RE_3240_104

It is so exciting for us to develop a community of learners centered around children's literature. I look forward to reading, viewing and responding to your words.
Happy Reading! Dr. Frye

The Magic Tree House Books are very unique and exciting. You are invited to read one of the Merlin Missions- Carnival at Candlelight. As you read this story, mark interesting passages, questions you might have about the book or the plot, interesting ideas, etc. After reading the book, blog about your experience reading the book, the content of the book, and the format. Be sure to include your personal reaction to the book, connections to other books, people/places, or life experiences, as well as comments on the content of the book. Remember to include specific examples and explanations. Enjoy your journey!

I just finished reading Carnival at Candlelight. My first reaction was that I really enjoyed the book and thought that young children would also enjoy it. The book’s format was easy to follow since everything was in the sequence in which it occurred I feel that it would make it easy for a young reader to be able to read and keep up with the events that occurred during Jack and Annie’s adventure. I also really like that Mary Pope Osborne included the letter from Merlin as it would have looked to Jack and Annie when they were reading it. It helps the reader realize that it is a letter. Similarly, I liked that the entries from the research book were indented and bold so they stood out more as something different and not just dialogue from the book. This would be a great book to use in the classroom because of the many other topics that could be linked to the book. It mentions art with Lorenzo, you can study the history, geography and cultural identity of Venice as well as introducing the idea of mythology. I also really liked that the book encouraged imagination and adventure. The back of the book also included helpful and interesting additional entries by the author giving “More Facts About Venice” and about the “Author’s Research” allowing the reader to have a better understanding of why Osborne wrote the book and how; this could also lead to further discussion about other authors that the class enjoys. The only problem I had with the book was that it seemed like Annie was the one always getting them into trouble, running into the palace, and Jack having all the answers, when choosing which magical rhymes to use. It just seems that it makes Annie seem like the troublesome sister. Even though Annie’s bravery helped them I just wish that Osborne would distribute the intellectual input of the two characters more equally. This feeling also comes from the fact that I have read another one of the Magic Tree House books and I did not really enjoy the way Annie was portrayed.

First of all I have to say that I absolutely loved that book. It was very engaging to me, even being a college student. I couldn't put it down. I feel that I will definitely use this book if I teach upper elementary students. The book is so rich with history and geography and many other wonderful aspects with which to educate students. The format of the book was very easy to follow. Using the different texts and the illustrations will really help those visual learners get more out of the book. It is definitely a great book to use to cater to the students' different intelligences. I also loved how the author described her own experience with writing the book and how she developed the story. I feel that it is very important to understand and help students to understand how the author feels about the story. It is something important that they have accomplished and it is something that should be recognized. This is a fun, exciting and educational book that students would get so much out of.

Before I started to read Carnival at Candlelight I was expecting it to be a spin off of Harry Potter. I was wrong. I was so impressed with how much factual information was packed into this little book. Also I loved how Annie and Jack carried a research book around the whole time. With every problem they faced there was a helpful passage they could use from their research book. This showed how easy it is to find information using an index and also how helpful research books can be. When Osborne changes the fonts, adds pictures, and does things like show Merlin’s actual letter, it helps readers feel like they are actually a part of the adventure. I enjoyed those parts of the book. I like the fact that Osborne made Lorenzo, the famous artist, a kid. This shows the readers how you don’t have to be older to be good at something, especially art. The extra passages in the back were good for students who wanted to learn more after finishing the book. This is one of the most informational children’s chapter books I have ever read, and I plan on using it with my students.

I have not read a Magic Tree House book before, so I was not quite sure what to expect. Based on what the summary on the back of the book said, I thought it would be more about how they were going to get out of their own troubles. Overall, I really liked the story line. It flowed very well, which allows the kids to actually understand what they are reading. Throughout the book, Annie and Jack continually learned from each other and mistakes that they were making. Their teamwork really shows the reader that if you are willing to work together you can achieve whatever the mission is. The great lessons the reader can learn from this one book was what really fascinated me. When Jack or Annie did not know what something was they looked it up. I learned what a gondolas and a gondolier was. When Jack, Annie, and the reader were about to learn something new the text was centered and was bold. This allowed us to know what was the story and what was informational. It was a wonderful adventure that allowed the reader to learn so much more! I must say I will want my students to read the Magic Tree House Series.

