201 Wendell Rd.
New Salem, MA 01355
978.544.6926 (voice)
978.544.2253 (fax)

Principal:
Sheila Hunter

Staff E-mail link

Swift River School

Be Safe. Be Kind. Be Responsible.

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Erving School Union #28:

School Union #28 Central Office

Erving Elementary

Leverett Elementary

Shutesbury Elementary

Massachusetts Children’s Book Award 2010

Reviews by 4th, 5th and 6th Grade Students

castle
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
Two orphaned peasant children discover a mysterious pouch, the contents of which lead them to the majestic Castle Corona, where their lives may be transformed forever.

 

elijah Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
In 1859, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American south, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family's freedom.

 

lemonade The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
Evan and his younger sister, Jesse, react very differently to the news that they will be in the same class for fourth grade and as the end of summer approaches, they battle it out through lemonade stands, each trying to be the first to earn 100 dollars. Includes mathematical calculations and tips for running a successful lemonade stand.

Review by Cole
Grade 4
*****

I liked it because I have sold lemonade before, and now the author made it into an adventure!!! In the book, a brother and sister strike a contest of who can make $100 first by the profits from selling lemonade. And I will leave who wins for you to find out.

I could not put this book down. I got caught reading this book at a baby shower!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys
a funny, refreshing, book!

 

london The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
When Ted and Kat's cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye ferris wheel, the two siblings must work together--Ted with his brain that is "wired differently" and impatient Kat--to try to solve the mystery of what happened to Salim.

Review by Neva
Grade 6
****

When Kat and Tedd's cousin Salim comes to visit them in London, they assume he’ll come, leave, and they’ll never think of him again. But when Salim boards the London Eye, the ride ends and he never gets off. How? That’s all that's on Tedd's mind now - the how, when, and why of Salim's disappearance. Solve the mystery along with Tedd and his unique way of thinking.

This mystery was delicately crafted to fit everybody's personal liking with surprising turns at every moment you assume the path is straight. The characters are so genuine with real problems and the human flaws they bring them into our not-so-perfect world. The relationships they have with each other make this story the complete package for any reader.

I would give this book to a total stranger, and I guarantee they would eat it up. Every person walking on this planet can relate to Tedd's feeling that he has to prove himself, and that he just doesn’t fit that perfect person mold

Review by Erin
Grade 4
***

The story is about a kid who goes on the London Eye, which is like a giant ferris wheel. But one day he disappeared on it and never came back!

I think The London Eye Mystery was a pretty good book. It could be confusing, but if you pay attention I guarantee you’ll love it and it will amaze your mind!

I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in mysteries.

 

spy mice Goldwhiskers by Heather Vogel Frederick (Spy Mice, #3)
During a London vacation, Oz Levinson must deal with the bullying Priscilla Winterbottom, while mouse spy Glory Goldenleaf tracks the whereabouts of a valuable jewel, missing orphaned mouselings, and two evil ministers of rats.

 

barack Barack Obama: Our 44th President by Beatrice Gormley

 

found Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix (The Missing, Book 1)
When thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time.

Review by Adam
Grade 4

In the book Found, there were a few kids finding out if they were adopted. They went on a plane and went to a secret cave. The cave had doors that only opened with a special key and secret buttons.

There was some action in the cave and there were other kids there, too. There were a few men and the kids did not know that the cave was actually a time machine. The main character traveled through time. It is a Fantastical book. It was very mysterious. I think people who like mysteries would like this book.

 

horns Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson
Along a magic-saturated stretch of the Mississippi River near Blue Wing, Minnesota, twelve-year-old Claire and her bullying cousin Duke are drawn into an adventure involving Bodacious Deepthink the Great Rock Troll, a helpful fairy, and a group of trolls searching for their fathers.

 

billy the fish Billy the Fish by Charlie James
After eating Dad's experimental fish food, Ned's little brother turns into a cod and finds himself sharing an aquarium tank with Kylie the killer whale.

Review by Allen
5th Grade
****

I’m going to tell you about the book Billy The Fish. Ned’s dad makes a special fish food and Ned’s little brother, Billy, eats it and turns into a cod. That’s the main problem that Billy and Ned face in this book.

I liked it when Billy turned into a cod, that’s super funny.

I would recommend this book if you like funny books.

Review By Joseph
5th Grade
****

Billy finds his dad’s fish chips and eats them. Then Ned and his sister see that Billy has turned into a fish. In the end he turns back to a human after Ned defeats Joe the bully.

I like this book because of the characters and the humor.

I would not recommend this book because I thought it was too long.

