What a wonderful week it has been in our house! I am so thankful that much of my family gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving. It all began with the preparations and the cooking (which is half the fun) and ended with a delicious dinner last night with all of my kids. In between, we had a fun siblings night with my sisters, brother and spouses at our house, while the cousins gathered together at my son’s home, a great Thanksgiving brunch and dinner, a fun “turkey trot” on Friday, along with a birthday party that night celebrating my brother-in-law’s 60th birthday. We were even lucky enough to get to share the evening with some our new in-laws (after two weddings this summer, our family is definitely growing! How fun is that?!). And to top everything off, I heard some very kind words about Red Canoe Reader. What a perfect weekend!

Now that we’re all getting back into the routine, I wanted to let you know about some books to add to your library lists for your kiddos. These are definitely some kids’ books to remember!

kids’ Books to Remember: read aloud 

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L.Konigsburg

Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson

kids’ books to remember: picture books

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

The Piggy in the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Zoom at Sea by Tim Wynne-Jones

kids’ books to remember: chapter books

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

links for mom and dad

Tips to Encourage Kids to Spend Time Reading

25 Picture Books that Promote Empathy and Respect

a bronx librarian keen on teaching homeless children a lasting love of books

posts you may have missed on red canoe reader

beginning chapter book series list is here

Historical Fiction: reading about kids in the past

Do you have some kids’ books to remember? Please let me know in the comments! Look for a post very soon about some books to add to your holiday shopping list!

A month ago, I heard from a friend and she was in a panic! Her third grader arrived home with his culminating project for the quarter, and it was a big one. He needed to choose a historical figure, read a biography about that person, AND write an ORAL presentation that he would present at the school’s living history museum IN COSTUME!! And to top it off, he needed to know enough about his person to be able to answer questions in the first person, when all third grade friends and families visit the museum!! She didn’t know how to begin to help him, and he refused to read nonfiction.

This made me think back to the Living History Museums I have visited over the years. What amazed me, and made me so proud of the kids, was not their elaborate costumes, but their enthusiasm and knowledge about their person. The kids might have been very quiet and unsure of themselves normally, but I saw again and again the transformation when they began to tell me about “their lives.” The kids’ eyes would shine and they were so proud. Of course, what helped these kids to reach this accomplishment was research. And I knew I could help with that!

I promised to compile a list of biographies which are interesting and easy to read, but include lots of information. They would even grab her attention! BUT I told my friend, the costume is up to you!

A KID’S BIOGRAPHY FOR OCEAN LOVERS

Manfish:  A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Eric Puybaret is a lovely biography of Jacques Cousteau written with language that is both poetic and lyrical. It describes Cousteau from the time he was a very young boy who loved the feel of water, who wondered why things float, and who dreamed of creating a machine that would allow him to explore the sea and breathe underwater. He also loved movies and with his own movie camera, filmed everything around him. From the day he borrowed his friend’s goggles, which allowed him to actually see what was below the sea, he knew his life was changed forever. The acrylic paintings are delicate and graceful and lend a dreamy feeling to the story. This is a wonderful book to introduce a biography unit or to introduce a remarkable man to your kids.

SOME KID’S BIOGRAPHIES THAT INSPIRE PEACE

                                                                                                             Grandfather Gandhi
by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus

Can you imagine being the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi? Can you imagine ever living up to such a great man? This is a biography of Gadhi, told by his grandson, Arun. When Arun was six years old, his father took him to visit his grandfather. Arun struggled. He didn’t know the language and worst of all, he had to share his grandfather with hundreds of followers. In fact, he rarely had a chance to speak to his grandfather privately. Things all came to a head for Arun, when he found himself about to strike a fellow soccer player with a rock, after he had been pushed and cut his lip. Arun was so shocked by his own behavior, that he rushed to see his grandfather. Arun confessed what he had almost done and his feelings that he would never be at peace. His grandfather interrupted his work to tell Arun a story about peace, about using his anger to illuminate and turn the darkness into light. He advised Arun to “use our anger for good, rather than letting our anger use us.” This picture book biography will clearly and simply introduce children to the peaceful teachings of a great man we need to remember today.

peaceful heroes by Jonah winter

At this time in our world, when we long for peace, this biography introduces us to fourteen people who risked their lives to achieve peace. They have worked to protect people from being killed or exploited and they accomplished this without ever using a weapon. The short, easy to understand biographies, only three pages in length, tell the stories of heroes from many parts of the world and many times in history. I learned about the amazing life stories of many people I was not familiar with. Perhaps this is a book your family could read together. It’s a great lead in to a discussion of the everyday peaceful heroes in your family’s lives.

KIDs’ BIOGRAPHIES FOR ASPIRING COOKS

I have greatly admired Julia Child for many years. I received The Joy of Cooking for a wedding gift, and unfortunately, because I was just learning to cook, I was a little intimidated. Through the years, however, I began to love her recipes and was a big fan of her TV shows on PBS. After reading her autobiography, My Life in France, I admired her even more, and most importantly I learned to NEVER apologize for your cooking mistakes! That is so reassuring to those of us who love to cook and experiment in the kitchen, and occasionally have that flat cake or burned sauce! Julia had a really remarkable life, even before she learned to cook in Paris. She was an extremely strong woman, who believed she could do anything! These two biographies are very different, but both are easy to read and are full of information. For kids who prefer graphic novels, Bon Appetit!, by Jessie Hartland, is a good choice. If kids prefer a chapter book, Who Was Julia Child? by Geoff Edgers and Charlene Hempel,  is the one for them! Both are full of facts and would be inspirational to the reader. And maybe you’ll end up having a cook in the family! How fun is that?

A KID’S BIOGRAPHY FOR POETRY LOVERS

enormous Smallness tells us that Edward Estlin Cummings (E.E. Cummings) grew up in a house filled with lots of family, lots of pets and lots of love from his parents. The story describes the support and encouragement that he received from both his family and his teachers, which helped him to have the courage to follow his dream of writing poetry.

We learn that Estlin loved nature, but most importantly he loved letters and words from a very early age. He was so curious about the world and so full of ideas about what he saw, that his mother would write down the poems that he dictated even before he could write. As he grew older, he not only wrote about what he saw and experienced, but he also drew pictures of what he witnessed out his window or in the woods of his farm.

