stealing lunch money. Jenny hates her and calls her a thief until she finds out about her life and her mom and that she’s going to go to boarding school. They both agree that NOTHING’S FAIR IN FIFTH GRADE!
~Brian, Fifth Grader~
Strider by Beverly Cleary April 25, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Animal Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 1 comment so far
If you liked the book Dear Mr. Henshaw, you should read its sequel, Strider. Once again Leigh Botts is recording his thoughts in a diary. Leigh writes about his old troubles - his parents’ divorce, his father’s lack of interest in his life, and his desire to have friends and be popular at school. Leigh also writes about his new concerns which include going out for the track team, a girl named Geneva, and a dog.
Life seems to get better when Leigh and his friend Barry find an abandoned dog. They name him Strider and decide to try “joint custody.” Joint custody means the boys will share the dog. Strider lives part-time at each house. At first it seems to work out, but then Leigh becomes very attached to Strider while Barry is away and no longer wishes to share the dog. How will the boys resolve this problem? Read this book and find out!
~Mrs. Carlson~
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor April 9, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Animal Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 12comments
This book is about a boy named Marty that likes a dog he named Shiloh. But the dog is actually Judd Traver’s dog. Marty keeps Shiloh in a pen behind a hill. Marty is trying to hide Shiloh from Judd, his mom and his dad. Judd starts looking for Shiloh. Marty wants to keep Shiloh away from Judd because Judd kicks Shiloh. Will Judd find Shiloh? Read this great book to find out!
~Carmen, Fourth Grader~
Shiloh is a great book. It is about a boy named Marty, who finds a dog which belongs to a guy named Judd Travers, who treats him really bad. But when Shiloh gets hurt, everything goes wrong. And for people who like dogs, this is not the book for you. But at the end of the book, something really good happens. Read the book to see if Marty gets the dog or will he stay with Judd Travers.
~Gus, Fourth Grader~
Shiloh is a very popular book. If you want to read other reviews about it, type the title in the search box and click on “go!”
The School Story by Andrew Clements March 24, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Realistic Fiction , 4comments
This book is about a girl named Natalie and her best friend, Zoe. Zoe insists that Natalie’s book is good enough to get published, but how does a 6th grader get published? Well, it actually turns out that Natalie’s mom works for a publishing company. Still Natalie is only 12. She can’t get a book published. So Natalie and Zoe go to their writing teacher, Ms. Clayton, for help, and they start a publishing club. Now that Natalie and Zoe have a teacher for help they think that’s all they need for Natalie’s book to get published, but it’s not. Ms. Clayton has read Natalie’s book, and she also thinks that Natalie’s book is good enough to get published. Natalie doesn’t want to become famous, so she comes up with a pen name so her mom and everybody else that reads the book doesn’t know that Natalie wrote it. Her pen name is Cassandra Day. After a few days, Natalie and Ms. Clayton finally send the book to Natalie’s mom’s office. The next night Natalie’s mom comes home and says to Natalie that she loves the book that Cassandra Day wrote and that all she needs to get the book published is a lawyer and an agent. Will Natalie get a lawyer and an agent? But more importantly, will Natalie get the book published and will her mom find out that her daughter is Cassandra Day? You’ll just have to read the book to find out!
~Jillian, Fourth Grader~