Books series for beginning readers?

[LunaMom]

DD just turned five and is able to read simple, phonetically-controlled books - "The toad drove the red car on the road" and that sort of thing. We occasionallly pick out a book like this from the library, but the selection is quite limited, and because we usually read very rich, complex stories, she gets bored quickly!

However, she received a gift certificate to a bookstore for her birthday and surprised me by saying she wants to use it for books that she can read alone.

Any suggestions? I've seen the Step Into Reading and Hello Reader ones, and have not been too impressed (many seem to rely on sight word reading rather than phonics). Any good series out there that I could look into?

[bestjob]

You could try Bob Books, which are phonics-based. The other ones that my ds has enjoyed are Brand New Readers. They have brighter pictures and a more appealing story-line than Bob Books, IMO.

Hello Readers do use sight words, but they definitely have better stories than other early reader books. Dorling Kindersley has some early science books that are very appealing to my 5 yo.


Drifting into the OT advice giving that I can't seem to resist...

Early reader books are fairly expensive for what you get, I think. I'd suggest encouraging her to use part of her gift certificate on an early reader book and then return to the store to get more if she feels they are "good value".

Although it won't use up your dd's gift certificate, you could also consider writing your own books together. Make them from one or two sheets of printer paper with a construction paper cover. You can introduce one or two sight words and a new phonics-based word family, and she can illustrate them.

[lilyka]

My children really like the DK readers (they have some science and hystory). There are lots of good things in book stores to choose from. i would hesitate to buy beginning readers. Most are along the lines of the helolo readers and BOB books and aren't all that intresting. (you are after all choosing from some very limited words.) My friends has the usborn readers and really likes them. my dd is 7 but she really like Junie B jones. Perhaps somehting just a little above her level will inspire to reach that next mile stone.

Oh, I just rememberes, My dd first chapter book was Kim Possible. High on adventure easy enough for a most 6 year olds to read. And you can't beat a 15 year old who makes streight As, participates in extra cirricular activities, spends time with her family and saves the world for super evil (but lovable) villians in her spare time. It is a Disney Creations but I must say, one of thier better ones. And the books are fairly inexpensive. Around $4 I think.

[nomadmom]

My dd loved the "Little Bear" and "Frog and Toad" books. They each have 4-5 chapters and the chapters are just a few pages.

[marilynmama]

I also have a 5 year old who is a new reader. The only books so far I have found for her are the BOB books and she really likes those because she can read them (she is just on the red books now).

We have 2 libraries in town which are vastly different in their childrens selection so I know what you mean about your library. One of ours doesn't hardly offer much for truly beginning readers.

But what I have been doing is buying books that are a little above her reading skills, she may not be able to read them or even most of it but it also introduces new words and we read them together. I will read it and then when I get to a word that I think she can figure out on her own I ask her what it is....she loves that she is involed that way with reading with me!

Marilyn

[TiredX2]

When DD was beginning to read more than simple phonics, she really like the Poppleton books. There are also great beginning science books out there that are way under DDs reading level, but will remain valuable for their information and pictures (compared to other beginning readers).

Good luck!

Kay

[Teresa]

Mr. Putter and Tabby!

[bestjob]

I've been thinking about "readers" like the Hello Reader books and I have noticed how much nicer they are for the child if the adult prepares the child for reading them by either reading the story first or by telling the story to the child, including some key words that the child will encounter. Then the child still looks at the printed words, but is primed to think of a few limited words. Those are good books, but if your dd is hoping to get a book that she can read by herself from the start, you might want to consider books that are nearly completely phonics based, like Bob Books.

[boobear]

We just came back from the library, and this is the first time I noticed the kids magazine section.

My DD is 2.5 years and really enjoyed "babybug" for stories and play doh ideas (I'm considering getting a subscription so she can have an on-going gift). There's older reading magazines from the same company, I didn't take a good look at them but I'm familiar with the magazine names (there are other mags but this is the only one I can remember right now):

http://www.cricketmag.com/ProductDetail.asp?pid=10

If you have a library nearby, maybe give that a shot to check out some mags first.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll find some wonderful reading material

(edit to add.. sorry, this may not work with a gift certificate)

[Charles Baudelaire]

Get Bob Books for free and save the certificate for permanent acquisitions she'll enjoy for years -- some lovely illustrated classic book (like A Midsummer Night's Dream ill. Bruce Coville or anything by K.Y. Craft or Paul O. Zelinsky.

