Picture Book #9

Title:  Roller Coaster

Author:  Marla Frazee

Illustrator:  Marla Frazee

Genre:  Children's Fiction 

Subgenre:  Early Reader Realistic Adventure

Themes:  theme parks, waiting in line for a ride, riding a roller coaster, being excited and nervous at the same time!

Primary and Secondary Characters:  the people waiting in line, the little girl and her father, and the other ten people that rode the roller coaster

Awards:  "Excellence and Exuberance in a Picture Book," Award in 2004 by Children's Literature Council 

Date of Publication:  2003

Publishing Company:  Harcourt Books

Summary:

This adventurous picture book takes you through a roller coaster ride!  The story opens with showing a long line of people who are waiting in line to ride the incredible roller coaster.  For anyone that has rode a roller coaster, they know that waiting in line is half the fun, as it is as much fun to watch the people in line too!  As a little girls turn comes near, she is measured to ensure that she is tall enough.  Only making it by a couple of inches, she is allowed to ride and proceeds to take the first seat.  (As anyone knows, the front seat gives the most thrill!)  The "clickity, clackity" of the roller coaster going up to the top gives the girl a nervous reaction.  As the roller coaster plunges downward, the little girl isn't able to open her eyes.  The roller coaster speeds in circles and even goes upside down!  It seems that the roller coaster is done in a flash and the little girl looks pleased with her ride.  However, there are other passengers that are holding their stomachs and others that look scared.  But, for the little girl, she is ready to ride it again!

How it will be used in the classroom:
This would be a fun book to read to my students when it gets close to fair time, or even when a festival is coming up.  This book would really get students excited and would be a great opportunity for them to write about their first experience on a roller coaster.  It would also be a fun activity to have them draw their own design of a roller coaster.