When we were first assigned this book, I was excited because many of the children that I have tutored and babysat for have loved the Magic Tree House series, and I wanted to see what all the excitement was about. I predicted Carnival at Candlelight to be a magical story about two kids who have many fun adventures together. In reality, the book had so much more substance than I expected! I really loved that Mary Pope Osborne encourages kids to find the own solutions to their inquiries or problems. For example, on page 39 Annie wonders why there are so many winged lions in Venice. To figure out why, Jack looks up "winged lions" in their research book. They find out that the winged lion is the symbol of Venice, and stands for strength on both land and sea. Osborne's characters are inquisitive and I think that her readers are probably inspired to seek answers to their own questions as well. In addition, her readers can learn along with Annie and Jack throughout the book. Also, I really liked that Carnival at Candlelight taught virtues that are important and relevant to a child's life. On page 50 Jack and Annie learn an important lesson about patience when they try to skip ahead of the directions that were given to them. They learn that patience will help them effectively accomplish their goals. In all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it as a way to inspire kids to read and learn.

To be honest, I wasn't completely looking forward to reading the Carnival at Candlelight. After I read it, I was completely wrong. It was a great book and I will definitely use it in my classroom if I work with older elementary students. My predictions were that Jack and Annie would save the Grand Lady of the Lagoon but I had no clue there would be so much to it and that it would be informational. Before reading the Carnival at Candlelight, the only thing I knew about Venice was that it was located in Italy. After reading the book, I learned about how amazing Venice is and all the great things the city has to offer. I thought it was great how informational the book was. It allowed the reader to learn about Venice without feeling they were reading a text book. The information that came out of Jack's research book was in bold which allowed the reader to realize what they were reading. The format of the book was very easy to follow. The illustrations were fantastic. I wish all books had pictures so that all readers could feel as if they were there in the story. Mary Pope Osborne's use of adjectives really brought parts of the story to life such as on page 90 when she was describing the lion having a shaggy mane, golden back, powerful legs, tufted tail, and feathered wings. I could really picture the lion before I saw the illustrations of him. I really enjoyed reading the Carnival at Candlelight.

After reading Carnival at Candlelight, I can now say that I have read my first Magic Tree House book! I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was able to read this book from front to back without putting it down and that says a lot because I am not one to sit and read. After reading the back of the book I knew it was going to be filled with excitement and adventure. Could Jack and Annie really save Venice from a terrible disaster? Of course, they could and thats just what they did. I loved how the book kept my attention from beginging to end. If it can keep a twenty year olds attention, I know an upper elementary student would be activley enagged in this book. I iked how it followed a typical story line by first introducing us to Jack and Annie and their passion for magic. As the story goes on they are faced with challenges and obstacles that lead up to a climax, with Jack and Annie flying on the lions back and finding Neptune and finally saving the Grand Lady of the Lagoon. This book is excellent for upper elementary readers because it requires the use of an imagination and them being able to follow a sequence of events as well as introducing other parts of the world to them. This book can be used in so many ways such as incorporating history and encouraging creative writing. Overall, I thought this was a very interesting and exciting book that is an excellent choice for teachers to allow their children to read.

This book was absolutely adorable. I read it in 3 days, only because my schedule didn't allow me to sit and read it in one sitting. Before I even started reading the book, I went home for the weekend and took it with me to start on it. While I was there, my 15 year old sister saw the book and got so excited to see a MAGIC TREE HOUSE book, because she read many in the series. So after seeing her excitement, I looked even more forward to reading it.
One thing I noticed about this book is how rich in history it is, and just how much I learned while reading it. As a child, I couldn't imagine reading this book and not liking it. When I was younger, it wouldn't have been the type of book I would have picked out, but I know if I would have come across it, I would have loved it, because my first impression of the book was "you have to be intelligent and understand the depth of fantasy to read this book;" but I feel like I learned so much and took the adventure myself. I truly understand the meaning of the phrase..."Don't Judge a Book By it's Cover."
From all the imagination and rhymes to figuring out the Grand Lady of the Lagoon really was the city of Venice, it was such an enjoyable experience and I plan on purchasing many more MAGIC TREE HOUSE books for my own classroom.

