Easy factual books?

[Fillyjonk]

Was talking with friends about this, the other day, how there don't seem to be any easy, broadly phonics based, factual books. Pretty much all easy readers seem to be fiction.

What I'd really like is something like "how cars work" or "how plants grow", "how to make dangerous things " but really simple, short words.

Really I just want to give my kids a stack of books they can read through themselves, they both CAN read, they just need practice and somehow "cat on a log" isn't doing it for them. They love chapter books, they love fiction-but more complex stuff than they have the stamina to read. I think the real problem here is that they are not motivated by the books on offer.

They are also seeing a page of tiny print and panicking, so I am after short and sweet.

I am in the UK btw so any UK resources esp helpful-but we do have a postal service...

(as an aside I don't get WHY there are so few factual books. Big generalisations, but as a rule, I think, we KNOW boys struggle with reading, we KNOW recreational reading helps reading fluency, we KNOW boys often prefer fact to fiction-so WHY are all the easy practice books fiction based?)

[SagMom]

The "DK Eyewitness" series of books were a HUGE favorite when mine were new readers. The photographs are very detailed and the captions are short and to the point. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Eyewitne...8742312&sr=1-4

I seem to recall an easier level of those as well, but I can't find them now--I think they were called "Look Inside" or "A Closer Look" or something like that. Maybe someone else will know--same idea, lots of photos, short bits of print, factual books.

If you search Amazon for "Eyewitness Readers" there are a bunch that are non-fiction but I'm not familiar with that series. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...itness+readers

[Catherine12]

I know the "step into reading" series has a lot of non-fiction. My dd really loves "S-s-snakes" and "Dinosaur Days", and there are a number of others.

[OTMomma]

Have you looked at Usborne books? The company is UK based I believe, and they have many factual books that are easy. Here's a link to one- but like I said, I am pretty sure you can find these in the UK-
http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/deta...6search%3Dfrog

[Thalia the Muse]

Oh, there are tons! The Step Into Reading series is very, very easy to read, and they've got lots of science (Giant squid! Stars! Bugs!), history, biography ... There's also the Read and Find Out series, which is all science. Both of these series are leveled readers, so it's easy to match them to your own kid's reading ability. Scholastic has a nonfiction readers series too, and there's also See More Readers (these are written by acclaimed children's science writer Seymour Simon), DK Readers, and National Geographic Readers.

The Eyewitness books are a little difficult for a new reader, although the pictures are appealing.

[Zoesmama]

I know I peek in here even though my dd is in public school but the scholastic flyers that come home always have easier "non-fiction" books in them. They have several packs that come with a variety of animal species and etc. You might browse the scholastic page and get some ideas. Maybe a publisher or something that will lead you to others as well.

I'm ordering the national geographic kids because dd has a great interest in non-fiction subjects, especially animals.

[Fillyjonk]

thanks all, am trawling amazon as we speak!

For my 4 year old especially the stuff I am after needs to be really VERY simple. On the level of "here is a car.".

I think that is what I am struggling with, I've got a houseful of easy reader science stuff, but I can't seem to find anything at really really basic level.

anyway, off to trawl further!

[MissSJ]

Do you frequent the library? At our local library these types of books are not in the easy reader section they are in the nonfiction area. We have a couple right now about cheetahs and have had some about dinosaurs. Good luck!

[MJB]

Scholastic has lots of easy reader nonfiction. They have the reading level listed online for most of the books they carry, too.

[dannic]

We like DK Eyewitness and Usborne books, too! DS, now just beginning to read (at 7) has poured over them since he was 3--literally!

[karemore]

We like the Pebble and Pebble Plus books, and I just found "first step nonfiction" from Lerner publications. I'm not sure how many different books they have but I'm going to search the library site now.

ETA the link for Lerner. They have a lot of different titles.
http://www.lernerbooks.com/cgi-bin/b...ations,imprint

[beanma]

There are definitely just beginning to read very simple non-fiction books out there. Don't know how your libraries are in the UK, but a children's librarian here in the US could direct you to shelves and shelves of that kind of material. I think it's tricky looking at websites like Amazon or other bookstore sites because they're not organized that way, but if you can ask your librarian or check out a library website you can probably organize your search by Dewey Decimal number and narrow your focus to non-fiction and specific topics your kids would be interested in.

[SundayCrepes]

The Cat in the Hat Learning Series is awesome. http://www.amazon.com/Say-Can-You-Se...9118182&sr=8-1 My 4 year old wants us to read them to him over and over again. They're in the standard Seuss silliness, rhyming, fun style, but there's actual content (and, no, the cat doesn't hijack them like he did in the original book.) You can learn about outer space, dinosaurs, weather, the ocean, etc. etc. We have most of the series. My son says he likes them because he can learn about stuff. Do read the negative reviews. There are a couple I chose to not get because of minor details--like one recommends building a wildlife rehab in your very own backyard. But that's just a couple. These books even have a special place on the shelf because we read them so often.

[One_Girl]

Scholastic has some science readers that are easy to read. I have also found a wide range of non-fiction at every level in our kids area at the library. If you have access to a library with a kids area then you might try weeding through the non-fiction books. A children's librarian may also be able to point you in the right direction.

[Fillyjonk]

Thanks all. Yes the problem is that I need to see the books. Our local libraries are disapointing, really, there is a lot of very very easy fiction, and a lot of harder non fiction but doesn't seem to be much to bridge the gap.

A big problem as well that I should have mentioned is that both my kids struggle with small print. I am trying to gradually acclimatise them to it, but they both really hate it. Both are long sighted and do have glasses but...they just don't like tiny words. Maybe I can get them a magnifying glass

ETA: ok I think the cat in the hat library has solved the problem. What a brilliant idea! ds loves them and is reading them straight off the screen on the preview thingy

[mangopassion]

The kids and I really enjoy the Horrible History and Horrible Science books. These books make learning about history and science fun, they offer plenty of facts, kids can read them on their own, and the print isn't too small IMO. I'm not sure how old your kids are, so I don't know if these would be too much for them, but my daughter reads them just fine.

[Fillyjonk]

thanks-they are 6 and 4 and I think a little young for horrible science/history as yet, but certainly something for the future!