My favorite elementry shcool books (By: Lucas B.)

    This blog is on some of my favorite books that I read in elementary school. I got introduced to all of these books as part of the bluestem program at my elementary school. Bluestem is a book list of about 20 books that gets updated each year and is catered towards late elementary school kids.

                                                            Counting Thyme

    In this book, the main character Thyme and her family are moving to New York to try to save her brother Val's life. Thymes' Val has a rare type of cancer that has no cure and is dying. There is only one way that could save him, which is moving across the entire country to participate in a drug trial in New York city. Thyme hopes that the trial goes smoothly so they can move back to San Diego where her family and friends are. As time goes on though it becomes more clear to Thyme that the move may be more permanent then she hoped at first when her dad gets a full time job and Thymes family sell their house in San diego. The book ends with great uncertainty about what will happen with the family’s future and it is unclear if Val will survive. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes stories about family.

Diamond Willow

    Diamond Willow is one of the most unique books I have ever read, with the text on each and every page forming the shape of a diamond. The book starts out introducing the main character Willow, a twelve year old girl who loves going out into the Alaskan countryside to dogsled. She hasn’t been able to dogsled solo to her grandparents house as far, and really wants to. When her parents tell her that she can finally do it she is elated and goes out, but on her way she crashes into a diamond willow tree. This accident blinds her family's lead dog Roxy, and Willow finds out that the dog is to be euthanized because of the lack of vision. Willow hurriedly goes to her grandparents house with Roxy to try to hide Roxy from her parents so Roxy doesn't get put down. Willow succeeds with her plan and her parents agree that Roxy can continue living and everyone is happy. I recommend this book as an easy read that shares a story not often told.

                                                           The City of Ember

    Ember, a city, was built as a last refuge to the human race, with no connection to the outside world, but when supplies start to run dry it is up to two friends, Lina and Doon who think they have the solution to save the residents of the city. Lina works as a messenger in the city and Doon works in the Pipeworks, a job that not many people want to have, but Doon seems to like. As the city is running out of supplies Lina finds a strange document on the floor of her house being chewed up by her little sister. Lina immediately grabs what is left of the document and takes it to Doon. They realize that this document holds the answer to get out of the city and save everyone in it. The friends soon piece the document together which involves boating out of the city through the main river that gives the city all of its electricity. Lina and Doon boat out of the city and then have to walk up seemingly endless stairs. When they get to the top they realize that they were living underground their entire lives and didn’t even know it. I recommend this book for anyone who likes books about problem solving and mystery.