Higgins’ Hints for Young Readers

Disclaimer – this is a living document – it will grow and change Nb – if you have ideas to add, please e-mail them to me. They are always welcome!

Some help for parents-on-the-prowl for good books:

1. A note on series: Books in a series are very motivational. The children develop a sense of satisfaction as they follow their beloved characters through different experiences! It also helps a child know just where to go when looking for another just-right book (see #4 below)

2. Books with two characters’ names in the title are usually about friendship. For example Mr. Putter and Tabby, Henry and Mudge, Pinky and Rex…These are wonderful because the child gets to know the main characters and can follow relationships and journeys. They’re also highly motivational.

3. If you see a title in more than one place below, this is because different books of the series are written at different levels. Which brings me to # 4.

4. To find books your child should have in school and count as “just-right-books,” you can have your child read a page or two of a book she’s interested in. Use the “5- finger-rule.” If there are 5 words, phrases, or ideas on the page that cause any trouble, the book is too difficult. (That does, to some extent, depend on the length of the page. In some books you might make it three, or even one.) The child must understand not just the decoding, but the meaning. It is better at this stage to be reading a book a little too easy than too difficult.

5. A * is purely editorial. It only means I, personally, particularly love it, for what that’s worth

And now, Some” Leveled” Titles for You:

***Earliest – Good for Reluctant Readers, Readers Who Need to Build Up Successes, Readers in Early Development, and some ESL students. Many children will not want to read these in class because they “look too easy.” Weekends and vacations are a perfect time!

Beep! Beep! It’s Beeper – S Beeper’s Friends – S Bravo Kazam – S Eddie the Racoon – S Edna Elephant – S Ethan Out and About – S Fish and Frog – S Hey, Tabby Cat! – S Here Comes Tabby Cat - S Hooray for Rosa – S Kazam’s Magic – S Lucy and Bob – S Larry and Rita – S Monkey Business – S Slightly more advanced: Once upon a Time Walking through the Jungle Slightly more advanced still: Carrie and Carl Play One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab PB

Early Reads – Also Readalouds Young Children Might Enjoy: I Wish I Were Sick Too, Aliki Fancy Nancy, O’Connor – many pictures, couple of sentences per page, but some vocabulary needs support And of course there are plenty more, in the Early Reader section of our Heathcote Library, the public library, and your local bookstore

BOOKS WILL INCREASE IN DIFFICULTY EVERY TIME I SKIP A LINE:

Grandpa Comes to Stay, Lewis Henry and Mudge and the Cold Shivers, Rylant *The Napping House, Wood McDoodle and Scooter (will need some vocabulary support) When Winter Comes, Brenda Parks

Biscuit Series, Alyssa Satin Capucilli A Cake for Our Sister, Larkin Grasshopper’s Gross Lunch, How Long Does It Take? Meet Lottie, Larkin Owl and the Pussycat

*Henny Penny, Galdone Leo the Late Bloomer, Kraus Cat in the Hat, Seuss *City Mouse-Country Mouse, Wallner *Clifford, Bridwell (some are this level; some are K)- S *Curious George, Rey - S *Danny and the Dinosaur, Hoff - S The Doorbell Rang, Hutchins Fox, Marshall – S *Green Eggs and Ham, Seuss *Henry and Mudge, Ryland – S In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories, Schwartz *Little Bear, Minarik M&M, Ross - S Mouse, Lobel – S ***Mr. Putter & Tabby, Rylant – S *Poppleton, Ryland Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak Young Cam Jansen, Adler – S

*Arthur, Brown – S *Clifford – S Corduroy, Freeman Commander Toad in Space, Yolen *Frog and Toad, Lobel - S Harry, Gackenbach – S *If You Gave A Moose…, Numeroff *Jamaica, Havill - S Little Bill, Cosby – S (sometimes K, some are L) Madeline, Bemelmans – S Meet the X-Men My Teacher (Glows in the Dark, Is an Alien…) Coville - S Nate the Great, Sharmat - S Zelda and Ivy – S Alexander, Lionni – S *Amanda Pig and Her Big Brother Oliver, Van Leeuwen – S *Amelia Bedelia, Parish *Arthur, Brown - S Cam Jansen, Adler – S George and Martha, Marshall – S *Horrible Harry, Kline – S Jane and the Magician - S Judy Moody, McDonald – S Miss Nelson, Allard – S *Pinky and Rex, Howe – S Three Little Pigs, Galdone Triplet Troubles Busybody Nora The Littles (but some are actually a good deal harder)

