An added bonus: Author Capucill welcomes and encourages letters from readers – which means Biscuit can provide reading AND writing activities for young fans. Hooray!
One of the pieces of advice I give to parents of beginning readers is to find a book series your child enjoys … and follow it to the very end. The Biscuit books by Alyssa Satin Capucill are one such option. Colorful pictures, simple text, and large print make this series great for young children. Once they fall in love with Biscuit the puppy and learn the word patterns of the author, children will happily explore the next book, and the next book, and the next book with relative ease. Biscuit books can be found in board book format (for the youngest of children), in “I Can Read” formats (for beginning readers), with holiday/special event themes (for use at home and school) and now in Spanish (for children learning to read in two languages).
An added bonus: Author Capucill welcomes and encourages letters from readers – which means Biscuit can provide reading AND writing activities for young fans. Hooray!
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My eight year-old has taken a recent liking to the Great Illustrated Classics. In less than two weeks he sped through Treasure Island, Robin Hood, Jungle Book, White Fang, Wizard of Oz, Black Beauty, and Secret Garden. These chapter books follow the same classic story lines,
but are adapted to ensure length, details, and vocabulary are accessible to younger readers. Bonus: There’s an illustration on every other page. I think these books are a good way to introduce a reader to a classic and perhaps motivate the child to read the original (or other books by the original author). Pick them up at your local library! Lately, my five year-old and I have been talking a lot about Boo Hoo Boone. Boone is one of the main characters in Lynne Reid Banks’ The Indian in the Cupboard. This wonderful chapter book (and movie) tells of a fifth grade boy who uses a magic key and an old cupboard to bring miniature, plastic action-figures to life. The story (focusing primarily on a ‘Cowboy and Indian’) has drama, humor, and action. It also has a few lessons about loyalty, the value of life, and relationships.
Boo Hoo Boone is the cowboy in the story. He gets his nickname as he tends to cry often. Boone cries when happy. He cries when sad. He cries in excitement and in boredom. Heck, this big ol’ lug of a guy just plain cries whenever he feels something deeply. The other cowboys may tease him – but I'm kinda sweet on Boone myself. My youngest son too feels deeply. In preschool, he would see another child get in trouble and immediately feel the sting of the scolding (as if it had been his own). Just this past month, I’ve seen my boy giggle and giggle and giggle until the tears rolled down his face. And last week as we drove home from school he asked, “Do you think it’s ok for Boone to cry so much, Mom?” My response: “Boone’s a sensitive guy. I have to respect someone who doesn’t overprotect himself so much that he attains complete apathy.” Looking in the rear view mirror I saw a very young, but wrinkled, forehead of confusion, so I restated my idea: “Yes. It’s ok for Boone to be sensitive. Boone is just telling us how he feels.” There was a pause of silence in the car as he considered that statement. The light turned green, I moved through the intersection, and a little voice in the backseat murmured to himself: “It’s ok Boone. I’m sensitive too.” I discovered this book years ago when I was just starting my student teaching. Each time I stood in front of the class, one young boy in the front row would climb under his desk. After a variety of attempts to earn his trust, it was this book at read-aloud that finally broke the ice. Author Louis Sachar weaves a beautiful narrative of how 5th grade Bradley Chalkers (a kid with “serious behavior problems”) finds redemption, hope, and ultimate success with the help of the new school counselor. That counselor happened to be petite, young, and always smiling: a bit like the very-young-version of me at the time. Day-after-day of read aloud and slowly, but steadily, 3rd grade Adam returned to his seat. The first day he peered at me from under the desk, the next he leaned out from the side. By the middle of the book, he’d kneel with his arms on the chair (half in/half out). As I finished the last lines, I was pleased to see Adam actually sitting in his seat and (surprise, of all surprises) soon allowing me to speak directly to him without retreating. By the end of the term, Adam was assigned to a small math group with which I worked daily. He rushed to sit beside me by then, but was still cautious and guarded against any small correction. One day, when I was being observed by the school principal, Adam (who thought the principal was there to observe him) was jittery as ever. Following the observation, the principal