Most libraries have Bob Books already!!! Check them out for free.

FWIW, I would avoid Junie B. Jones like a bad STD because it encourages what most people would consider to be ill-bred, bratty behavior. For example, in the first book when Junie meets her new K teacher, the teacher forgets to address Junie as "Junie B. Jones," but only as "Junie Jones." Junie then SCREAMS at this person, "EVERYONE FORGETS MY 'B'! MY NAME IS JUNIE BBBBB. JONES!!!" Her mother and the teacher both treat her indulgently (eye rolling, but no correction of the behavior or reminders that it's rude to yell and hurt other people's feelings).

I strongly believe books like that communicate the message that it's fine -- even desirable -- to treat other people rudely, with no consideration of their feelings. To me, that inconsiderateness is the heart of brattiness, and it's nothing I want to teach my child.

Just my opinion FWIW. Good luck!

Other wonderful early readers:

Henry and Mudge (VERY positive, happy family, good kid and dog)
Fluffy the Classroom Guinea Pig (a guinea pig with a good heart and a bit of an edge)

and a WONDERFUL book by Jane Yolen, "Sleeping Ugly," in which the prince ends up happily ever after with the plain and wonderful Jane rather than beautiful and selfish Princess Miserella. Good book and great ending.

[LunaMom]

Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions!

I did more hunting at my library and found that they have some of the BOB books and more of the phonetically controlled books than I thought.

Our cousins just gave DD three Poppleton books and three Mr. Putter and Tabby books, too! They're really great, because they are somewhat challenging for her, but they are much more interesting to read than the easier ones.

It's hard for a child who is used to hearing really complex stories to deal with the fact that the books she can read alone say things like "Look at the big egg." :

Re: Junie B. Jones...tell me about it! I knew these were "popular" books, and as a teacher, I know that the most popular kids' books are often complete CRAP...and DD got a few for her birthday that I plan to return, because I looked in them and saw I was right. Not only is the main character an insufferable brat, but the grammar is awful. The author must want to make the book sound as though the child is speaking, so she uses the first person, and it truly is written as though a six-year-old wrote it: "I throwed the ball more harder than he did." UGH!!!!!

[Charles Baudelaire]

HA!!! You're right! I forgot about that, and you're absolutely right. As an English teacher, this offends me -- I even have a hard time with local color/dialect in children's books and partly for the same reason: I look for books to do a great deal of subliminal language teaching, and if the books they're reading are "modeling" poor grammar, then it's no surprise if they end up speaking poorly.

FWIW, not even my three-year-old says, "I throwed" or "more harder." Yeah, let's set that bar reaaaaaly low!!! ;-)

[TiredX2]

FWIW, not even my three-year-old says, "I throwed" or "more harder." Yeah, let's set that bar reaaaaaly low!!! ;-)

That has always bothered me too. Elmo always refers to himself as "Elmo" (not "I'm going to the bathroom" but "Elmo going to the Bathroom") and he is supposed to be 3 or 4 (depending on the episode). Uhhhh, what?

I just reserved "Sleeping Ugly" at the library--- it sounds great!

[Mom4tot]

My dd used to get the magazine Ladybug when she was 3 to age 5, I think. She loved it coming in the mail and we would read for a long time. She also loved Mr. Putter and Tabby, Henry and Mudge and Little Bear. She is very visual, so has always loved beautiful picture books. We love to read and appreciate the artwork. Maybe your dd would enjoy those as well?

[LunaMom]

We have a copy of the Little Bear stories at home...I had completely forgotten about it as it was given as a gift a few years ago!

We used to get Ladybug magazine and I have to say, I was disappointed in it. People had raved about it to me, but I found that the stories were not always so well written and did not have very interesting plots. This month we started receiving the magazine called My Big Backyard and I like that one a whole lot more!

[LunaMom]

Okay, I HAVE to add to my own thread here...

WE LOVE MR. PUTTER AND TABBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My DD read one tonight with just a little help here and there, and the best part was that she really enjoyed the story! It was clever and well written even though the book is an easy reader, and even though DD seemed to be focusing mostly on saying the words on the page, she was understanding the story perfectly as she read it.

What great books!