James and the Giant Peach

This story feels like a classic read. I really enjoyed the adventure aspect and creativity of the journey inside a giant peach. I liked the morals weaved through the story in such an imaginative world.

The students will love the cloud men because of the creative weapons used to attack James in the peach. Students will learn how to work together and other life lessons.Roald Dahl creates amazing stories that most children are eager to read - he captivates his audience.

Dahl, Roald, & Blake, Quentin. (2007). James and the giant peach. Puffin.

Lord of Flies

I didn't particularly like this story. I didn't like the way the author wrote about children turning on each other so quickly. I think kids would stick together more often than ganging up on each other and killing each other - maybe it's my upbringing. Their humanity disappated too quickly. It wasn't believable for me.


Kids would probably like it because it is about kids on a deserted island left to fend for themselves. Kids can create their ideas about what they would do differently than the kids in the book. This story would spur a lot of conversation.

Golding, William, & Blumenthal, Bob. (2006). Lord of the flies. Trafford.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Once again, Harry Potter is back with his aunt and uncle during the summer where he stirs up trouble with the family when he argues with his great Aunt Marge and blows her up into a big balloon. Harry Potter runs away from home, finds his way back to Hogwarts where the escaped prisoner from Azkaban is attempting to locate Harry. Harry defeats Dementors by unleashing his inner patronus, a silver stag, he learns more about his father and his father's friends shape shifting abilities, and Snape's hatred for them as Harry discovers that the prisoner, Serius Black, is the wolf he has been seeing. Harry learns that the true traitor to Harry's family was actually Peter Petigrew and not Serius Black , the Dementors attack Black anyway and Harry saves Serius with his patronus again. Harry discovers after Serius has once again been taken prisoner that Serius is indeed Harry's godfather. Dumbledor and Harry plot out away for Serius to once again escape to keep from getting the Dementor's kiss.

Characters are very strong and are very believable. Dialogue shows each of the characters in more depth and allows the reader in to see their personalities.

Rowling, J. (1999). Harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban. Scholastic Paperbacks.

Goosebumps, The Blob that Ate Everyone

Zackie is a young boy that loves to write scary stories and read them to his friends Alex and Adam. Alex loves Zackies stories but Adam always makes fun of the stories but Zackie writes them because he is easily scared. Alex and Zackie walk to town and come across a burned down building and they enter to explore the remnants. Zackie sees an old typewriter and wants to take it but he is shocked by electricity and falls to the ground and the shop owner gives Zackie the typewriter and a quill pen, he takes it home and then discovers it might have special powers. Zackie begins to type his scary blob story on the typewriter and everything he types begins to come true. Soon the town is being attacked by a giant blob and is now in his house along with Alex and the blob eats the typewriter so Zackie is unable to write a good ending to the story. Zackie realizes that he has the power of the story and not the typewriter so he thinks the end of the story and saves the day.

The plot carries this story because it is an interesting concept of what could happen if you are zapped by electricity. The characters are believable because they could be any child from any school that embark on a crazy adventure.

Stine, R. (1997). The Blob that ate everyone. New York, NY: Parachute Press, Inc.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

This book is a collection of scary stories meant to read aloud and the book even tells the reader when to jump at your listeners as it is read aloud. One story tells about a boy who finds a toe in the ground and he tugs at it, the toe pops off and he takes it home. After dinner the creature comes back for the toe. Another story just tells the tale of two men who were walking and were very scared of each other. Then the author tells the reader to scream - to scare the listener.

The author creates a mood that children and adults love - fear. Even though the stories may not even be scary, the reader is meant to scare it's listener by jumping or screaming while telling the story. The black and white drawings seem to be scarier than the words in the book.

Schwartz, Alvin. (1986). Scary stories to tell in the dark. HarperTrophy.