Today I’m moderating a panel: Reading On My Own! Beginning Reader Series. We will talk with Megan McDonald (Judy Moody), Fran Manushkin (Katie Woo), Dori Butler (Kayla & King) and Richard Haynes (Slingshot & Burp) about writing for kids who are just beginning their reading journeys.
These authors sparkling with humor and wit, and they create books that are accessible and supportive for new readers. For these readers, a series helps create a comfortable, predictable story environment, but these authors' fresh, funny stories keep readers coming back wanting to read more.

Please add to this padlet (padlet.com/greatkidbooks/aasl17) and share ideas on terrific books to share with developing readers. Our readers at this stage need to read such a volume of books, that we need to help our developing readers find more to read. I like to think of them as book friends.

Follow along the tweets to hear all about the conversation: #AASL17 #Road2Reading.


©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

As kids work hard at beginning to read, they can get frustrated that simple books seem too young for their tastes. As Halloween approaches, try sharing these scary books with 2nd graders. They'll like the combination of creepy moments, simple sentences and ghoulish humor. This group of books is especially good for 2nd graders at the beginning of the year (often reading at levels I-J-K).

Eek! Stories to Make You Shriek
by Jane O'Connor, illustrations by Brian Karas
Penguin, 1992
Amazon / public library / Goodreads / level K

Kids wrestle with spooky situations in three short, slightly scary stories about Halloween night, a possessed doll, and a haunted photograph. Short, simple sentences keep new readers engaged. "It was dark now. The trees made spooky shadows on the street. Ted hoped Danny would come soon." Karas' illustrations enhance the spooky mood.

In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories
by Alvin Schwartz,  illustrations by Victor Rivas
HarperCollins, 2017 (reillustrated version)
Amazon / public library / Goodreads / level J

New illustrations by Victor Rivas reinvigorate this classic easy reader with cartoonish, creepy kids, ghosts and ghouls. Schwartz begins his book writing, "Most of us like scary stories because we like feeling scared. When there is no real danger, feeling scared is fun." He uses repetition, suspense and sudden revelations to great effect. Rivas' illustrations amp up the fright with creepy cartoon characters in the style of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey.

Scary, Scary Halloween
by Eve Bunting, illustrations by Jan Brett
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1986
Amazon / public library / Goodreads / level J

As sinister green eyes look through the darkness, a narrator begins: "I peer outside, there's something there / That makes me shiver, spikes my hair. / It must be Halloween." Bunting's rhymes are full of repetition, making them read almost like a chant. This classic picture book is delightfully scary to read aloud, and perfect for beginning readers to tackle on their own. "Little ones, stay safe inside! / It's best to stay at home and hide / On hallowed Halloween."

Secret of the Summer School Zombies
by Scott Nickel, illustrations by Matt Luxich
Stone Arch / Capstone, 2008
Amazon / public library / Goodreads / level J

With over-the-top imagination and action, these graphic novels appeal to kids who love funny, frightful stories. When Trevor and his friends realize that their summer school teachers have all turned into zombies, it's up to the three friends to save the day. Also try Monster in the Outfield and Attack of the Mutant Lunch Lady, two other monster-themed graphic novels for beginning readers.

There's a Nightmare in My Closet
by Mercer Mayer
Dial / Penguin, 1968
Amazon / public library / Goodreads / level I

A friend just wrote to me about the power of monster spray for her son. Childhood nightmares are real, and kids know this. "There used to be a nightmare in my closet. / Before going to sleep, / I always closed the closet door." In this classic picture book, Mayer turns the tables and has the child scare the monster as it comes out of the closet. Absolutely brilliant! All told with one short sentence on each page, with illustrations that respect the power of kids and their imaginations.

Please check out other posts in the #Road2Reading Challenge, hosted by my friends Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy and Michele Knott at Mrs. Knott's Book Nook. As they say, every journey has a beginning and it's important to celebrate & support readers at the start of their reading journey.

The review copy of In a Dark, Dark Room was kindly sent by the publisher, HarperCollins, and the other review copies came from my public and school libraries. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Are you looking for a chapter book to share with your family that works across a range of ages? Hook them with the humor of Dory Fantasmagory. This audiobook will have the whole family laughing along with charming six-year-old Dory and her siblings.

Dory Fantasmagory
by Abby Hanlon
narrated by Suzy Jackson
Dial Books / Penguin, 2014
Recorded Books, 2015
preview on Google Books
Amazon / your local library
ages 4-9

Dory (called Rascal by her family) wants to play with her big brother and sister, but they just complain that she's a pest. Her brother and sister tell her that a witch, Mrs. Gobble Gracker, is going to kidnap her if she isn't careful. While they want to scare her, they just end up encouraging her. She is full of playful imagination, whether it's talking with her imaginary friend or pretending to be a puppy dog.

