Carnival at Candleight
Written by: Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrated by: Sal Murdocca
Published by Random House Children's Books in 2005 in NY
Genre: Fantasy
Ages: Grades 2-4
Before reading "Carnival at Candlelight" I had not ever read any books in the magic tree house series; however, now I cannot wait to read more of them and eventually incorporate them into my classroom! What I loved most about this book was that it was more than just a fantasy novel for children, it also had many interesting facts about the city of Venice, Italy. I believe that the incorporation of such facts in a book of this type is a great way to teach students about a place they have never been without utilizing traditional methods of teaching.
One thing that I found most interesting about this book was that even the context of the story teaches children. Possibly because "Jack loved maps" (27), that might spark an interest in the same thing in a child reading this book. This book also teaches about patience because Jack's sister Annie continuously reminds him to exercise patience in their journey. Even though Jack is very excited he has to remain calm so they can both complete the journey successfully. "Carnival at Candlelight" also teaches students to make wise choices, not imprudent ones since Jack and Annie must ration their magic so it lasts for four trips.
Besides the wonderful story by Ms. Osborne, this story holds the interest of its readers because even from the first two pages, readers become aware that after this story, there are still three more missions to come for Jack and Annie before they know whether they will be able to use magic on their own! Not only does "Carnival at Candlelight" begin by grasping the interest of its readers, but at the end of the story Jack shares a remarkable discovery, making readers very excited that the next few books in the series could reveal if Jack's suspicions are correct!
As far as a lesson plan idea with this book, I think it could be used to enlighten students of customs in other parts of the world, to teach about a very famous ancient city, famous artists, and to present students with an interesting story they want to read. I think this would be a great book to use in the classroom!
One thing that I found most interesting about this book was that even the context of the story teaches children. Possibly because "Jack loved maps" (27), that might spark an interest in the same thing in a child reading this book. This book also teaches about patience because Jack's sister Annie continuously reminds him to exercise patience in their journey. Even though Jack is very excited he has to remain calm so they can both complete the journey successfully. "Carnival at Candlelight" also teaches students to make wise choices, not imprudent ones since Jack and Annie must ration their magic so it lasts for four trips.
Besides the wonderful story by Ms. Osborne, this story holds the interest of its readers because even from the first two pages, readers become aware that after this story, there are still three more missions to come for Jack and Annie before they know whether they will be able to use magic on their own! Not only does "Carnival at Candlelight" begin by grasping the interest of its readers, but at the end of the story Jack shares a remarkable discovery, making readers very excited that the next few books in the series could reveal if Jack's suspicions are correct!
As far as a lesson plan idea with this book, I think it could be used to enlighten students of customs in other parts of the world, to teach about a very famous ancient city, famous artists, and to present students with an interesting story they want to read. I think this would be a great book to use in the classroom!
(Image retrieved from http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/13770000/13777473.JPG on 19 April 2008)
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