Review by Sam
Grade 5
****

In the book, Billy the Fish, Ned’s little brother Billy eats his dad’s fish food and turns into a cod. When Ned goes to the zoo, the school bully chases him into the fish area. But Ned’s brother eats some fish food, turns into a fish and hides in the fish tank for a killer whale. That’s all I'm going to tell you for now; you’ll have to read the rest to find out how this story ends...

I liked that a boy turned into a fish and the adventures Billy had as a fish.

I would recommend this book if you like funny books.

 

emmy Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell
When Emmy discovers that she and her formerly loving parents are being drugged by their evil nanny with rodent potions that can change people in frightening ways, she and some new friends must try everything possible to return things to normal.

Review by Erin Smith
Grade 6
Overall Rating
***** = 5 stars = I love it!


Emmy is a very good girl. Her parents went to Paris, to Salamanca, and to the Isle of Bugaloo. Emmy has to go to the school psychologist for an hour every other week. She lives in a castle turret, 33 rooms, nine bathrooms. Her nanny Miss Barmy is VERY mean. The reason Emmy’s parents travel so often is because Miss Barmy puts a chinchilla foot print in the food Emmy’s parents eat! Emmy has found where Miss Barmy gets the chinchilla. There are ALOT more rats like the Endear Rat and Cissy who is Emmy’s school’s Rat’s sister! Ratson (School’s rat) bites people once to make them understand him, second makes them small, third time turns them into a rat.

 

weedflower Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
After twelve-year-old Sumiko and her Japanese-American family are relocated from their flower farm in southern California to an internment camp on a Mojave Indian reservation in Arizona, she helps her family and neighbors, becomes friends with a local Indian boy, and tries to hold on to her dream of owning a flower shop.

 

green glass sea The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
In 1943, eleven-year-old Dewey Kerrigan lives with her scientist father in Los Alamos, New Mexico, as he works on a top secret government program, and befriends an aspiring artist who is a misfit just like her.

Review by John
6th grade
***
This book is based on World War II. It's about a girl named Dewey, who travels to a secret camp in which
her father is a scientist, along with others, trying to create
a mysterious weapon. Even after the death of Franklin D.
Roosevelt and her own father, Dewey lives a “normal”
life with her new friend,Suze. As the war nears an end,
Dewey finds she has no place go for family.

Overall this was a good book. But it does have its faults, including inappropriate use of language and body use.

I would recommend it to 5th grade and higher.

 

 

swindle Swindle by Gordon Korman
After unscrupulous collector S. Wendell Palamino cons him out of a valuable baseball card, sixth-grader Griffin Bing puts together a band of misfits to break into Palomino's heavily guarded store and steal the card back, planning to use the money to finance his father's failing invention, the SmartPick fruit picker.

Review by Graham
5th Grade
*****

When Griffin and Ben are sleeping over at the old Rockford house that’s going to be demolished in the morning and is supposedly haunted, Ben falls asleep. While Ben is sleeping, Griffin finds an old baseball card. Later, Griffin sells it for $120 at Palomino’s Emporium. When Griffin goes home he sees there is an auction starting at $225,000 for the card, so Griffin assembles a team to break into Palomino’s house. While Griffin is breaking into the house Darren, one of his team mates, sets off an alarm! Two days later Griffin gets caught by the police! He manages to get out with no charge, but Darren gets the card.

I really like how it was sort of a mystery and my favorite part was the break in.

I would totally recommend this book to a friend because it’s a good mystery and robbery book.

Review by Aidan
6th Grade
****

In Swindle two boys named Griffin and Ben camp out in a condemned house and find a baseball card in it with Babe Ruth on it. The next day they go to an antiques shop and they sell it to a man who they later call Swindle because he buys it from them for two hundred dollars and they later find out it’s worth around one million dollars. So they try to pull a heist on Swindle’s shop and fail. Then they try to pull a heist on the man’s house because they found out he brought the card to his house for safe keeping but this time Griffin brought some more friends to help with the heist.

What I like about this book is how they out smart Swindle and make such an amazing heist for their age.

Review by Eli
Grade 6
*****

The main character and his friends find a Babe Ruth baseball card. A man nicknamed Swindle buys the card for only $200 when it is worth one million dollars. When they find out that it is worth 1 million they form a plan to steal it back.

I like this book because of the heist.

I would recommend this book to a friend because it is so exciting.

Review by Hugo
Grade 4
*****

Swindle is about a group of kids who find a rare baseball card. They bring it to an antique dealer who rips them off. The rest you have to find out yourself!

