#Road2Reading Challenge: What have I been reading? - July 25, 2017

This weekend, I sat down and read several early chapter books and wanted to share them with you. 

Humphrey's Treasure Hunt Troubles by Betty Birney (August 1st 2017 by Puffin Books) - This book is part of the Humphrey's Tiny Tales spin off, which is written at a slightly easier level than the original Humphrey's series. Just as much fun but easier to access for beginning readers. Larger print, less words, and chapters make it perfect for high first grade readers or beginning of the year 2nd graders. 

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Four by Kate DiCamillo; Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (October 10th 2017 by Candlewick Press) - The last time we visited Deckawoo Drive readers met Baby Lincoln. In the latest book by DiCamillo, readers get to know Baby's older sister Eugenia. This story was very touching. I really enjoyed it. This would be a good book to use as a mentor text to talk about how characters change from the beginning to the end of the book.

Sample from the interior of the book:

The print is somewhat smaller and the number of pages is longer than the Humphrey Book. The storyline is also a bit more complex. 

Betty's Burgled Bakery: An Alliteration Adventure by Travis Nichols (November 7th 2017 by Chronicle Books) - In FOWL PLAY, Nichols used idioms as part of his mystery in graphic novel format. Nichols is back with another mystery, a new team, and alliterations. There are a limited number of graphic novel style books for this age group. 

Samples of the interior of the book:

And mark you calendar for 2018...

Bug Blonsky and His Very Long List of Don'ts by E.S. Redmond (January 2nd 2018 by Candlewick Press) - This book is a bit like a chapter book version of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Each of Bug's "don'ts" has its own chapter. Lots of white space, larger font and though the sample below shows lots of illustrations the book does has text that includes paragraphs. 

Sample page from the book: 

Look for these books at your local indie bookstore or public library.

Each week, Michele Knott and I post about new early readers and transitional chapter books. Don't forget to pop over to Michele's blog to check out her post as well. 

#Road2Reading Challenge: Secrets of American History Series

Recently, I noticed an increase in the number of books for second and third graders with a focus on history. Here are two series that provide information and facts with a twist. 

Secrets of American History: The Founding Fathers Were Spies!: Revolutionary War by Patricia Lakin, Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti (Simon & Schuster, July 4, 2017)

Description from GoodReads: Discover the thrilling side of history—starting with how spies helped during the Revolutionary War—in this fact-tastic, nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a new series about the secrets of American History!

Secrets of American History is an action-packed nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read series that lets beginning readers in on a little secret: history is full of surprises! Want to know what invisible ink has to do with the American Revolution? Or why shark repellant and inflatable army tanks were used in World War II? Find out in this fact-filled series of fascinating true tales, wild adventures, and spy missions, and discover the secret side of American history!

Before he was the President of the United States, George Washington was a spy! It’s true…and he wasn’t the only one! During the American Revolution, founding fathers like Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin sent secret messages rolled up in quill pens, used invisible ink, and wrote in secret codes to keep important information from getting into British hands. In George Washington’s top-secret spy ring, a woman named Anna Strong sent secret messages to other spies by hanging laundry on a clothesline!

Without spies, Americans might still speak with British accents: find out how and why it happened in this book that includes a special extend-the-learning section with activities about the science behind invisible ink, how to make a secret code, and more!

Quick thoughts on the series: 
I tend to be a fan of the Ready-to-Read series. There are many great topics and the illustrations support the text. In this latest Ready-to-Read series, young readers are introduced to the Revolutionary War from the point of reference of the American Founding Fathers being spies. 

Though the text does not provide a significant number of text features. Readers are exposed to information divided into chapters and written more in the style of a longer text but instead comes in at 48 pages. 

At the end of the book, readers learn more about creating invisible ink, secret messages and a short quiz. This interactive section of the book can provide parents and teachers with ideas for extending the concepts in the book. 

Don't miss Secrets of American History: Secret Agents! Sharks! Ghost Armies! World War II by Laurie Calkhoven; Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti (Simon & Schuster, July 4, 2017). 

As with the other book in the series, this one also includes a section at the end that provides readers with some additional facts and activities. 

For the same age group but with a totally different twist and format, Dan Gutman has created a series of FAST FACTS in the style of his MY WEIRD SCHOOL series. 

Explorers, Presidents, and Toilets (My Weird School Fast Facts) by Dan Gutman (HarperCollins, June 2017)

Description from GoodReads: Think fast with A.J. and Andrea from My Weird School!

Did you know that the word “independence” never appears in the Declaration of Independence? Did you know that soldiers in World War I collected thousands of glowworms in jars to help them see at night?!

Learn more weird-but-true U.S. history facts with A.J. and Andrea from Dan Gutman’s bestselling My Weird School series. This all-new series of nonfiction books features hundreds of hysterical facts, plus lots of photos and illustrations.

Whether you're a kid who wants to learn more about our country's history or simply someone who wants to know how many Americans are involved in toilet-related injuries each year, this is the book for you!

Quick thoughts on the book:  This 12+ chapter book series uses humor and back and forth banter between A.J. and Andrea in his FAST FACT series. These books may be significantly longer than the SECRETS OF AMERICAN HISTORY, but provide readers with the next step up in reading levels but still maintaining humor and accessibility to the books. 

Don't miss out on other books in the My Weird School Fast Facts series. 

Look for these and other titles at your local indie bookstore or community library. 

Each week, Michele Knott and I post about new early readers and transitional chapter books. Don't forget to pop over to Michele's blog to check out her post as well. 