Andy Shane – S *A-Z Mysteries *Bailey School Kids Cam Jansen Judy Moody - S *Marvin Redpost Maximun Boy *Horrible Harry *Rip-Roaring Russell *Secrets of Drune *Zack Files

Other Great Second Grade Titles, in no particular order but lots of *’s – Look with Child for Readability/Desirability

Junie B. Jones - S *Miss Nelson - S *No, David! - S *Nosy Nora - S *Diary of a Wimpy Kid - S *Arthur - S *Magic School Bus -S No Goat Zone, Brenda Parks *Flat Stanley Alice the Fairy The Teddy Bear by David McPhail Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Lovell Dog Eared by Amanda Harvey Hey, Little Ant by Hoose illustrated by Tilley (done as dialogue like Reader’s Theater script) *Goony Bird Greene, Lowry Miss Nelson - S My Friend Friend Ira Sleeps Over, Weber The Pain and the Great One, Blume - S Amos & Boris, Steig Charlie Anderson, Abercrombie My Teacher’s Secret Life, Krensky Enormous Crocodile, Dahl Aesop’s fables (readaloud) Adler’s A Picture Book about:” – S Tough Times, Rylant Fly Away Home, Bunting Babushka’s Doll, Polacco Diary of a Worm, Kronin Crow Boy Mystery Jenny Archer - S Thank You Mr. Faulker, Polacco New Kids of Polk Street School - S Polka Dot Private Eye Triplet Trouble - S The Littles - S The Cobble Street Cousins - S Magic Tree House - S Horrible Harry - S Song Lee - S Adam Joshua Ballet Slippers Best Enemies Houdini Club Magic Mystery Little House Chapter Books - S Mary Marony Russell and Eliza - S Rip-Roaring Russel Time Warp Trio - S The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids - S The Bailey City Monsters - S Red Ribbon Rosie Boxcar Children - S Herbie Jones The Secrets of Droon Starring Rosie Henry Huggins - S *Ramona Quimby - S The Many Troubles of Andy Russell Annie Bananie Wayside School - S Encyclopedia Brown Fudge books by J. Blume Something Queer.... The Amercan Girl Series *Amber Brown - S Anastasia books Ms. Coleman's Class Redwall Dancing in the Wings, Debbie Allen Emma’s Magic Winter Emma’s Yucky Brother Emma’s Strange Pet The Runaways Whistle for Willie, Ezra Jack Keats The Stray Dog When Sophie Gets Angry Let’s Get a Pup The Recess

Some Really Good Non-Fiction by Brenda Parks: Snakes and Reptiles- Newbridge Dinosaurs - every publisher in the land Including Digging for Dinosaurs for higher level What’s the Difference -Newbridge Taking Care of Baby Is It Alive Who Made These Holes (for observation) Why People Move What’s in the Shed Investigating Your Backyard

Surprise Surprise – Guess What Else Are Actually Good Sources of Informational Text (And let child decide which would excite him more): Back blurb of wii games Maps from our local zoo –Say for example, “If we have 3 hours and want to see x, y, and z, how will we best get from point a to point b?” Backs of cereal packets Video games boxes DVD boxes Sports sections (easy ones/easy parts) Songs Even soaps and foods other than cereal

Don’t forget fairy tales and folk tales (which we also study in class). They are so rich in language as well as plot:

And Some Picture Books: (Remember – picture books are NOT baby books! They are book in which the pictures and the words are of equal importance. The pictures drive the words and the words drive the pictures). Stellaluna *Stone Soup Strega Nona *The Three Little Pigs *The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig *Ugly Duckling *Velveteen Rabbit Tikki Tikki Tembo

Getting into what is “officially “for next year, now, but I can’t resist: *Amber Brown *My Father’s Dragon *Class Clown *Encyclopedia Brown *Poly Pals *Boxcar Children ***Beverly Cleary books (!) *A to Z Mysteries *Amber Brown *Mr. Popper’s Penguins *The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Other Generally Good Authors: -Patricia Reilly Giff (but check – some are clearly for more mature audience) -Sachar (also check – Marvin Redpost, yes – some – content is too mature) -Hoff -Spinelli Tooter Pepperday - higher -*Hurwitz -***Cleary

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