Friday, June 3, 2011

EASY READERS HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE "DICK AND JANE"!

Today I thought I'd step out of the world of Read Aloud Books for a bit, in order to investigate some Beginner Books for kids just starting to read (generally ages K-2). My goddaughter, Charity, works in early education with Latino kids who are learning English as their second language.  Since most of their parents don't speak English and work long hours, the children are often not read to at home.  We were discussing the importance (not just for ESL students, but for all children) of finding worthwhile easy readers that make kids WANT to read and stick with it.

According to Anita Silvey (Editor of THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND THEIR CREATORS), the challenge for writers, illustrators, and editors in their quest to produce easy readers is that the books need to be "appealing, well-written, and factual books, often only thirty-two pages long, on a level easily read by the beginning reader...illustrations are essential."  Here are some of her recommendations in different genres that I'm sure kids, as well as parents and teachers, will appreciate:

THE CLASSICS THAT STARTED IT ALL:
DR. SEUSS books
El gato en el sombrero/ The Cat In The Hat  Green Eggs and Ham (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner Books)

LITTLE BEAR books by Maurice Sendak
Little Bear (An I Can Read Book)  Father Bear Comes Home (I Can Read Book 1)  Little Bear's Visit (An I Can Read Book)  A Kiss for Little Bear (An I Can Read Book)


HUMOR BOOKS:
BENNET CERF'S BOOK OF RIDDLES
Bennett Cerf's Book of Riddles (Beginner Books(R))

A MAD WET HEN AND OTHER RIDDLES by Joseph Low
A Mad Wet Hen and Other Riddles

AMELIA BEDELIA books by Peggy Parish
Amelia Bedelia Collection (I Can Read Book 2)

WACKY WEDNESDAY  by Dr. Seuss  Also: FOX IN SOX
Wacky Wednesday (Beginner Books(R))  Fox in Socks (Beginner Books)

FOX AND HIS FRIENDS by James Marshall. Also: FOX ON WHEELS, FOX ON THE JOB.
Fox and His Friends: Level 3 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)  Fox on Wheels: Level 3 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)  Fox on the Job: Level 3 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)

FAMILY & FRIENDS:


FROG & TOAD books by Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad Are Friends (I Can Read Book 2) Days with Frog and Toad (I Can Read, Level 2) Frog and Toad Together (I Can Read Picture Book) Frog and Toad All Year (I Can Read Book 2)

HENRY AND MUDGE books by Cynthia Rylant
Henry And Mudge First Book Henry and Mudge and the Forever Sea Henry and Mudge and the Tall Tree House (Ready-to-Read. Level 2) Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover (Ready-to-Read)


MYSTERY BOOKS:
NATE THE GREAT books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.
Nate the Great

BIG MAX by Ken Platt
Big Max (I Can Read Book 2)

HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS:
WAGON WHEELS by Barbara Brenner
Wagon Wheels (I Can Read, Book 3) (Book & CD

THE WHITE STALLION by Elizabeth Shub
The White Stallion

NONFICTION BOOKS:
THE LISTENING WALK and A DROP OF BLOOD by Paul Showers
The Listening Walk  A Drop of Blood (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

THE PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM by Franklyn M. Branley
The Planets in Our Solar System (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)

BIBLICAL STORIES:
STEP-INTO-READING BOOKS, BABY MOSES and NOAH'S ARK by Linda Hayward.
Baby Moses (Step into Reading, Step 1, paper)  Noah's Ark (Step-Into-Reading, Step 2)
DAVID AND THE GIANT by Emily Little
David and the Giant (Step-Into-Reading, Step 2)

POETRY BOOKS:
SURPRISES by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Surprises (I Can Read Book 3)

RAINY, RAINY SATURDAY by Jack Prelutsky
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