#Road2Reading Challenge: Fergus and Zeke

Fergus and Zeke
by Kate Messner; Illustrated by Heather Ross
Candlewick Press (June 13, 2017)
Audience: Ages 6 to 8
Fiction * Friendship * Classroom Pets
IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads: 
Meet Fergus and Zeke a lovable classroom mouse and his streetwise buddy in a brand-new series perfect for early readers. 

Fergus loves being the class pet in Miss Maxwell s classroom. He does everything the students do, until the teacher plans a field trip to the museum without Fergus! He doesn t want to miss the fun, so he stows away in a backpack and sets off for an adventure. When he arrives at the museum, Fergus finds it a little overwhelming huge and full of exciting things to see. Luckily, he meets a new friend, Zeke, who knows the ropes, and together they explore everything from moon rocks to butterflies to a giant dinosaur skeleton ("A playground!" says Zeke). But when the time comes for the bus to leave, Fergus is worried that he ll be left behind. Will he make it back to school to take his place as class pet once more?"

Quick thoughts on the book:
I was excited to hear that Kate Messner was writing an early reader. I have read and enjoyed many of her books and appreciate how she works to get the writing just right for the format. 

In her latest book, Fergus & Zeke, Messner has created an engaging early reader for children who are ready for something a bit more challenging but may not have the stamina for a longer book with more chapters and a more complex plot line. Illustrations fully support the text and provide readers with visual cues to support understanding. 

I enjoyed the characters and do hope there will be additional stories about Fergus and Zeke. Look for a copy of Fergus and Zeke at your local bookstore or public library. 

All journeys have a starting place.
This is a weekly place to find books and tools
that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey.
Join in the conversation at #road2reading.

Each week, Michele Knott and I post about new early readers and transitional chapter books. Don't forget to pop over to Michele's blog to check out her post as well. 

#Road2Reading Challenge: ALA Annual Part I

For the past five days, I have been in Chicago at the American Library Association Annual Conference. It has been a fabulous conference and a wonderful time of feeding my soul and reconnecting with friends. Since I am still in Chicago and need to pack, think of this post as a teaser of what will come over the next few days.

The 2018 Notables Committee in Action

One of my favorite parts of ALA conferences is sitting in on the Children's Notable Book Discussions. My friend Cynthia Alaniz and I spent one afternoon just listening in on the picture book discussions. I was bummed to miss the nonfiction discussions but squeezed in some time for the fiction discussions before the conference ended. This was one of the best committee discussions that I have ever seen. Lots of great insight on books and often made me want to relook at a book for things I missed. 

Left to right: me, Lisa Morris-Wilkey, and Cynthia Alaniz

Another highlight of the conference was meeting up with my buddy, Michele Knott who co-hosts the Road to Reading Challenge with me. Though we didn't get a lot of time together, we did sit together for the Newbery Caldecott Wilder Banquet. I know that Michele was able to get the low down on more new titles and I can't wait to read her ALA post.

me and Michele at the Newbery Banquet

Check back on Wednesday for more about ALA and upcoming Nonfiction that I am excited to share. Also, on Thursday, I will share about some of the Award Presentations. 

All journeys have a starting place.
This is a weekly place to find books and tools
that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey.
Join in the conversation at #road2reading.

Each week, Michele Knott and I post about new early readers and transitional chapter books. Don't forget to pop over to Michele's blog to check out her post as well. 

#Road2Reading Challenge: There's a PEST in the Garden!

There's a Pest in the Garden!
by Jan Thomas
HMH Books for Young Readers (June 6, 2017)
Fiction * Juvenile Readers * Humor
Audience: Ages 4 to 7
IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads: 
There’s a pest in the garden and he’s eating all the vegetables! But Duck has a plan to save the day (well, sort of). Featuring Jan Thomas’s wonderfully wacky humor, rowdy repetitions, and hilarious characters, this book is sure to have young readers laughing out loud!

What is Chasing Duck? 
by Jan Thomas
HMH Books for Young Readers (June 6, 2017)
Fiction * Juvenile Readers * Humor
Audience: Ages 4 to 7
IndieBound | World Cat

Description from GoodReads: 
What is chasing Duck? Is it something wild and hairy? Does it have big teeth? Who will help protect Duck? Featuring Jan Thomas’s wonderfully wacky humor, rowdy repetitions, and hilarious characters, this book is sure to have young readers laughing out loud!

Quick thoughts on these books:
Since teachers are always asking me for more recommendations for beginning readers, I try to find new titles to share with them. I have read a number of previous books by Jan Thomas and last week, two new titles were released. There's a PEST in the Garden! and What is Chasing Duck?

Thomas has mastered simple engaging text and humor for beginning readers. The Giggle Gang series by Thomas and published by HMH Books for Young Readers feature bright, colorful, bold illustrations and large text. 

Often, key words are in bold and the book includes dialogue bubbles. This alerts readers to words that are important and will likely be repeated again throughout the book. Young writers are also beginning to add dialogue to their stories and can use these books as mentor texts for their own writing. 

Tips at the end of the book remind parents or adults to read the books to the child, read it with the child and then have the child practice reading it alone. 

Look for additional books in the The Giggle Gang series by Jan Thomas at your local indie bookstore and community library. 

All journeys have a starting place.
This is a weekly place to find books and tools
that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey.
Join in the conversation at #road2reading.

Each week, Michele Knott and I post about new early readers and transitional chapter books. Don't forget to pop over to Michele's blog to check out her post as well.