Abby Hanlon knows just how to balance outrageous humor with empathetic characters. She taught first grade for many years and Dory's voice rings true. Whether it's when Dory declares that time-out is too much fun, or it's how she wants to stay in her nightgown all day instead of getting dressed for school--you'll find something to laugh at.

"It's Luke. 'Mom said you can come out of time-out now.' 'No thanks,' I say, and shut the door. Time-out is turning out to be way too much fun."

Narrator Suzy Jackson captures Dory's 6-year-old voice, with a full range of enthusiasm and emotions. Families will recognize themselves in Dory's attention-getting strategies, her mom's exasperation or her siblings' bickering. As the AudioFile review puts it,

"Jackson mirrors Dory's boundless energy as she pesters her older siblings with endless questions, irritates her mother to the extreme by pretending to be a dog at the pediatrician's office, and rattles off a list of terrible things Mrs. Gobble Gracker might do when she whisks Dory away."

Dory was a favorite read-aloud with our first grade classes this year--students came to the library asking for more Dory books! Listen to the full series, for a real treat:

1. Dory Fantasmagory
2. Dory and the Real True Friend
3. Dory Dory Black Sheep

I'm happy to join friends Alyson at Kid Lit Frenzy and Michele at Mrs. Knott's Bookshelf in celebrating the #Road2Reading. As they write,

"All journeys have a starting place. This is a weekly place to find books and tools that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey."

I'd like to give special thanks to the community at Emerson for going with me on this #Road2Reading, especially showing me the power of audiobooks. I listened to the audiobook on Tales2Go. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

I’ve seen first-hand how audiobooks bolster students’ confidence and reading skills. They enjoy reading, and this makes them want to read more. This volume and positive attitude is essential to their success. I don’t differentiate reading and listening to a book. They’re the same thing. One supports the other.
When he was in 3rd grade, Shondrick struggled with reading fluently and became easily frustrated. His teacher suggested that he used some of his reading time to listen to audiobooks. After listening to Horrible Harry, he proudly told me, “I just read it faster on my own!” Rereading the book he just listened to built his confidence, helping him integrate vocabulary and fluency skills.

Audiobooks can build on young readers’ feeling of success, especially if they listen on a consistent basis. Here are a few recent comments from 3rd graders:

• “They (narrators) read the book really fluently so it’s easy to understand what they are saying. They are really expressing the story, they don’t just talk.”
• “Sometimes you forget real quick about a story. When you read you have so much in your head, when you listen it’s easier.”
• “Even if you aren’t reading the book at the same time, you’ll want to go grab the book later because you have a taste of it.”
• “The sound effects help you envision what’s going on – you get a picture in your head of the story.”

These students listen during reading time in the classroom and at home using Tales2Go, a streaming audiobook service that Berkeley Unified School District provides. They listen on Chromebooks in the classroom, save a bookmark for listening later, and then listen on personal devices at home (phones, tablets, or computers).

My 3rd graders love to read series like I Survived and Goosebumps. This is because series build their reading confidence, immersing them in a predictable world with engaging stories and familiar characters. Here's a selection of my 3rd graders' favorite audiobooks:

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, by Lauren Tarshis
Horrible Harry and the Missing Diamond, by Suzy Kline
Revenge of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps), by R.L. Stine
Toys Go Out, by Emily Jenkins
EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken, by Sally Warner

Some of my students actively choose to listen and read to a story (paired listening/reading), while others prefer just listening. I find that this is partially a personal preference and partially dependent on choice of book.

Children’s listening comprehension is typically two years above their reading comprehension, meaning that we can understand more complex stories than we can read. If a child wants to read a complex book and their eyes can’t keep up, trying to read and listen will just frustrate them. Just listening will allow them to focus on building a story in their mind, understanding the vocabulary, plot and character development.

I'm happy to join friends Alyson at Kid Lit Frenzy and Michele at Mrs. Knott's Bookshelf in celebrating the #Road2Reading. As they write,

"All journeys have a starting place. This is a weekly place to find books and tools that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey."