This book describes Estlin’s experiences from childhood through his years as a poet in New York City. It includes many of E.E. Cummings poems seamlessly woven into the story, as well as a timeline of his life. The personal details in the story, as well as the whimsical collage illustrations which include letters floating across the pages, will catch children’s attention. It may even inspire them to play with words and letters and to begin to write their own poetry!

a kid’s biography for girls who want to make a difference

Ruth Bader Ginsberg learned very early in life that she could disagree, but not be disagreeable. She has made a big difference in the world by doing just that, both as an attorney who argued cases in front of The Supreme Court and as a Justice on The Supreme Court. Through the years she has fought for women’s rights and equality for all. Born in 1933 in Brooklyn, Ruth encountered prejudice very early in her life. She soon learned that because her family was Jewish, there were many places they were not welcome. Not only that, she learned that no one, including her own father, thought she should do any more in her life than be a wife and mother. However, Ruth’s mother wanted more for her daughter, so she frequently took Ruth to the library. There she read about strong, independent women who take charge. She soon had the idea that she could do anything! She went on to be a role model for women when she went to college in the 1950s, graduated at the top of her law school class at Columbia, got married and had a family. In 1993 she became a Justice on the United States Supreme Court, where she continues to fight for equality for all and to make a difference in our country.

Well, to finish the story from the beginning of my post… I recently visited my friend’s son’s Living History Museum. As I expected, it was amazing and the good news, was that both my friend and her son  survived the whole experience. In fact, she pulled me aside and whispered, “It was so much fun! Sam and I really enjoyed the whole process and now he wants to read more biographies!! Will wonders never cease?!”

Who does your child want to learn more about? Let me know, and I’ll help you to find some books that might be the perfect fit!

And here’s another post about biographies – Biographies Kids will Like and Read

I saw this quote on Facebook recently, and I thought it was so true. ” We need to care less about whether our children are academically gifted and more about whether they sit with the lonely kid in the cafeteria.”  I had been struggling with finding a theme for this post, and then after reading this and looking through my stack of library books, I realized so many of the ones I want to share with you are about friendship. As the new school year begins, perhaps you’ll want to share some of these with your kids, no matter what their age, to start some conversations about friendship and kindness.

Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff

Trent is starting middle school and he’s heard the stories about it being such a rough time. However, after his experience in fifth grade he is hoping that it’s a big improvement and he can make a fresh start! You see, Trent accidently hit his friend with a hockey puck during a casual pickup game, and his friend died. So now, Trent is quite certain everyone in town hates him. He’s never invited over to join the baseball games in the park or to go over to a neighbor’s to play. That could be because he can’t forgive himself. Then after Trent stands up for a girl in the park, Fallon, who is being teased and bullied because of her severe scar, they slowly become friends, but it’s not easy. As you read this book, you’ll find your heart breaking a bit for both of the kids, but you’ll also find yourself feeling very proud of how they tackle their problems.

 AR 4.5, Lexia 700                             Friendship, bullying, grief, middle grade chapter book

See you next year by Andrew Larsen and todd stewart

See You Next Year by Andrew Larson and Todd Stewart reminds me so much of our summer vacations each year as I was growing up. Instead of the beach, we went to a lake cottage, but my family established many traditions during that annual trip, just as the main character in this story does. And just like the little girl in the story, we were happy that nothing changed. Our days were long and lazy with lots of outside time, just as hers are.  But this year something does change. She makes a friend! It turns out that it’s nice to have someone to build sandcastles with you, to play in the waves with you and to write postcards with you on a rainy day. Reluctantly, on Saturday her family tells her new friend “see you next year” and heads for home. But on Monday when the mail arrives there’s a surprise for the little girl. . .  The muted illustrations in the story will make you reminisce about those lazy beach days with your family, and perfectly illustrate this sweet story. If you’re looking for a book to share with your little one that will lead to conversations about your families summer traditions and friendship, this is a great choice.

Friendship, beach vacations, traditions, picture book

Max and Marla by Alexandra Boiger

Max and Marla are great friends, even though Marla is an owl. Their dream is to be winter Olympians! This story tells the tale of their perseverance and teamwork as they work together to overcome the many obstacles they encounter as they struggle to achieve their goal. In the end, they realize the real prize they have earned is their friendship! The charming water color and ink illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to this endearing story about true friends.

Friendship, teamwork, perseverance, picture book 

Waylon! One Awesome thing by sara Pennypacker

Ms. Pennypacker, the author of the middle grade Clementine series and the big favorite from the past year, Pax, has written a delightful book about a new fourth grader, Waylon, who is aspiring to be a great science hero, as well as struggling to become the peacemaker, both at home and at school. You see, Arlo Brody, the largest boy in the fourth grade, is dividing the class into two groups. While part of Waylon yearns to be chosen for Arlo’s group, another part of him wants to join his friends in the other group. When Arlo actually picks Waylon, because of his resourcefulness and wacky ideas,  Waylon is torn. His friends are in the opposing group and can’t believe that Waylon has deserted them! At home, Waylon is struggling to bring his family back together. They always did everything together, but since his sister, Neon, who just turned 14, is wearing all black and only says “What’s the point?” in response to anything and everything, and wants nothing to do with her family, they are drifting apart.

Waylon is determined to make peace in both his class and  his family. It turns out that even though he feels his world is exploding, all he needs is “one awesome thing” to make everything right again! That “one awesome thing” turns out to be Waylon’s friendship, kindness, empathy and perseverance, which brings everyone together again.

This book would be a great read aloud with your child or to a class. It is a great discussion starter about class cliques and groups, bullying, friendship, empathy and kindness. At home, it’s also a book that might help your younger kids gain a better understanding about their older siblings and the struggles they are dealing with in their lives.

P.S. Be sure and notice the endpapers. They are priceless!

Kindness, friendship, family issues, bullying, class cliques, middle grade chapter book                          Lexia 650 AR 4.0

It came in the mail by Ben Clanton

This picture book is about a very unique and caring friendship between a little boy and his mailbox. Liam really wants mail, but he never receives a thing. Then, one day he had an idea! Maybe if he wrote a letter, the recipient would write back. There was just one problem – he didn’t have anyone to write to. So he decides to write a letter to his mailbox. As soon as he puts the letter into the box, it begins to rattle and shake and suddenly a fire breathing dragon appears, with a tag saying “For Liam”! Liam loved the dragon, so he wrote a thank you note. Not only did he thank the mailbox for his new dragon, but he also asked for more mail. And, my did he receive mail! So many wild and crazy creatures kept arriving that he soon had no more room! Then another idea came to Liam. Maybe his friends were wishing for mail too. He could send mail to every friend he knew! This will bring lots of giggles, but it’s also a great story to provoke a conversation about Liam’s thoughtfulness toward his friends.