I thought Swindle was a spectacular book! This book is packed full of action. I recommend this book to any kid. If you need a book to read, this is it!

Review by Kiernan
Gr. 4
****

I think Swindle is an awesome book with mysterious and adventurous events. I think other kids would like this book because it tells you about some kids that are ripped off and the kids plan to steal back what they lost. If you want to know the rest of the story you will have to read Swindle.

 

rules Rules by Cynthia Lord
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic.

Review by Faith
6th Grade
****

Catherine, a twelve year old girl, has a brother (David) with autism and all she wants is a normal life! She keeps trying to teach David the rules to stop his embarrassing behaviors. Catherine then meets Jason a new sort of friend and Kristi her next door neighbor friend that she’s always wished for. Everything begins to turn upside down with her own shocking behaviors.

What I liked about this book was it was a very interesting book and a very descriptive book and it explains a lot about autism and that's what makes it a good book.

I would recommend this book to people who like to read books about this type of action and like to read books that all of a sudden turn around on the perspective of the person the book is mainly about.

Review by Kamri
Grade 6
****

A girl named Catherine, 12 years old, has a brother named David, with autism. Catherine just wants a normal life without having to take care of David every day. She has to teach David rules to remember
so he doesn’t end up embarrassing himself in public. Catherine isn’t so sure what “ normal “ means. When she meets two new friends named Jason and Kristi , she finds out the real meaning of the word “ normal. “

I liked the book Rules because it is based on how a girl named Catherine has a brother with autism, but the book includes funny parts too.

I would recommend this book to people because it is funny.

 

big field The Big Field by Mike Lupica
When fourteen-year-old baseball player Hutch feels threatened by the arrival of a new teammate named Darryl, he tries to work through his insecurities about both Darryl and his remote and silent father, who was once a great ballplayer, too.

 

abby Abby Takes a Stand by Pat McKissack
Gee recalls for her grandchildren what happened in 1960 in Nashville, Tennessee, when she, aged ten, passed out flyers while her cousin and other adults held sit-ins at restaurants and lunch counters to protest segregation.

Review by Rachel
5th Grade
***

Abby goes into the attic and finds a menu for the Monkey Bar. So she goes to the Monkey Bar but doesn’t get in because she’s African American.

In the middle of the book John gets arrested by police because he’s African American.

In the end of the book everyone gets to go to the Monkey Bar.

I like that at the end the characters were able to eat at the Monkey Bar.

I would recommend this book because it tells how people weren’t treated fairly in 1960.

 

out of patience Out of Patience by Brian Meehl
Twelve-year-old Jake Waters cannot wait to escape the small town of Patience, Kansas, until the arrival of a cursed toilet plunger causes him reevaluate his feelings toward his family and its history.

Review by Megan
Grade 6

*****

This book is about a boy that has a father wants to make a toilet museum. He finds out about a Plunger of Destiny and it is an adventure from there. It is a very good book.

I like this book because it is a very funny and it is very action pack.

I would recommend this book because it is very interesting and very funny. YOU SHOULD READ IT!!!!!!!!!

Review by Shelby
5th Grade

****

In the book Out Of Patience, Jake Waters the main character makes a vow to get out of Patience. Sandars Cass, Jake’s great, great grandfather’s arch enemy, put a curse on the Waters family. When a tornado hits, Jake and his history-loving friend Sira know the curse is beginning. Jake and Sira go on a mission to save the family treasure from Sandars Cass’ great, great granddaughter Sandra Cass.

I liked this book because it’s interesting and fun for everyone.

I would recommend this book to someone who likes adventurous and funny books.

Review by Alyssa
Grade 4
****

Out of Patience was so funny from the beginning until the end. It was cool in the story when Jake finds out that the plunger was returning to the small town.

Review by Jack
Grade 4
*****

Out Of Patience is a really funny book; it has some really funny words. I would recommend this book to someone who likes toilets. This is hilarious book to read. There is a kid named Jake Waters and a toilet plunger that is called the plunger of destiny.

Review by Amanda
Grade 4
****

Out of Patience has a lot of excitement. I recommend this to any of my friends.

This story is about a young boy who makes a vow to not die in this small town.The action starts when Jake's dad brings the Plunger of Destiny home! And that's when the trouble starts!
Review by Aidan
4th grade
*****

Out of Patience is about a kid named Jake Waters and this thing called the Plunger of Destiny. I think this book is really funny and I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries and toilets.

Review by Ava
Grade 4
*****

I think Out of Patience was an inspiring, outstanding and entertaining book. It’s about a boy who made a vow to get out of his home town but something is in his way....