complimented me for working so well with such a “difficult student.” But the truth was: looking at Bradley (…. I mean Adam) I no longer saw “difficult” at all. I saw scared. I saw frightened. I saw potential. I like to think that just that small change in perception made a difference in both our lives. From the book jacket: “Give me a dollar or I’ll spit on you!” That’s Bradley Chalkers for you. He’s the oldest kid in the fifth grade. He tells enormous lies. He picks fights with girls, and the teachers say he has “serious behavior problems.” No one likes him – except Carla, the new school counselor. She thinks Bradley is sensitive and generous, and she enjoys his far-fetched stories. Carla knows that Bradley can change, if only he weren’t afraid to try.” Websites with story relate activities:
My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Sharon Yeiter, introduced me to Where the Sidewalk Ends. I still remember the sheer delight in hearing Peggy Ann McKay explain why she couldn’t go to school today. I worked for weeks on memorizing that poem – all 214 words of it. Now I’m sharing this great book with my boys. Simply said: Any child's book collection is incomplete without it. This delightful book about a young orphan girl (and her adventures) is even better when followed up with the movie version (that brings Anne and her remarkable friends to life). The contrast between dreamy-eyed, talkative Ann and forever-practical Marilla and quiet Matthew (her adoptive parents) is both funny and heartwarming. Available from the local library – we give it a Dad/Mom/Sons stamp of approval. Competition, danger, loyalty and a dog: These are the essential ingredients for an exciting chapter book sure to capture the attention of young readers. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner has all these things and serves as a great read aloud for all ages. A long-time favorite in classrooms, there are plenty of online sources for after-reading activities. Here, here and here are just a few to get you thinking. Follow-up your reading with the film version of the book
and you won’t be disappointed. The setting is slightly altered in the movie version – but the story line and characters’ intentions stay the same. When someone first told me of the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series - I tuned out everything after the words "Greek Gods". Ya see, I'm not really a mythology kind of girl
- so I figured I'd pass. But then came an email from my very best friend in college saying, "You gotta check out these books. It's like Harry Potter - but funnier!" Well... I like Harry Potter and I really like funny. So... now I'm just finishing up the fifth of the Percy Jackson series and must say: Bravo! Bravo to Greek Gods. Bravo to fantasy fiction. Bravo to author Rick Riordan. Set in modern day New York, readers find out that the Greek Gods are actually alive today. In fact, they live on the top floor of the Empire State Building and have are very modern folks (Apollo pulls the sun with his convertible sports car rather than a chariot), with very complicated family lives. This story line continues for five books with adventure, mystery, and adolescence. It's young hero+mighty quest+I-kinda-sorta-like-that-girl-but-can't-say-it-out-loud all mixed into one. While the average reading level of the series is about fifth grade, I know children who have been motivated to tackle these books even younger (and plenty of adults who have enjoyed them too). My eight year old is a bit sensitive in the monster department, so as to avoid any Medusa-Cyclops-Minotaur dreams, I think I'll hold off just a bit longer. We’re reading a lot of Greek Mythology books right now - as this will give the Jackson series a learning/reading one/two punch when he does start them. My husband and I rented the Percy Jackson movie through Redbox and enjoyed it. The story has been altered (of course) but the casting of Grover saves the day! Two thumbs up! We were introduced to this book at the Salem Public Library Storytime. We were given this book by the Salem Public Library Brain Boosters. We were reading this book and giggling together when I realized I should post it here. Silly. Simple. Great for encouraging predictions in young readers. Bark, George Bark by Jules Feiffer is the picture book of the week in our house. Here's the YouTube version: As the weather turns cool, there’s nothing better than getting cozy with a good book… and a bag of candy corn.
I shared this book with my kindergarten-age son and promised him a piece of candy corn every time those words were mentioned in the book. This silly-mom trick was a powerful motivator to inspire him to follow along with the text. “There it is,” he’d cry (even before I reached the end of the sentence). A good story; a seasonal treat; a beginning reader. I love fall. |
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