Friendship, kindness, humor

Here’s another post about kindness and friendship that you might want to check out.

Kindness Picture Books For Kids

These are just a few books about friendship. There are so many! What are your favorites? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

Last Tuesday was the big day! My husband and I made our pilgrimage to The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA. The mission of the museum is to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. It definitely fulfills this mission! Presently, there are three exhibits on display – Robert McCloskey, Louis Darling, the illustrator of the early Beverly Cleary books, and the new one titled, Eric Carle Through the Years. I had so much fun seeking out the hidden letters and names in the Eric Carle works, reading the correspondence between Louis Darling and Beverly Cleary, and seeing the original sketches for many of Robert McCloskey’s books. We ended our visit by visiting the picture book library and meeting and chatting with the librarian, Mrs. Betty Matthews. This cozy library, where families may take a break and browse through the more than 3000 picture books in the collection, is also the location of story times throughout each week. As we left, I whispered to Mrs. Matthews that I think she has an amazing job and she agreed!

Americana on Parade: The Art of Robert Mccloskey

The first exhibit in our pilgrmage to the Eric Carle Museum included many of Mr. McCloskey’s original sketches for Blueberries for Sal, Bert Dow and One Morning in Maine, as well as background information about the stories. In 1946 Robert McCloskey purchased a home on Deer Isle, Maine, and summered there annually with his family. Out of his experiences in Maine, came four books, Blueberries for Sal (1948), a Caldecott Honor Book, One Morning in Maine (1952), another Caldecott Honor book, Time of Wonder (1957) and Burt Dow Deep-Water Man (1963). Time of Wonder received the Caldecott award, his second.

This brings me to another fact that I learned about Robert McCloskey. He began as an artist with paintings similar to Thomas Hart Benton and Edward Hopper. Unfortunately, although his paintings won many awards in New York City, he was not able to achieve financial success. He only sold a few water colors and none of his oil paintings. He then realized that perhaps the best choice would be to write and illustrate picture books. It took him three years to develop a draft of his first book, Lentil, which was published in 1940 and proved to be very popular with children everywhere. Two years later, he wrote Make Way For Ducklings, his first book to be awarded the Caldecott Award. While writing that story, in order to make certain that his ducklings were authentic looking, he kept six southern mallards in his Boston apartment for two weeks. He crawled around his studio and sketched them as they waddled about and even put them into his bathtub to learn about their swimming movements! He then explored the parks, rivers and ponds of Boston to make his sketches of the settings of the story. All of his work paid off, since more than two million copies of this book have been sold and it is still loved today over seventy years later!

Finally, I was fascinated to see the original miniature sculpture of the ducklings which is now in The Public Garden in Boston. I’ve visited there many times, and enjoyed seeing the sculptures, but I didn’t know the story behind the work.

The sculpture was created by internationally-acclaimed artist, Nancy Schon, in 1986. However, Robert McCloskey was a very private man and was reluctant to commercialize any of his work. Therefore, he was not a supporter of the statue. In fact, after visiting Ms. Schon’s studio and seeing the final sculpture, he was even more reluctant to give his permission. He felt it was much too large. However, after it’s installation in Boston’s Public Garden, he gave his blessing and approval to Ms. Schon. The sculpture has become one of the most beloved landmarks in Boston.

I had another interesting experience concerning the sculpture a few years ago, when one of my nieces was attending graduate school in Boston. She frequently passed by the sculpture as she made her way around the city. Later that year, she studied in Moscow for one semester, and was very surprised to find a replica in a park she was visiting with friends! After some research, she learned that First Lady Barbara Bush had given the sculpture to the children of the Soviet Union. It was “given in love and friendship to the children of the Soviet Union on behalf of the children of the United States.” I find this very touching that Robert McCloskey’s work continues to spread joy and love on the other side of the world.

The Art of Eric Carle: Hide and Seek

Eric Carle has written over seventy picture books during his fifty year career. The surprising thing is that he has hidden names and letters in many of these books. These are the first letters of his son’s first names, R and C, as well has the names of many friends and family. In this exhibit, many of Eric Carle’s original work is displayed with a flip card next to each one where you can check your answer.

I was also fascinated to see a display of Mr. Carle’s paints and tissue paper that he uses to make the collages in his books. He cuts and layers the shapes to create the images in his stories. Children are often inspired to create their own stories by using the collage technique. Eric Carle considers this to be the ultimate compliment. Children who visit the museum Art Studio, where the goal is to encourage visitors of all ages to make, appreciate and think about art, have the opportunity to make their own creations with tissue paper shapes, or to participate in a new art activity each week. You can follow the Art Studio on their blog, where you might get some ideas for your own art activities!

The paints and tissue paper that Eric Carle uses to make the collages to create the images in his books.

Louis Darling: Drawing the Words of Beverly Cleary

The last exhibit displayed the illustrations by Louis Darling for Beverly Cleary’s early books, as well as correspondence between the author and illustrator. Louis Darling was assigned by Beverly Cleary’s publisher in 1950 to illustrate her books, which he did for the next 20 years. I saw so many amazing sketches, which was really fun, but I most enjoyed reading the quotes from Beverly Cleary concerning the illustrations, as well as reading the letters the two exchanged.

Louis Darling’s last illustration for one of Beverly Cleary’s books was made shortly before his death in 1970. Over the years, their friendship, and the admiration for one another, had grown and was valued by both the author and the illustrator. Beverly Cleary was very saddened by Louis Darling’s untimely illness and ultimate death. In tribute to the illustrator, Ms. Cleary dedicated Runaway Ralph to him.

It was an amazing visit and I highly recommend it if you are in the area (or even if you’re not!!). In fact, as I look through the description of activities, plays, lectures and author visits, which are offered each year, I so wish that I lived close by! The people of Amherst are very fortunate to have this highly regarded museum in their hometown!

Eric Carle Picture Book Museum Video: Highlights from 2014 – 2015

After reading about the opening of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in 2002, I knew I wanted to visit. The museum was founded by Eric Carle and his wife, who after visiting Japan in the 1980s and visiting many picture book museums, decided to create their own picture book museum. This opened in 2002 in Amherst, Massachusetts. It houses over 6000 illustrations in its permanent collection, as well as many more pieces in the many exhibitions which are held every year. The good news is that I get to visit next week! My husband and I are traveling to our niece’s wedding in Doylestown, PA this week. After the festivities and the special family times that are sure to occur, we are taking a road trip to Massachusetts! I plan to take lots of pictures and share them with you once we get back home.

eric carle museum exhibitions

When we made the decision that we would add the museum to our travel plans, I began doing my research. I was delighted to learn that there are three special exhibitions at the Eric Carle Museum this summer, featuring three renown American illustrators, Robert McCloskey, Eric Carle and Louis Darling. After learning this, I checked out many books by these men, and as a result had so much fun revisiting old favorites!