The day after our first class meeting I went to the bookstore and purchased a copy of Carnival at Candlelight. While I was bored waiting in the massive line at the checkout I began to read to see what this book was all about. As a child we have all been taught to never judge a book by its cover. That is so hard to do and of course I was being judgemental. Growing up this particular book is one that I would have never read. After reading Carnival at Candleight I realized that it is quite possible I missed out on alot of great childrens books as a child. Within five pages of the book I was hooked. Jack and Annie are adorable characters! You would assume the boy character, Jack would be the most adventureous but most of the time he was the one being shy in situations. Annie would always give him that extra push to move on with a mission. These two characters quickly became a part of me and each page left me with wanting to know more. The best part about this book in my opinion was the knowledge it gave about Venice. When I first heard it was about Venice I automatically assumed it would be boring. I was completely wrong! Jack and Annies mission gave so much insight about Venice that I felt as if I were there. I read this book in a few hours as my time allowed around campus and riding home on the appalcart. I am a new fan of The Magic Tree House series and will have them on the shelves of my classroom. School keeps me so busy but the books are short enough to read fast that I am hoping to read more in my spare time. Not only will I read more of this series, I now have decided Venice is now on my top ten places to travel! I can see now how children would love this book as you left your imagination take you to fun new places that can become reality in your future as you get older!

I loved this story! It took no time to read once I was able to actually sit down with it! Patience was a running theme throughout the story and it really pushed the point that things would work out if you waited on them. The way MPO talked about Venice made me want to be there. I can see how this story can make a child's imagination run wild while reading this book. The pictures were incredible and went right along with the visions I had in mind while reading the story. There are so many ways that I as a teacher could use this in the classroom. I could use it for a history lesson, when talking about imagination, and when talking about patience. I thoroughly enjoyed this story!

I really enjoyed Carnival at Candlelight. I wasn't too excited about reading this book at first, but now I'm glad I had the chance to do so. This is such a wonderful book to use in my future classroom. It really captured my attention and was very educational at the same time. I think this book would be a great substitute for learning about certain places, like Venice, instead of straight out of a textbook. There are so many different subjects you could incorporate when reading this book, such as art, science, and so on. I really liked how there were a few pictures throughout the book and the bold writings were helpful to distinguish from Jack and Annie's dialogue. I'm excited about finding and reading other Magic Tree House books.

Carnival at Candlelight is the first Magic Tree House Series book I have read. My cousin is in second grade and loves to read these books. I already knew that they incorporated history into them. Even though I don't really like to read I was excited to read a children's book. I was able to read Carnival at Candlelight in a very short amount of time. I'm very glad I finally had the opportunity to read a Magic Tree House book. I have been to Venice before when I was in middle school so it was nice to be able to connect and remember the trip. I even got to go on a gondola ride. It was nice to see history incorporated in a fun way where children are able to learn but don't think they are reading a textbook. The book is also a good example of using you imagination. After reading this book I want to go back and visit again. I also really liked the format of this book. On page 13 you see a picture of the letter they got which helps children feel like they are apart of what is going on. I also liked how the research text was in bold. It helps the definitions and the facts stand out more. It also makes it seem like explainations were taken straight out of the research book. Overall I really liked this book and I will definately use the Magic Tree House Series in my classroom. The books add history to reading without reading boring textbooks. We are always being told in our classes to integrate different subjects and these books are a perfect example.

As a college student who hasn't read a children's novel in quite some time, I found Carnival at Candlelight to be a very intriguing book. As I was reading the book, I felt like I was being led around important architectural structures in Venice, Italy such as the watchtower and Saint Mark's Square. Even though I have never been to Venice and have only seen pictures, I believe that this book would be valuable to children because it promotes an interest in a different culture and lifestyle because I personally felt like it enhanced my understanding of the City. I believe this book is valuable in helping children learn vocabulary such as gondola and Carnival. It also would be great to encourage students to learn about historical figures such as Tiepolo and even mythical figures like Neptune. I thought that Jack and Annie's adventure on the winged lion was a powerful symbol to help children remember some of the unique qualities of Venice. I also personally loved when the book spoke about how Venice is timeless and several clocks rang out at different times to symbolize Venice's timelessness. I had never heard of that before. I would definitely use this in a classroom to get my students interested in a different culture.