The formal research about the impact of audiobooks on children’s reading development is important (see this post for more details), but my personal experience lets me understand this more deeply. This post comes from a webinar I gave yesterday; come listen to the whole webinar if you'd like to learn more:

Preventing the Summer Slide with Audiobooks
via EdWeb.net, sponsored by Tales2Go

I'd like to give special thanks to the community at Emerson for going with me on this #Road2Reading, especially showing me the power of audiobooks. I'd like to thank Tales2Go for helping us reach so many students and for inviting me to participate in this webinar.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

With NBA basketball playoffs in full swing, you may want to build on young fans' excitement with these biographies of our local favorite star Steph Curry.

When my students choose sports books for themselves, I really encourage them to look inside and see if the text seems right for them. Here are three books that work well for developing readers--shared from easier to more difficult.
Stephen Curry (Pebble Plus Famous Athletes), by Mari Schuh, is a great choice for beginning readers, with simple text and just three or four short sentences per page. Our first graders can read many (but not all) of this, and our second graders are finding it perfect for this time of year. The font is large and the background is plain, helping young readers focus on each word. The information is limited, so readers may leave this wanting to read more. See preview at Google Books.

"Basketball star Stephen Curry was born March 14, 1988. He grew up watching and playing basketball. His dad played in the NBA. Stephen watched his dad's games."

Amazing Athletes is a very popular series with our 2nd & 3rd graders, and they love this Stephen Curry book by Jon Fishman. As you can see in the sample below, this is written with fuller paragraphs. The layout and design make this easy for readers who are developing confidence to tackle. Full color photographs and captions complement the exciting text. This biography focuses more on his early years & college playing than Curry's difficult beginning of his pro career.

"Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors were losing to the Dallas Mavericks on February 4, 2015. Dallas had been hot since the opening tip-off... Golden State coach Steve Kerr didn't panic. He knew that with Stephen on the team, the Warriors would never be too far behind to catch up."

For readers ready to learn more about Curry's career and training style, search out Stephen Curry (Sports All-Stars), by Eric Braun. With more complex sentences and longer paragraphs, this biography works best with confident readers in 3rd or 4th grade. Just look at its opening. The writing is engaging, but definitely more complicated than the other two books.

from Stephen Curry (Sports All-Stars)

"Maybe when the 2015 National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs began, there were still doubters. Stephen Curry was too small. He wasn't athletic enough. He would never be one of the greats. Curry had heard those doubts all his life."

I especially found it interesting to read about Curry's practice techniques. When he was recovering from multiple injuries, Curry started trying unusual training methods to help him improve his ball handling and focus.

"Many fans have seen Curry dribble two basketballs at once before games. The ritual is about more than improving his skills or giving fans a good show... This kind of practice mimics what a point guard has to do during a game--dribble, watch the defenders, set up a play, and more--all at the same time."

Supporting readers along their road to reading is especially important. This post has been inspired by my friends Alyson Beecher and Michele Knott, whose weekly series #Road2Reading celebrates books for early readers.
The review copies for Sports All-Stars were kindly sent by the publisher, Lerner Books. The review copies of the Pebble Plus and the Amazing Athletes books came from our school library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Beginning to read is a daunting task -- kids and parents feel the pressure. Please know that sharing books together is the most important thing. Model reading, talk about books, invite your children to try with you. Above all, try to make it fun. That's why I love these two series of books for beginning readers--they're silly, they have good stories, and they use just a few words on each page.

The Adventures of Otto:
Go, Otto, Go! // Swing, Otto, Swing! // See Pip Point
by David Milgrim
preview on Overdrive (with read-along narration)
Simon Spotlight, 2016
Amazon / Your local library
ages 4-6

"Work, Otto, work"

Our students like learning about important people in the world, and yet biographies can be challenging for developing readers. I'd like to share three biographies about Sonia Sotomayor that are written for developing readers--especially those in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. It is important to encourage our young students to practice reading biographies, understanding the whole story of someone's life.

This post is part of the #Road2Reading Challenge, sponsored by Alyson Beecher (KidLitFrenzy) and Michele Knot (Mrs. Knott's Book Nook). Every Tuesday, these two fabulous educators focus on books for developing readers.

Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows Up in the Bronx
by Jonah Winter
illustrated by Edel Rodriguez
Atheneum / Simon & Schuster, 2009
Amazon / Your local library
ages 6-9

I especially like reading aloud a picture book biography with students, using it to build background knowledge for students, helping them create a sense of the person before they begin reading a longer biography. Winter provides a vibrant, upbeat portrait of Sotomayor in this picture book biography of Sonia Sotomayor.

"Sonia's blossoming began with her mother's love and hard work."

 Edel Rodriguez' warm illustrations draw students in, helping them connect with Sonia as a real person. Winter's energetic writing helps convey Sotomayor's perseverance and hard work.