The art of eric carle: hide and seek

During Eric Carle’s fifty year career, he has illustrated more that 70 books. In reading about this exhibit, I was amazed to learn that Mr. Carle has hidden an R and a C in many of his illustrations, which are the first letters of his children’s names. He’s also hidden names of people and places that are important to him. This exhibit invites the visitor to find these hidden gems. We’ll see how well I do!

Americana on Parade: The Art of Robert McCloskey

When I read about this exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum, I couldn’t have been happier. You see, I began a love affair with Robert McCloskey’s books when I was in my Children’s Literature class at Purdue, many many years ago. My professor was friends with Robert McCloskey, so we were extremely fortunate to have him visit our class and talk about his books. I remember him as a quiet man and very kind. I didn’t really realize at the time how amazing it was to have this opportunity to chat with a two time Caldecott Award winner in our small group setting. I look back now and I can’t really believe it! However, I have proof. Here’s my signed copy of Time of Wonder. Two years later my brother started college in Boston, so I was able to have many joyful visits to The Public Garden, the swan boats and of course the duckling statues. And thanks to Robert McCloskey’s books, I also developed a love of the rocky beaches of Maine.

The Eric Carle Museum’s exhibit is in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Make Way for Ducklings. The exhibit of over 90 pieces includes sketches, drawings, watercolors and paintings. I can’t wait!

Louis darling: drawing the words of Beverly cleary

The Eric Carle Museum is celebrating Beverly Cleary’s 100th birthday by presenting this exhibit of Louis Darling’s illustrations of Beverly Cleary’s books. Mr. Darling illustrated Ms. Cleary’s books beginning with her first work, Henry Huggins in 1950 until his untimely death twenty years later. In all, he illustrated twelve of Beverly Cleary’s books. After learning about this exhibit, I visited my local library and was able to find these copies that are illustrated by Louis Darling. After his death, and through the years new copies of her older titles were newly illustrated, but if you look hard you can find some titles with the original illustrations. Here are two that I found!

I’ll be posting again in a few weeks and report on our trip. In the meantime, why don’t you visit your library or peruse your book shelves for copies of Eric Carle’s, Robert McCloskey’s and Beverly Cleary’s books? I’m sure you’ll enjoy revisiting these classics, as much as I did! Can you find the hidden letters in Eric Carle’s books? Let us know in the comments below.

How did it get to be the middle of July?  We’ve had a whirlwind summer, hosting our niece’s wedding shower, several trips to Michigan and then finally attending our niece’s wedding last weekend. It was a very special day and such a fun wedding. We were able to reconnect with many old friends and spend some extra time with family. It all meant so much to us, but by Sunday, we were exhausted!

As for what’s happening here in Naperville, our town’s summer sports are over and the park district activities are winding down. The streets are much quieter, because so many families are on vacation.After all, school starts again in just three weeks! However, there’s still time to get some summer reading done before the middle of August rolls around. Now that I am finally recovered after our big weekend, I want to share some wonderful books with you for your midsummer reading pleasure! I’ve found these books by connecting with my many Instagram friends, through many trips to our local library, through reading reviews and following publisher’s announcements. It’s always so much fun to track these books down and read them myself. I think I have some memorable ones for you!

chapter books for midsummer reading

I am sure many of you are as concerned and upset as I am about what has been happening in our country this summer. As I learned about yet another act of violence, I was reading this book and I realized this is a perfect title to add to my list of Kindness books that I wrote about in the spring. In The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz, Nina is spending her summer between middle school and high school pretty much on her own. Her parents, both lawyers, go to work early and return late, her older brother is always busy, her best friend has discovered boys and only wants to talk about clothes and makeup and her beloved grandma has died. So Nina spends a lot of her day in her room looking at all of the houses in her cul-de-sac. On the first day of summer she watches her next door neighbor, Mrs. Chung who lives by herself, struggling to plant her garden full of marigolds as she always does, even though she has a broken leg. After Mrs. Chung gives up and goes inside, Nina remembers something her favorite teacher told the class on the last day of school. He said, “It is very often the ordinary things that go unnoticed that make a difference.” At that moment, Nina comes up with a plan that will change her summer and change her neighbors’ summers, as well. Nina decides to do something unnoticed every day for the 65 days of summer and see if she can really make a difference. This is an inspiring story that I wish I’d found earlier, because it would make a good beginning of summer read aloud. However, the principle idea holds true in any season of the year. And maybe that’s what we all need to do right now. We need to decide to do something ordinary and unnoticed for someone and see if it makes a difference. I’ll bet it does!

Kindness, caring, middle school

In the thing about jellyfish by Ali Benjamin, we are introduced to Suzy Swanson. Suzy notices many things about the world that others don’t even realize exist, and she can quote scientific fact after fact to anyone who will listen. So to Suzy, the fact that her lifetime best friend has drowned while on a beach vacation, makes no sense at all. Especially, since the last time she saw Franny, Suzy had played a terrible trick on her. And now Suzy would never be able to apologize. As a result, Suzy has decided never to talk again.

The story follows Suzy through seventh grade and describes her struggle to understand about Franny and to find a way to live with her grief. Suzy insists that Franny couldn’t have drowned, she was much too good of a swimmer, so Suzy sets out to find a reason. And along the way, she discovers that there are still people out there who love her and want to help her to find a way to forgive herself.

Grief, healing, friendship, middle school

The Tale of Rescue by Michael J. Rosen, is a perfect book for the dog lovers in your life who might be looking for an exciting story, but are interested in reading something that is a bit shorter than the average chapter book. This selection received starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

The Tale of Rescue tells the story of a cattle dog and how he rescued a Florida family caught in a blizzard the the Appalachian Mountains. The book is full of suspense and adventure, and offers proof of a dog’s tremendous will and why a dog is truly man’s best friend.

