Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming December 30, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Biography, Nonfiction , add a comment
I am fascinated by Amelia Earhart, who is probably the most famous female pilot of all time. I have read many books about her, trying to learn more about her life and her eventual fate. In 1937, she attempted to fly around the world. Sadly, she disappeared in the Pacific Ocean.
I think this book about Amelia is fabulous. The author carefully researched Amelia’s life and separated the facts from the myths. She presented the facts in a very interesting fashion, alternating the pilot’s life story, from birth to death, with details of her last flight. The book is filled with wonderful photographs, maps, and hand-written documents.
If you’re interesting in learning about this bold woman who inspired other women to go after their dreams, you really should read Amelia Lost.
~Mrs. Carlson~
It’s the First Day of School … Forever! by R.L. Stine December 27, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Horror Fiction, Humorous Fiction , add a comment
If you like R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, you’re sure to like this book. Artie’s first day of school is unbelievably awful. At breakfast, his brother squirts syrup in his hair. Walking to school, he gets splashed by a truck driving through a huge puddle. It looks like he wet his pants! Artie’s dog follows him to school and rips the principal’s suit. The day gets weirder by the minute … and scarier. Artie’s second day starts out just like the first day. Oh no! He’s reliving the first day of school. Over and over. This book is filled with humor and horror. Plus it has an awesome ending!
~Mrs. Carlson~
January’s Sparrow by Patricia Polacco December 23, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Historical Fiction , add a comment
Patricia Polacco is a very talented storyteller and artist. In this book, she tells the story of the Crosswhite family and their escape to freedom. The Crosswhites are slaves who live in Kentucky. Their master is very cruel. They take off one night and wind up in Marshall, Michigan. Four or five years later, their master tracks them down and tries to take them back to Kentucky. The citizens of Marshall come to their rescue. However, the Crosswhites must move on. If you enjoy historical fiction and want to find out what happens to the Crosswhites, read this book.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by Barbara O’Connor December 23, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction, School Fiction , 2comments
I think I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by Barbara O’Connor. I sure enjoyed this funny book. Burdette Weaver, known as Bird, only has one friend, Miss Delphine. At school, kids make fun of her. Bird has two goals in life. The first is to experience one day of fame and glory. The second is to go to Disney World. She finally has a chance to reach both goals because of the state spelling bee. She chooses Harlem Tate as her partner. He’s a lot like her. He doesn’t have any friends and doesn’t seem to fit in. It seems like they have a chance at winning the spelling bee, but Harlem has a secret that’s holding them back. Read this charming book to find out what happens.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor December 13, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction , add a comment
Ivy June lives in a small frame house in Thunder Creek, Kentucky. She doesn’t have a telephone or an indoor bathroom. Catherine lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She lives in a beautiful house with her own bedroom. These two girls are part of a student exchange program. They will take turns living with each other for two weeks and recording their experiences. Neither know what to expect and worry that they are too different to be friends. Both girls wind up facing a difficult situation involving a loved one. They learn that when it comes to family, they are very much alike. This is a wonderful book about acceptance and friendship.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill December 13, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Historical Fiction, School Fiction , add a comment
If you like historical fiction and are interested in Alaska, this is a perfect book for you. It takes place in a small Alaskan village in 1948. A whole string of teachers have worked in the one room school, and none of them were happy. Then Miss Agnes shows up. She’s different. She makes school interesting. She even helps the adults. Miss Agnes plans to go back to England when the school year ends. Who will replace this amazing teacher?
~Mrs. Carlson~
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson December 3, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Historical Fiction , 2comments
As you can tell from the title, this book takes place in the year 1793. Mattie Cook, a 14 year old girl, lives with her widowed mother and grandfather in the rooms above their Philadelphia coffeehouse. She’s rather lazy but has big plans for the future. Then the yellow fever epidemic hits. Thousands of people in Philadelphia die. Mattie’s mother is the first in the family to get sick. Mattie and her grandfather flee the city at her mother’s urging. Will Mattie or her grandfather get sick? Does her mother survive? Does Mattie return to the coffeehouse? To find out the answers to these questions, read this well-written historical fiction book.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O’Connor November 29, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Adventure, Friendship Fiction, Realistic Fiction , 1 comment so far
The cover of The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester is quite colorful and gives you some clues as to what it’s about. Do you see the big bullfrog? Owen Jester caught it and wanted to keep it as a pet. It became ill, and he had to make a big decision about its future. That’s not the secret, though.
Do you see anything on the cover that’s red and has windows? I’m not going to tell you what it is or where it came from. I will tell you that it fascinated Owen. It fascinated him so much that he had to ask nosy, know-it-all Viola for help, and he was glad he did.
Read this book to discover the fantastic secret of Owen Jester.
~Mrs. Carlson~
Me and Rupert Goody by Barbara O’Connor November 21, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Family Fiction, Realistic Fiction , add a comment
Barbara O’Connor is quickly becoming my favorite author. Have you read How to Steal a Dog or Greetings from Nowhere? She wrote these books and many others. I will warn you about Me and Rupert Goody. Some of the characters use words that you should never use at school. They live in a rural area in North Carolina and live a rough life, so it makes sense that they use bad words.
Jennalee, who is “Me” in the title, spends a lot of time in Uncle Beau’s store. Beau is not really her uncle, but she loves him. They have a daily routine that begins before school and lasts until dark. Their routine is interrupted when Rupert Goody shows up. Jennalee doesn’t want Rupert to stay, but there’s a good reason he’s moved in with Uncle Beau. Read this book to find out why Rupert arrives and whether Jennalee accepts him.
~Mrs. Carlson~
The Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker November 13, 2011
Posted by jcarlson in : Friendship Fiction, Historical Fiction , add a comment
This is a really cute book about a clumsy, funny tomboy named Tugs Button. Her family is just plain blah! They don’t have any special talents or interests. Tugs wants to be different from the rest of her family.
The story takes place during the summer of 1929 in a small Iowa town. Tugs attempts to become friends with a very popular girl, tries to win a camera, and stumbles upon a mystery. Read this book to find out how clever Tugs deals with these challenges.
~Mrs. Carlson~