"By the time she graduated high school, she had won an award for being the very best student in her whole school. What an honor! You can't imagine how proud her mother was. This was her daughter, her Sonia!"

Winter helps readers get a sense of Sotomayor's strength of character, but he does not provide many details about her work as a judge. For a fuller understanding, I would encourage students to read a longer biography.

Who Is Sonia Sotomayor
by Megan Stine
Who Was series
illustrated by Dede Putra and Nancy Harrison
Grosset & Dunlap / Penguin, 2017
Amazon / Your local library
ages 8-10

The "Who Was" series is very popular with my 3rd grade students because they combine clear writing with a longer chapter-book format. I especially like the way Who Is Sonia Sotomayor draws readers in right away with a pivotal moment in her life:

"Sonia Sotomayor was in her office, sitting beside her phone. She was waiting for the most important call of her life. A call from the White House! She would learn whether President Barack Obama wanted her to be a judge on the Supreme Court."

Short sentences make this easy for developing readers to understand. After setting the stage for why Sonia Sotomayor is important, the next three chapters cover Sonia's childhood and education, how she struggled with her family's grief after the death of her father, how books like Nancy Drew inspired her to become a detective. Further chapters look at Sonia's early cases, becoming a US district court judge, and finally becoming a Supreme Court justice.

This series works best for readers who have the stamina to read a chapter book with ten chapters. Even though 2nd graders may be able read each word, they typically don't find these interesting enough to sustain their interest. For younger readers, I'd recommend the National Geographic readers series.

Sonia Sotomayor
National Geographic Reader, Level 3
by Barbara Kramer
National Geographic, 2106
Amazon / Your local library
ages 7-9

This National Geographic reader works well for 2nd and 3rd graders who are ready to absorb a lot of information, but want a shorter book they can read in two or three sittings. Bright color photographs, captions and boxes add to the high interest. Here is the first page:

"In August 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became a Supreme Court justice. It is a special job."

This National Geographic Reader presents the information in a clear manner, using shorter sentences and defining terms for young readers. In describing Sotomayor's first job as a lawyer, Kramer writes:

"Sotomayor's first job as a lawyer was in New York City. She worked in the office of the district attorney (uh-TURN-ee). Police arrest people whom they believe have committed crimes. It was Sotomayor's job to prove in a court of law that those people were guilty."

This National Geographic Reader is 48 pages long, about half of the length of the Who Is book. Every page has a photograph, and several pages also have "Words to Know" boxes or diagrams. I especially like this biography of Sonia Sotomayor.

What are some of your favorite biographies for developing readers? I'd love to hear about them in the comments. Please also check out other posts in the Road2Reading Challenge: KidLitFrenzy and Mrs. Knott's Book Nook.

The review copies came from our school library and the public library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

My kindergarten & first grade nephews love-love-love racing cars, playing with Hot Wheels and driving trucks. Their play is full of imagination and fun. I want to bring these passions into their reading, so I'm constantly on the hunt for great books about things that go fast!

Their favorite new book is the really big book: DK's The Big Book of Things That Go. This is full of pictures and information--but this works as a read-aloud for my nephews. What books might encourage them on the road to reading?

Here's a collection of books just right for beginning readers. They are levels C through F, which are typical levels for kindergarten through first grade. All are available in paperback, perfect for home or classroom libraries.
These books are a mix of fiction and nonfiction; some have stories, while others talk about features of different cars and trucks. If you like one, check for others in the same series (listed next to the title).

• Big Rigs (Mighty Machines), by Kay Manolis
• Bulldozers (Big Machines), by Katie Kawa
• Car Goes Far (I Like to Read), by Michael Garland
• The Car Race (Let's Race), by Rachel Bach
• Indy Cars (Seedlings), by Kate Riggs
• Race Day (National Geographic Readers), by Gail Tuchman
• Snow Trouble (Truck Buddies), by Melinda Melton Crow 
• Tractors (Mighty Machines), by Mary Lindeen
• Test Drive (Robot & Rico), by Anastasia Suen

Here are three samples of what these books look like on the inside. Notice the large print, simple sentences and pictures that help readers figure out key words.

interior of Indy Cars (Seedlings)

interior of Race Day (National Geographic)

interior of Test Drive (Robot & Rico)

Do you want to find more books to support your kids on the road to reading? Check out the great series of blog posts by my friends Alyson (at KidLit Frenzy) and Michelle (at Mrs. Knott's Book Nook).
The review copies came from my personal library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books