Adventure, dogs

picture books for midsummer reading

In A Perfect Place for Ted by Leila Rudge, introduces us to Ted, who has always been a pet store dog. He longs for somewhere to call home, somewhere that is perfect for him. However, the circus doesn’t like his tricks and the pet pageant doesn’t like his looks. However, when he sees a sign advertising for “A furry friend for Dot. Must enjoy long walks and ball games”, he thinks he might have found his perfect place! This is another ‘perfect’ story for the dog lover in your house!

Fun read aloud, dogs

The Three Questions is a beautifully written and illustrated story by Jon J. Muth and is based on Leo Tolstoy’s short story, The Three Questions. Tolstoy’s story was written for adults, and in this version, Mr. Muth tells the story with kindness and warmth so that children can understand Tolstoy’s ideas. Jon Muth strives to help children understand that showing compassion for those around them, and for living in and appreciating the moment, is the secret to how a person should live. In fact, a good friend of mine, who is a retired third grade teacher and is one who always cared about her kids and strived to help them grow in kindness during the year, would begin the school year by reading and discussing this story. Maybe that is why so many of her kids were always the caring ones.

Kindness, caring

One of the most touching books I’ve read recently is The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers. I’m a huge fan of Mr. Jeffers and I always share his books with my kindergarten classes and first graders. This selection tells the story of a little girl who appreciated, and was always amazed, by the world around her. Every page, beginning with the amazing end papers, gently and tenderly shows the little girl and her Grandpa together, whether its telling stories, looking at the stars or wondering about a flower.  These wondrous times continued until one day she found an empty chair, instead of seeing her special grandpa ready to help her understand the curiosities of the world. So the girl decides she must keep her heart in a safe place, in a bottle she wears around her neck. She no longer sees the wonders of the world as she grows up, always with the heavy bottle hanging around her neck. But she knows her heart is safe. This goes on until she meets a little girl who teaches her that maybe it’s safe to let her heart come out, and to let her enjoy the wonders of the world once more.

Grief, healing, grandparents

The Happiest Tree by Uma Krishnaswami. Meena is excited that her class has written, and is going to perform an updated version of Red Riding Hood. When she eagerly starts working on the sets, she dumps a can of paint. After she receives her part in the play, she immediately falls on stage during rehearsal causing all of the other trees to moan, “Meee – na!”

At dinner that night, she laments about her clumsiness to her parents. Her mother assures her, it’s okay because she’s growing so quickly and her dad insists it’s okay not to be perfect. But Meena still feels miserable. While shopping with her mother the next day, she sees a yoga class for kids going on nearby. After a few classes, she begins to gain some confidence and not topple over. She learns about breathing and relaxing. She even learns how to do the tree pose!

I’m always so glad to find a book about yoga. Because it’s becoming more and more popular, I always had requests for yoga stories. I’d definitely recommend this one!

Yoga, confidence, read aloud 

The Bell in the Bridge by Ted Kooser tells the story of Charlie. Charlie is visiting his grandparents on the farm for two weeks in the summer while his parents go on vacation. Unfortunately, his grandparents are too busy with cooking, cleaning and driving the tractor to spend any time with Charlie. This meant that he was bored and lonely and the two weeks seemed like a really long time. So Charlie goes fishing, plays along the stream and drops stones from the bridge. When he decides to hit the bridge railing with a large stone, it rings like a church bell and then pretty soon the echo returns to him. He visits the bridge every day, and on one visit, after he hits the bridge railing with the special rock, he not only hears an echo, but also another sound as well. Could it be that there’s someone down stream who is returning his bong? Maybe he’s not really alone? Suddenly his summer becomes a lot more fun!

The warm illustrations enhance this cozy story of a little boy’s solo summer adventure. It makes you wish for the peacefulness of the countryside and the time to go exploring.

Read aloud, Summertime, bridges

When I first checked out Reach for the Stars by Serge Bloch, I thought it would be a perfect graduation gift. It would be, and in fact Amazon includes it on a list with many other graduation picture books, but it’s also a wonderful choice for a read aloud in a classroom to introduce idioms. When this book is shared, it can provoke a discussion not only about life and the obstacles you might encounter along the way, but also about the true meanings of the idioms that are found on every page. From “you won’t always be top dog” to “when you have all your ducks in a row, you’ll fly”, your kiddos will be thinking and asking “just what does that mean?” The simple illustrations are delightful and are great depictions of every thought.

graduation, idioms

I found this book at my library just before I left for a vacation in Michigan, which included many trips to the beach. I love Lake Michigan and have so many fond memories of family times during our yearly trips to Manistee to visit my great grandmother every summer. Lake Michigan might not be the ocean, as this book describes, but it has its own wonder, and the cover of this book immediately brought those fun times to mind! This book is written by Alison Lester, one of Australia’s most popular authors, and is the 20th anniversary addition. The soft colors in the cozy illustrations describe the part imaginary and the part real world of a day at the beach. You feel the peacefulness, the joy and the adventure that such a day might include. After rereading it just now, I’m yearning for a day at the beach!

Summer, beaches, read aloud

Part of my joy of summer, is sitting outside as it’s getting dark and watching the lightening bugs come out. I imagine this grows out of so many favorite memories from my childhood and from my boys’ childhoods. How many nights did I spend outside with my sisters and brother catching fireflies and filling up our glass jars? Our dad, of course had punched holes in each our of the lids so our new little pets could breathe. What was so unusual about these evenings was the fact that I was normally an inside girl who would much rather be curled up reading a book instead of going outdoors, but those summer evenings would lure me outside and I (who would NEVER, EVER touch a bug) would happily catch lightening bugs and fill my jar. I think my kids found just as much joy as I did, when it came to catching fireflies. So many summer nights, they begged to stay up and wait for the lightening bugs to emerge. The only difference was that they had bug boxes, rather than glass jars (of course, they would never have been allowed to run around with a glass jar! Haha!). So when I discovered this new book recently, Among a Thousand Fireflies by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder I was immediately a fan. Ms. Frost’s poem describes how one firefly discovers a very special friend in the midst of thousands of lights one starry summer evening. Her lyrical words are illustrated with Mr. Lieder’s amazing photographs. This is one you don’t want to miss!

Summer, fireflies, read aloud

Finally, I want to share some links with you that you might find helpful when you’re looking for books for your kids, when they’re saying “I don’t know what to read”!

midsummer reading websites

Brightly is a wonderful site that I really enjoy following. You can find wonderful lists of all types of books divided by age, genre, and interests, as well as interesting articles about books and reading by many different authors. I suggest you check it out!