I would recommend it to anyone older than five.

Review by Jack
Grade 4
***** 5 out of 5 stars!!!

I think Out of Patience is a great and outstandingly funny book! I would recommend it to anyone who likes inspiring and humorous novels. (Not to mention toilets anyway.) Jake Waters makes a solemn oath to get out of Patience, his hometown. But before Jake can leave, a tornado threatens everyone in Patience.....

Review by Patrick
Grade: 4
*****

I think that Out of Patience is hilarious and really awesome! It has a hilarious story line! I think it’s funny how there is a kid named Jake Waters and there is a plunger called The Plunger of Destiny. Jake Waters vows not to die in the town called Patience. Then something terrible happens. I would recommend this book to people that like toilets, plungers, bathroom humor, and to people who like mysteries.

 

steal dog How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor
Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.

 

Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson
Jake and Rosa, two children, form an unlikely friendship as they try to survive and understand the 1912 Bread and Roses strike of mill workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

 

pissa pigs and poetry Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem by Jack Prelutsky

 

simon bloom Simon Bloom, the Gravity Keeper by Michael Reisman
Nerdy sixth-grader Simon Bloom finds a book that enables him to control the laws of physics, but when two thugs come after him, he needs the formulas in the book to save himself.

Review by Colton
Grade 6
*****

Simon Bloom The Gravity Keeper is about a kid named Simon Bloom. Simon discovers a book that allows him to control physics. However, other people want the book in order to do evil with it. Simon along with his two friends must now fight for the book and return it to its rightful owner.

I really enjoyed the action in this book. It also has amazingly realistic use of physics and the altering of them. The dialog is very well planned and the voice is spectacular!

 

paint the wind Paint the Wind by Pam Muñoz Ryan
After her overprotective grandmother has a stroke, Maya, an orphan, leaves her extremely restricted life in California to stay with her mother's family on a remote Wyoming ranch, where she discovers a love of horses and encounters a wild mare that her mother once rode.

Review by Chelsy
5th grade
*****

In the beginning of the book, it is a little bit sad because Maya’s parents die. In the middle of the book it got a little bit happier because Maya went to her aunt’s camp. The end was sad and happy (you’ll have to read it yourself to find out why.)

I did not like the sections of conversation in the book because it was difficult to know who was speaking.

I would recommend this book to a friend because it was a good mixture of happy and sad.

Review by Sierra
Grade 5
*****
In the beginning, Maya lives with her Grandma and her Grandma had a stroke. Maya had to go live with her Aunt V and Payton in teepees.

In the middle, Payton took Maya's favorite toy horse that her mom gave her and tossed it in the woods. Maya was crying and trying to get it back but she could not find it. A couple days later Payton found it because they were friends.

At the end, Maya was riding Seltzer because she was trying to find Artemisia. There was an earthquake and she fell off and broke her ankle. She survived in the woods with Artemisia for a week. She rode Artemisia back to camp. Everybody was very excited to see her. Her uncle brought her to the hospital.

I would recommend this book to a person who likes horses and long books.

 

haunted house My Haunted House by Angie Sage (Araminta Spookie, 1)
Araminta enlists the help of several ghosts in an attempt to stop her Aunt Tabby from selling Spook House.

Review by Isabella
Grade 5
*****

In this book Araminta finds a key and finds the door. Araminta unlocks the door and walks through a tunnel. She came upon another door and went in the room. When she was in the room she came upon a ladder. Araminta climed down the ladder and walked through another tunnel. Araminta saw a boy and his name was Edmund. But later Araminta finds out that Edmund is a ghost. Araminta and Edmund try to stop Araminta’s Aunt Tabby from selling the house.

I like how Araminta tries to stop her Aunt Tabby from selling the house.

I would recommend this book to a friend if they like books about ghosts, haunted houses and adventure.

Review by Lura
4th grade
****

There is a lot of weird and funny stuff in this book like the little girl, Araminta, wants to find a ghost. There’s an empty suit of armor named Sir Horace who is really a ghost. He walks and talks at night. Araminta tries to save her house from being sold.

I think My Haunted House is the best book I read all year.

I recommend this book to people who like stories about haunted houses and ghosts.

Review by Talia
4th grade
****

I thought that My Haunted House was very good. It was fun but it left me hanging every time I stopped. So I wanted to keep reading it. It was about a little girl and her aunt. Her aunt wants to sell their old house. This book is very good.

 

listen Listen! by Stephanie Tolan
During her solitary convalescence from a crippling accident, twelve-year-old Charley finds a wild dog, and the arduous process of training him leads her to explore her feelings about her mother's death two years earlier.

