Nancy Carlson

Nancy Carlson was born and raised in Edina, Minnesota. She has written and illustrated more than 60 books which are based on her childhood experiences. She majored in printmaking at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Before her children's books were published, Nancy Carlson created many works of art that were featured in art exhibitions and are still held in private and public collections. This woman was made to be a children's author. Her passion for children's literature have benefited many students and teachers. She visits over 150 schools each year as a guest author. She is still living in Minnesota today with her husband, their three children and their dog. Her latest book is "This Morning Sam Went to Mars- A Book About Paying Attention." I love that she writes her books in a way that will teach young students valuable lessons without preaching to them! I also love how involved she is with so many schools and still visits today! I would love for her to come to the class I will finally have one day! 

I found all of this information on her blog. Her blog is great! It has a lot of information and this adorable "doodles" section where you can find cute little drawings she does just because! 

http://nancycarlson.com/ 

Ben 10 Alien Force Triple Threat- Tracey West

Two teams of Alien fighting forces battle against various Alien creatures. Their mission is to deactivate the spy transmitter. The two teams race to see who can complete the mission first. It doesn’t take long for both teams to realize they can complete the task faster and more efficiently if they work together.

This book is categorized as science fiction because the characters fight aliens and use futuristic technology such as a spy transmitter. This series is also a television show, this book may attract young students who have watched the show. Although there is a good message in the book (the benefits of teamwork), I was not crazy about this book. It is a good example of science fiction but might lean more towards fantasy or maybe a comic book. I personally would not use it as a read aloud but if it would get students reading, it could be read for fun. 

Ghoul Trip- Peter Bently

Lee, Billy and Bella are students at St. Orlok’s Elementary School but they are not your average students, they are vampires. There has been a series of robberies at all the schools in the neighborhood. The students are going on a trip to the county fair but are worried their school will be robbed while they are away. The three students team up with the students at other schools to try to catch the robbers.

The features of this book that make it science fiction are the schools. Each group of fictional characters has their own school. For example, Lee is friends with werewolves that go to their own school down the street. The book shows some realistic features such as humans that have their own schools and towns. They are referred to as Fangless people. The book creates a world that all different kinds of people live in. This could be the start of a lesson about diversity that is presented in a new way by using characters that are very different but still a bit believable. 

Space Dogs- Adapted by Jamie White

Space Dog Martha must save the planet of dogs from the Space Cats but is mistaken for an alien invader. She must save the Planet of Dogs without getting locked away for being an invader and make it back to earth to help her human friends, T.D. and Helen their class projects on the solar system.

The features of this book that make it science fiction are the aspects that involve space travel and animals in space. The author creates new planets, one for dogs and one for cats. The book has other science fiction aspects such as aliens. While the main characters, T.D. and Helen, help their dog save the Planet of Dogs, they learn about the solar system. Although there are some planets and aliens that make the book science fiction, there is also parts of the book that teach children about the real solar system. 

Andrew Lost in Time- J.C.Greenburg

Andrew and his friend Judy must save Andrew's Uncle Al from an evil doctor. The doctor kidnapped Uncle Al by taking him away in a time machine. Andrew has his own time machine but it does not always work as planned. Andrew and Judy end up traveling to the beginning of the universe. Now they have to fix the time machine in time to save Uncle Al.

The features of this text that make it science fiction are the futuristic inventions such as the time machine that allows them to travel through space. The book has some drama in it because the characters must race to fix the time machine and save a family member from an evil doctor. I think this book is interesting enough to grab students’ attention and keep them interested throughout the story while they are learning about space and science. 

The Bride of Frankenstein Doesn't Bake Cookies- Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones

Frank runs the snack bar at the ice skating rink where Melody, Liza and Howie like to hang out. The children have suspicions that Frank is actually the Frankenstein Monster. When Frank is not feeling well, Electra takes over for Frank at the snack bar. The children believe Electra would be the perfect bride for Frank.

The features of this book that categorize it as science fiction are the characters. The children believe Frank is actually Frankenstein and his boss at the skating rink is actually a scientist that created Frank. The book has a bit of romance in it because the children try to set up Frank and Electra. They think Electra looks like the bride of Frankenstein and the two would make a great couple. I thought this was a very cute book and perfect to read with a class around this time to get into the Halloween spirit. 

What is Science Fiction?

Science fiction is a very imaginative genre. Texts that are classified as science fiction often take place in the future, somewhere new and undiscovered. However, this genre does not have stories that are very surreal because that would fall under the genre of fantasy (Readwritethink.org). Many science fiction books feature technological advances that we do not currently have. These advances could be based on current science or technology (Treitel). Some authors create an entirely new world but keep some realities within the plot to make it believable. Some books are difficult to classify in this genre because it borders so closely to fantasy. The realistic and believe elements of a book and its plot is what determines if the book is science fiction or not. Reading this genre can help a young student explore new thoughts and ideas while expanding their imaginations.  

Sources:

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson927/SciFiDefinition.pdf

http://www.treitel.org/Richard/sf/sf.html