Finally, if you are looking for some new titles for your youngest kiddos, or for baby gifts, School Library Journal, one of the best source for kids’ book recommendations, has assembled a great list of the newest and best board books, Across the Board: The Latest for Small Readers.  

In closing, I wish you many lazy summer days filled with lots of time for midsummer reading adventures! What books will you be reading? What books do you suggest? Let us know in the comments below.

I am sitting on a deck in Michigan on a beautiful day and looking out at the glittering lake. I hope your summers are going as well as mine, and you are enjoying lots of happy family times in the warm weather. We receive such a limited number of these perfect summer days, so I try to make the most of every one!

This  past month has been a whirlwind of family activities! We drove to Lubbock, Texas, to attend our niece, Haley’s Honor Ceremony and Graduation from Texas Tech. She is now a Speech Language Pathologist and we couldn’t be prouder! It meant so much to us to be able to be a part of the special weekend. We then visited old friends in Colorado and Kansas and created lots of special, new memories. The fun didn’t stop there. We then returned home and hosted a wedding shower for our niece, Kelly! Now we are looking forward to her July wedding and to our niece, Julia’s shower and wedding later this summer. It’s a little crazy, but giving us so much joy and great family memories!

I know school has been our for many of you for a few weeks now, and because I remember what happens once the newness of summer vacation begins to wear off, I want to share some books that might add some fun and joy to your summer. Some of these are for the parents and teachers, and some are for the kids.

SUMMER ACTIVITY BOOKS

Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman, is perfect for all of your little ones who are fascinated by nature and are bombarding you with questions! I gave this to a special little neighbor and he keeps it by his bed, making sure it’s always available to answer his questions. It is a wonderful book for any family who loves the outdoors and are taking those summer walks to the park or the woods or the beach. And as a bonus, that this former librarian loves, it introduces the concept of research to your kids!

 Henry David Thoreau for Kids by Corinne Hasfield Smith, a tour guide at Thoreau Farm, in Concord Massachusetts, has written a book which is a good choice for parents and kids to read together to introduce older children to the wonders of the world. It provides background about Thoreau and 21 hands on activities that relate and honor Thoreau’s ideas, such as  keeping a daily journal, planting a garden, baking trail-bread cakes, going on a half-day hike, and starting a rock collection. It even integrates technology with nature activities such as describing and providing a link to a birdcall identification app.

PARENT AND TEACHER SUMMER READING SUGGESTIONS

If you are looking for a feel good book that will inspire you to read to your kids every day, this is it! In The Reading Promise Alice Ozma shares the story of her father reading aloud to her for eight straight years. If you are wondering if spending so much time each evening reading to your children, is truly worth it, this will surely convince you that it is!

I first read about Thirty Million Words by Dana Suskind last fall, and immediately knew I wanted a copy. Dr. Suskind  is a Cochlear Implant Surgeon who discovered the true value of talking to and with your children from birth through age three. She  was concerned about why some of the children who were returning to see her for their post operative appointments were so talkative and some were not. Were the cochlear implants not successful with some children? However, after much research she discovered that some of the children were hearing lots of language in their homes and some were not. This book will tell you how to create the “best language environment” for your child. It will help you to understand why the first step to successful lives for our children is to simply talk to your children in a way that builds their brains. This is a perfect gift for young parents and early childhood teachers.

I first learned about Reading Picture Books to With Children by Megan Dowd Lambert on the Eric Carle Picture Book Museum Facebook page. I truly think it’s an important book that all teachers and librarians need to read! It describes the techniques to use when reading aloud to help the children interact with the story and to truly see and understand the importance of the pictures and to get them to “think with their eyes”. I always thought it was so important to interact with the kids when I was sharing a story (that’s why my story times were always so long!), but this opened my eyes to new techniques and vocabulary to use during my story times in the future.

TWO HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS FOR KIDS

The War that Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, a Newberry Honor book for 2016, is the story of Ada and her brother, Jamie, during World War II in both London and then the English countryside. I read this in a few hours. I just couldn’t put it down! Children will learn so much about history during World War II and the impact that it had on the children.

Ada has a club foot and her mother is very ashamed of her. Ada is never allowed to leave their one room apartment in the slums of London and is punished by being locked in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. When Ada learns that Jamie is leaving on the train with many other London children to escape the war and live with families in the English countryside, she decides she must go with him. This story describes their adventure beginning with their escape from their apartment, their harrowing train ride and then their new life in a small village. Because Ada has never left her apartment, she has so much to discover and to learn to trust. You share her joy, as well as her terror that she may have to return to London and face the wrath of her mother.

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood tells the story of Gloriana June Hemphill and her life in Hanging Moss, Mississippi, during the summer of 1964. Glory is so excited. School is out and it’s just a few weeks until the most important day of the year – her birthday on the 4th of July. Every year she celebrates in the same way. She invites all of her friends to have cake and ice cream and to go swimming at the town pool. However, this year things are different. There are rumors that the town pool may close because it must now be integrated. Glory can’t believe it, so she decides to write a letter to the town newspaper to protest. The story is a memorable novel about family, friendship and making choices.

CHAPTER BOOKS, BEGINNING CHAPTER BOOKS AND PICTURE BOOKS FOR KIDS

Finally, I want to remind you to visit my past posts that will give you some more ideas for your kids when they just don’t know what to read next!

Beginning Chapter Book Series List is Here!

New Picture Books for All Ages!

New Kids Books You Don’t Want to Miss!

The Chapter Book Series List has Arrived!

Are there some books you would like to suggest for the summer reading lists? Please let us know in the comments below.

Happy Summer!

Spring has come to the Midwest! We’ve had an amazing weekend that felt more like summer than spring and so far this week, we’ve held on to the warm weather. I was even able to take some of my pictures outside, which seems to be easier with better results. As you all enjoy our great weather, here are some new kids books you that you might want to investigate.