The Magic Tree House series is a great collection to add to the classroom setting. These books include elements of mystery and magic, which helps to draw children into the stories told by such a wonderful author. Not only are they entertaining books, but they are also historical. Mary Pope Osborne did a nice job incorporating historical evidence within the story, and she singled out the definitions through the use of bold print. This caught my attention, so I can only imagine how it would stimulate a child's mind. The riddle in italics also caught my attention, as it was poetic in nature. Putting myself in a child's shoes, I think the detail and layout of the entire book is pleasing and simplistic, and it is able to keep the reader enthralled. The book quickly jumps from plot point to plot point instead of taking the reader in circles, thus keeping them interested in the next step. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and I would definitely use these books in my classroom because of the historical context incorporated in the text.

The book titled Carnival at Candlelight was a very cute read. My thoughts about reading this book were neutural, and after only two days I finished it. I thought everything about the book was wonderful, and I saw the book as something I could read to my future classroom full of growing minds. Carnival at Candellight incorporated aspects of histrory, geography, science, and fantasy into its pages. Plus, the pictures were a wonderful addition, they went perfectly with the story. There were many lessons that the characters Jack and Annie learned, but I loved the lesson they learned about using their imagination the most. The book was wonderful, and the pictures

A friend's son is very interested in this series of books, The Magic Tree House, and now I share his interest. I thought that this was a very interesting book. I loved the characters, Jack and Annie, and I loved the teamwork that they incorporated. Without one another Jack and Annie would not have solved the problems or the riddles. I think that it is very important to show examples of cooperation and teamwork, as well as the positive outcomes of teamwork. Cooperation and teamwork are skills that are very vital to students, and students will use these skills throughout their lives. I also liked the storyline of this book. I thought that the storyline was very interesting and "catching." From deciding who the " Grand Lady of the Lagoon" was to finding Tiepolo the painter, and riding the "King of the Jungle" readers were lost in the words of Mary Pope Osborne. I also thought that the series of events moved quickly, which allowed for the book not to "drag along." It is important for storylines to move quickly and not linger, I believe, to keep the students full attention and to encourage more independent reading. The setting of Venice, Italy was also a nice twist to the story. I feel that by having the setting in a location outside of the United States the book serves as an enrichment tool for the students. After reading the nice addition of facts about Italy in the back of the book, students may become interested and research Italy more on their own. I believe that this book would be an excellent cross-curricular tool by incorporating history and geography into the English/Language Arts lesson. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I would definitely recommend this book to students in my classroom.

The book Carnival at Candlelight was such a great book to read. One thing that I believe is important in a classroom is diversity and culture. These books would be a wonderful way to incorporate both into the classroom. I loved the way that the font changed when Annie and Jack read the research book. It helped emphasize the facts about Venice and emphasize new vocabulary. The title of the book was also intriguing because it was incorporated with the author’s research notes about her experience in Venice. The last thing that I absolutely loved when reading this book was finding out who the Grand Lady was and figuring out what was going to happen next with each line written in the Merlin's letter. I really enjoyed reading this book being a college student so I know that children must absolutely love the adventures that Annie and Jack have.

I enjoyed reading Carnival at Candlelight very much! It didn't take long at all to read once I was able to sit down and do so. I found the book to be very intriguing! While reading this book it made me feel as if I were really in Venice, Italy. Mary Pope Osborne is very descriptive in her writing and made me wish I was really there. Before reading this novel I had never read a Magic Tree House book. I can see how children would enjoy reading a novel like this one. It allows them to use their imagination and gives them the opportunity to learn about new and interesting places like Venice. I loved how Mary Pope Osborne included a research book for Jack and Annie to use on their journey. By doing this it allows children to learn new things about Venice and understand why these people and places are an important part of the city. I also like how the author included people like Giovanni Tiepolo and his sons who were famous painters of their time. I also enjoyed the illustrations. There were only a few but they were very detailed. I found this book enjoyable to read and can see how I can incorporate it into my classroom in the future. For example, for a history lesson on Venice, Italy, to teach patience, and maybe how important it is for people to work together to get things accomplished like Jack and Annie did.

You are invited to blog about the mystical and mysterious international bestseller Herr Der Diebe-The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. For at least one post, think about the following as you react to this spellbinding novel:
o qualities of outstanding children’s literature
o literary Elements including-
 intriguing/confusing/unexpected passages and plot-twists
 strong characterization
 themes
 imagery
 integration of fantastical elements into the real-world setting of Venice