Monday, 09 February 2009
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My "Good Read" Recommendation for Beginning Readers
One of the homeschooling questions I'm asked most often is, "How do you find great literature for your children to read?"
I have written before on selecting children's literature, but sometimes it is easier to begin with some good recommendations. So, I will attempt to begin a series of posts highlighting some great children's books and authors for a variety of readers, reading levels, and occasions. Perhaps you may find a new book or remember and old friend you may want to look up next time you go to the library. Maybe it will remind you of one you can recommend to me!
Today's "Good Read" is Red Light, Green Light by Margaret Wise Brown. You may recognize this author as famous for Goodnight, Moon. Your library is probably full of books by this prolific children's author. My Sweetie Pooh can't get enough of her. This particular book, however, is in a category all of its own. It is like Dr. Seuss done with class! A beginning reader (late kindergarden, mid-first grade) who has a firm grasp of 1 and 2 vowel words and has learned many "special sounds" (the phonetic exceptions) will be able to read this book aloud. It contains books with root words and suffixes, and a few compound words. I compared it to Suess because of the sentence structure; the difficult passages follow a similar pattern, allowing the child to increase in confidence and ability quickly.
The true charm of this book is its illustrations, done by Leonard Weisgard. They are drawn in a quaint, vintage fashion, with the same hidden characters found on most pages. The more challenging reading passages are followed by double-paged pictures, giving the child and parent a time to relax and take in the beauty of the work together. Boys, especially, will love the constant references to automobiles and animals stopping and going. It is the perfect, classic reader.
What books are you kids reading lately? Any recent favorites you'd like to share?
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About the Author
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- From: whateverstate@xanga
- Name: Lea Ann
- About Me: Home-school mother of four and part-time music teacher in Texas
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Comments (8)
A good read (or "READS"!!!) are the cartoon books by Norman Thelwell. They are paperbacks, published by Methuen & Co, London.
I recommended them to a friend who lives in Kentucky for his (then) six year old son. But he had to write to the publishers in Toronto, Canada, to get them.
"A leg at each corner" (ISBN416 14030 0) is a "complete guide to equitation," Like all Thelwell's books, it is funny, has a cartoon on each page, with a short caption.
They are suitable for ALL ages -- even adults enjoy them! I find them light, and funny.
bob
We just finished finished "Wishbone's Mutt in the Iron Mask". I love the Wishbone books because they take classic stories (and ones kids may encounter later in their education) and relate them to modern times in a way a child can understand.
Everyone here enjoyed "The Prince Wont Go To Bed", "The Boot maker and the Elves" and "The Wolves in the Walls". We go through a lot of library books but those have stood out.
We love "Blueberries for Sal" and "One Morning in Maine" over here.
I love reading all the great entertaining educational books on www.suesbooks.info Just received the new Kane-Miller books. Some I love are "All About Scabs", "Bobbie Dazzler", "Everyone Poops", "The Zoo", "Wash Your Hands", "Will You Carry Me", and "You Be Me, I'll Be You". Can't wait to read them all. They are funny, hilarious, educational and they love reading them over and over.
Enter the $50 drawing.
Big fan of the "If You Give a..." books by Laura Numeroff.
Also, Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park (those got my little sister reading when nothing else would! plus they are hilarious for both the parent and the child!)
Dr. Seuss is always a classic pick, especially the "I Can Read" books.
From a teaching standpoint, the best educational books that I have seen are the "See Inside Books......" which I found on www.suesbooks.info . There is the See Inside Your Body, See Inside Your Head, See Under the Ground, See Inside Space, See Under the Sea, See Inside Math, See Inside Planet Earth, and See Inside Science. It is so innovative and neat. There are beautiful color illustrations and every subject is broken up into categories and bit and pieces that children can digest a little at a time. There is no better way to learn about these subjects than to lift the flaps and see inside exactly where you would find these things. You can find all types of creatures and animals under the ground. It is so real and factual. There is just no better way to show it. You can see what is under the caves and volcanoes, under the ground in NY, where you find subways, escalators, and all kinds of things. Those are books that children love picking up all the time and they are learning and absorbing a little more each time they go through them. It is something they will remember. Also, the Learning Palettes are great where they learn as they play. There is math and reading centers. The wrap-ups are great for learning math addition, subtraction and multiplication. They get it when they see it to that way. Fun and educational.
I'm currently reading the The Very Hungry Catepillar .
My kids love the simple colour artwork of The Hungry Catepillar and so do I!)