As most of you know, I’m a recently retired elementary school librarian. Throughout the over 20 years in my job, I kept up with book reviews through library magazines and more recently online sources. However, because I was also trying to save some time during the evenings and on the weekends for my husband and family, I missed learning about some books.  One of the best parts of my retirement, is that I now have the time to peruse the online sources, social media and literature blogs to learn about new books and authors. It has been so much fun! I spend a part of each day reviewing these sources and making notes about ones I want to try. I’ve become a very frequent visitor to our wonderful public libraries (which amazingly always seems to have the books I am looking for!) to check out these books so I can determine if I agree with the reviews. Most of the time I do! I have found that the quality of the writing, as well as the illustrations, is impressive. Therefore, because of my past experiences, I understand how hard it is for you busy moms, teachers and grandmas to keep up with it all and to find some special books for your kids. Hopefully this list will help! If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll recognize some of the titles, but there are lots of new ones as well. Here we go!

new Middle grade kids books  

El deafo by Cece Bell

This book won the Newberry Honor this year and after reading it, I think it was an excellent choice. It’s a graphic novel memoir which is very touching, but full of humor. Cece became deaf after contracting meningitis when she was four. She describes her experiences and the reactions of those around her. She just wanted to be accepted and have friends, but it wan’t always easy. It would be a great book to read with your child. It would also be a wonderful choice to share with hearing impaired kids and their friends. I think it helps all of us have empathy and a better understanding of the world of a hearing impaired child.

Hearing impaired, empathy, kindness, graphic novel, humor

Escape from Basters’ Barn by Rebecca Bond

This new kids book will be a winner with fans of Charlotte’s Web. The Story is told from the animals’ perspective and describes their friendship, loyalty and teamwork as they try to solve a life threatening problem in the barn.

Animal story, friendship, loyalty, teamwork, adventure, read aloud for all ages

The wild robot by Peter Brown

This fantasy book is the first chapter book from the award winning picture book author, Peter Brown. Roz, a robot, finds herself alone on a deserted island with no way to get home. Roz is very intelligent, and very adaptable, however, so she quickly learns how to cope with living in the woods by observing the unwelcoming animals on the island. After a while, the island begins to feel like home when Roz and the animals become friends. This novel is both heart warming, and full of action, and is one you won’t want to miss!

Fantasy, adventure, great read aloud for all ages

paper wishes  by Lois Sepahban

This historical fiction book is Manami’s diary from 1942 which describes her family’s experiences as they are relocated from their home on Bainbridge Island to a Japanese American camp in the California desert. She is very sad to go, but refuses to give up her dog, as is required. She tries to smuggle Yujiin onto the train that will take them to their new home, but he is taken from her after he is discovered. From her new home, Manami writes letters and draws pictures for Yujinn everyday promising to take good care of him when he returns home.

Historical fiction, World War II, good read aloud for grades 3-5

brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline woodson

This is another Newberry Honor book. It is Ms. Woodson’s autobiography about growing up in South Carolina and New York in the ’60s and ’70s, and is all told in verse. Each poem vividly describes her experiences as she deals with both discrimination and the Jim Crow Laws. However, her love of writing shines through in the poignant verse.

Historical fiction, Civil Rights Movement, poetry, autobiography, good read aloud for grades 3-5

new picture books

have you seen elephant? by david Barrow

This book is sure to become a favorite that you will reading over and over again. The charming illustrations from this first time author just give you a warm feeling. You might notice that it is all dialogue, with the best line being when the elephant tells the little boy that “I must warn you though. I’m VERY good.” when they begin to play hide and seek together. Your children will soon be emphatically (and probably very loudly) pointing out the elephant in each hiding place, as the dog is doing on each stop along the way, but the little boy just can’t find Elephant. A School Library Journal starred review, which will be enjoyed by all!

 preschool – grade 2 read aloud

When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes

The latest book from Kevin Henkes, is beautifully illustrated by his wife, Laura Dronzek (I’m not familiar with her illustrations, but this book definitely makes me want to see more. Actually, I think I’d like for her to decorate my house!). This is a lovely, sweet story that pulls you in through the beautiful and vibrant illustrations covering the end papers and then keeps you turning each page to learn what’s coming next. It made me feel so joyful and cozy, as it engaged all of my senses. It’s a wonderful read aloud for preschool children, which will lead to an understanding of what to expect as Spring emerges all around them.

seasons, preschool – grade 2 read aloud

bear and bunny by daniel pinkwater

This is another book which received a starred review from School Library Journal. That happens to be the best recommendation a book can have, in my opinion! If a book received this, the book was always at the top of my “to be purchased list” for my library. Of course, now, this is really dangerous, because I want to add every starred title to my home library! This is a sweet story about friendship, as the two friends are on their quest through the forest to find the perfect pet. As they consider each possibility, it’s a great opportunity to talk with your child, or with a class, about the reading strategy of comparing and contrasting that occurs in the story as Bear and Bunny come to a conclusion.

read aloud preschool – 2, compare and contrast, friendship

boxes for katje by Candace Fleming

This isn’t a new book, but it’s new to me and I wouldn’t want you to miss it! The historical fiction story is set in Holland immediately after the second World War. Food and clothing were extremely scarce, due to the fact that nothing could be farmed or manufactured during the war. One day, a little girl, Katje, receives a box from America containing socks, soap and chocolate. It caused a huge celebration in Katje’s family, and she sent a thank you note to the little American girl who sent the package.This prompted another box to arrive which was so large that Katje could share the contents with her neighbor. This continued, until the Americans had sent enough food, soap, warm clothing and chocolate for the entire town! And then Katje sends a thank you gift to America. This story will lead to an understanding of conditions after the war, and how the kindness of a few people can help so many.

read aloud for all ages, historical fiction, World War II, empathy, kindness

the first step: how one girl put segregation on trial by susan e. goodman

Sarah Roberts was attending a school in Boston in 1847 that was near her home, had lots of supplies and books and many teachers. Then she is told she can’t attend, because it is a school for white children. Sarah is sent to a a school for African American Children, which is a long distance away and has only one book. Out of concern for Sarah and their anger at the situation, Sarah’s parents go to court and “put segregation on trial.” This story describes the long battle that Sarah’s family and some hard working lawyers fought to achieve integration in Boston schools. Fairness was finally schieved in 1855 when the mayor declared Boston to be the first city with integrated schools. The story continues to describe the journey toward integrating schools in all of the United States, which concluded with the 1954 Supreme Court Decision which declared all schools must be integrated.

Historical fiction, Civil Rights Movement, segregation, read aloud for grades 2-5

a tale of two beasts by fiona robertson

This is a fun story told from two points of view – a little girl on her way home through the woods from Grandma’s house and a strange little beast she finds along the way. First of all, be sure and notice the end papers. They will put a smile on your face before you even begin reading the story. They are also a good discussion starter with your child. Then as you proceed, there are so many details in every illustration for you to find and to point out. It would be a lot of fun to share this story with a child while you are curled up together, or with a class. It would definitely be high on my list for a read aloud with my kindergarten or first grade classes!