Review by Jared
5th Grade

****

In the beginning of the book Listen! Charley is walking around Eagle Lake when she sees a dog. Charley doesn’t know if it’s a dog or a coyote and tries to tame Coyote by feeding him meat and regular dog food. She also tries to tame Coyote by walking him and another dog named Sadie. In the end of the book coyote has been coming into the house at night and leaving early in the morning. Then after a couple of weeks Coyote becomes Charley’s pet.

The thing I liked about the book was that it was about friendship and it made me feel excited about what’s going to happen next.

I would recommend this book to a friend because it’s really good and it’s a little magical.

Review by Kadie
Grade 5

****

In the beginning, Charlie’s mom dies in a plane crash. She was a photographer. Later, Charlie got in a car accident and broke her leg. Then Charlie finds a coyote and tries to train it so that she can keep the coyote as a pet. At the end, Charlie is able to train the coyote a little, but he’s a little scared of her. Charlie’s dad buys her a dog house for the coyote.

I liked this book because I LOVE animal books!

I would recommend this book to a friend who likes dog books!

Review by Hailey
Grade 6

*****

This story is about a girl named Charley who knows a lot about pain. She sees her father pile himself in an eighty-hour work week. Charley is in pain when she walks on her newly shattered leg. One day Charley meets a wild, abused dog. Between them they have an immediate connection and she vows to help the dog.

I loved the book so I don’t really dislike or like anything in particular.

I would recommend this book to a friend because it’s about how life can be for somebody.

 

feathers Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
When a new, white student nicknamed "The Jesus Boy" joins her sixth grade class in the winter of 1971, Frannie's growing friendship with him makes her start to see some things in a new light.

Review by MacKenzie
6th Grade
****

Frannie is going through tough times with the class bully, Trevor, and a new kid who looks white but says he isn’t. Meanwhile Frannie’s best friend, Samantha, gets more “holy” each day. In Frannie’s class they are reading a poem about hope. Even though she thinks she doesn’t have any hope, soon she starts to understand her brother, Sean’s deafness, her mothers fear and her own desire for “the thing with feathers”.

I liked this book because it covered a very interesting topic of religion and was set in a perfect time period for the topic.

Review by Haley
Grade 4
**

It’s about a dark skinned girl on one side of the highway and on the other side is the white people, and the girl doesn’t understand why white people can’t live on both sides of the highway. But more is in store! You just have to read it!
I think Feathers was good ... but really slow going.

 





Attention all 4th, 5th and 6th graders!

Massachusetts Children's Book Award

The MCBA was created in 1975 by educators at Salem State College. The purpose of the award is to promote reading for enjoyment in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades. Each year, students, teachers and librarians across the state nominate books and 25 are chosen as the nominees based on their literary quality and appeal. Each student who reads a minimum of 5 books is eligible to vote. Voting for the best book will take place during the last week of February.

This year's books cover a wide range of genres, and reading levels. Whether you like fantasy, historical fiction, realism, or just want a good laugh, you will find a book in this list to your liking.

What activities are planned for the program?
Any 4th, 5th, or 6th grader who reads at least five books from the MCBA list before February will be eligible to vote for his or her favorite book and to participate in the Union 28 celebration in March. This has been a spectacular gathering in past years; and there's plenty of time to read some of these specially chosen books if you start now!

Books in Action This Union-28 wide party is at held at one of the Union school on a rotating basis. There will be lots of fun, food and a chance to meet readers from other schools. The evening's activities will all be tied to the nominated books. This party is by invitation only! You must read 5 of the books to receive an invitation.

Battle of the Books Students team up and work through a Jeopardy style game answering questions about all 25 books. In 2009, teams from two schools battled it out via video conference call. It was great fun and will certainly be repeated!


Books in Action

The librarians from the four schools create activities based on the books and set them up at different stations. Students travel in teams from station to station.

Games are played...

 

Food is eaten...

 

 

And fun is had by all!

Teachers, students and parents enjoyed the festivities.

We can't wait to do it again this year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


| Who We Are | Swift River Current | Lunch Menu |
| School Calendar |
Parent Guide
| Enchanted Forest |

| Acceptable Use Policy | Library |
|Technology Activities | Grant Awards | Nurse's Notes |
|
Quabbin History Project | Immigrants to America, Gr. 3-6 |

| "Write Path" Lesson Plans |

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Principal: : Sheila Hunter
Swift River School
201 Wendell Rd.
New Salem, MA 01355
978.544.6926 (voice)
978.544.2253 (fax)

Web Site: Christine