Point of view, read aloud preK – grade 2, kindness, friendship

 There are so many more books I want to share with you, but I’ll save those for next time. What are some new books you would like to share? Let us know in the comments below.

P.S. One of my favorite bloggers, Modern Mrs. Darcy, recently published a post titled, Twelve Terrific Books for Tween Girls. Be sure and check it out. It has some terrific recommendations!

Before I wrote my first post for Red Canoe Reader, I had plans of composing several lists of books that I would share with you through links in the menu. Unfortunately, I spent so much time composing the posts that I neglected to make those lists. Well, I posted my first list – Chapter Book Series List! It includes many titles that you can find at your public library, purchase at your favorite bookstore or possibly even have on your own shelves.  I have included links to Amazon, if you’d like to purchase these for the children in your lives, as well as the Accelerated Reader and Lexile Levels to help you find a series on your child’s level. I’ve also divided the list into realistic fiction, graphic novels and fantasy to help you choose.

I have included chapter book series in many of my previous posts, so I hope you’ll check these out, as well. Here are the titles of the posts and the links:

Some New and Noteworthy Kids Chapter Books

HISTORICAL FICTION: READING ABOUT KIDS FROM THE PAST

CHILDREN’S BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS: CHAPTER BOOKS

ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN SERIES

Of course, you might be having a hard time enticing your child to read any book, or at least anything you suggest! I recently read about an idea that I want to share. On the blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy, Anne Bogel recently described  her strategy about getting her kids to read. She goes to the library and brings home a large stack of books. They might be chapter books, nonfiction, graphic novels or picture books. Then she plops the stack on the kitchen table. When the kids walk by they get intrigued and usually pick up a book and begin to read! She never says a word. I just wish I had thought of that when my kids were little!

And finally, please remember, the chapter book series titles in this list, as well as the books in my previous posts, don’t begin to be a complete list of chapter book series titles. What books should I add to the list? Let me know in the comments and I’ll make updates!

And please share this post with your friends who might be looking for some ideas to entice their kids to read.

In my last post, I wrote about some of the new chapter books in Some New and Noteworthy Chapter Books and I wrote about some of my favorite chapter books in my post, Children’s Books for Christmas: Chapter Books.  Those books are usually written on the third grade level and higher. But what about the kids who are not quite ready for these, but are eager to feel the pride in reading chapter books? That is when I would lead them to the colorful displays of the early chapter books in the library. The displays made it easy for the kids to choose their own book, once they were familiar with the series.

And about this time of year, those displays contained very few early chapter books, because the kindergarten and first graders had discovered them. So many times, those beginning readers would come in and ask for a book with chapters. They might still be reading on the first grade level, but they wanted to have the thrill of moving on to reading chapter books. This meant the books needed to have a table of contents containing a list of the chapters and the page numbers. The book might have only three chapters, but that didn’t matter, because it was a chapter book!

Then the next step would be finding that series that would draw them in and make them eager to read another one. My assistant and I would spend what seemed like endless hours working with all of our kids to help them find the perfect book, because we knew if we could hook them on a series, most likely we would create a real book lover.

Recently, I saw a blog post about early chapter books that I was very much in agreement with. Sarah Mackensie wrote about early chapter books on her blog, Amongst Lovely Things, titled Series Books that Will Turn Your Struggling Reader into a Voracious Reader. I was very excited to read her thoughts, because her ideas and methods were so similar to what we tried to do in our elementary library. In addition, Sarah has excellent step by step instructions to help make your child into a reader who is eager to read every book in a series! She also includes a list of many chapter books that will entice your child. When I saw this post, I was already planning to write about early chapter books, so I was excited to read Sarah’s ideas and wanted to share her post with you. I would encourage you to give her ideas a try, if the child in your life needs a little extra support and guidance to make them into a lifelong reader.

cynthia rylant early chapter books

Once the kids began chapter books they had many favorites. And I was constantly searching for new series, to make sure they could find a perfect book when they were ready to move on to a new one. To introduce early chapter books, I would read the first few chapters of some early chapter books during my weekly storytimes with the kindergarten and first grade classes. I always started with Cynthia Rylant’s Henry and Mudge and High Rise Private Eyes series.

When the kids wanted to try another series (or all of Henry and Mudge and High Rise Private Eyes are checked out), I would suggest another series by Cynthia Rylant, Mr. Putter and Tabby.  

These are all well loved early chapter books that give the kids a real sense of accomplishment.

national geographic readers

For the children who would rather read a nonfiction book, National Geographic Readers are a great choice. They range from second grade through fourth grade reading level, Lexile 220 – 650, AR 1.9 – 4.2. Due to this wide range of levels, you might want to check on each book on the Lexile site and the AR BookFinder site to find the right book for your child.

Katie Woo and Max and Zoe

Two extremely popular early chapter book series for the kids, once they are ready to move on from the Cynthia Rylant books are Max and Zoe, and Katie Woo. Katie is a sassy, spunky, curious and funny Chinese American girl who is great at getting into trouble. The character was inspired by the great niece of the author, Fran Manushkin. Max and Zoe feature Max and his best friend Zoe as they explore different places and meet new people. 

BILLIE B. BROWN and HEY JACK by sally rippin

Billie B. Brown is a girl and her best friend Jack lives next door. The Billie B. early chapter book series describes her quirky adventures from her point of view. Hey Jack gives her next door neighbor a chance to be heard. At first it was hard to convince our early readers that they should read both series, even though there might be a girl or a boy on the cover (horrors!), but once we convinced them to give it a try, they loved both series.

star wars and lego chapter books

Finally, two more favorites are the Star Wars and the Lego early chapter books. These books were loved by kindergarteners through third or fourth grade, no matter their reading level. In fact, one little guy would come in almost every day and want a new Star Wars books. I tried to convince him to try something else, and sometimes I would succeed, but often he was adamant that he wanted a Star Wars book. He told me that he and his dad would read them together and read them over and over. I soon realized that the books might be above his reading level, but they were providing some special family time. Since the new Star Wars movie was released in December, I would guess these are even more popular now!

Finally, for Lego lovers, there is a series of Lego early chapter books. They range from first grade through fifth grade reading level. These books describe adventures of lots of different characters and include many about Star Wars, making them extra popular!

This is just a short list of some of my favorite early chapter books. There are so many more! Look for a list of these books to be added to my website within the next few weeks. I’ll let you know when that happens! And please remember, that although the links from the book titles direct you to Amazon, most of these books can be found in your public library.

Which early chapter books series are your favorites? Please let me know in the comments below!