First little reader


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My First ReaderI 5 books

Young children will love learning to read with these storybooks. Once they can recognize and identify the words used to tell each story (each book features a word list), they will be able to successfully read on their own.

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Guided Reading Accelerated Reader Lexile

Ballerina Girl

Series: My First Reader
Hall, Kirsten
9780516246239
Fiction
Paperback

D  170LK-1

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Good Night, Little Kitten

Series: My First Reader
Christensen, Nancy
9780516246284
Fiction
Paperback

D  190LK-1

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The Kite

Series: My First Reader
Packard, Mary
9780516246321
Fiction
Paperback

D  180LK-1

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Little Bear

Series: My First Reader
Namm, Diane
9780516246338
Fiction
Paperback

D   K-1

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My New School

Series: My First Reader
Hall, Kirsten
9780516255057
Fiction
Paperback

E  140LK-1

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The Essential Guide to Books for Beginning Readers – Krista Brock, Author

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Posted byKrista Brock

Posted inBooks

Tags:Beginning Readers, Books, books for kids, Children, Children's books, Learning to read, Phonics, Reading, Sight Words

Books for beginning readers are easy to find, but knowing which are right for your little reader can be a guessing game. Here is quick description of some of the most popular beginning reader series.

Also, in order to help you avoid my mistake of starting with Level 1 of the I Can Read Series—which turned out to be much too advanced for a true beginner—I’ve briefly described how each series is labeled or how it starts. It turns out, you’ll need to start with “My Very First Books” for the I Can Read series, Step 1 for the Step Into Reading series, and Level A for the Nonfiction Sight Word Readers.

The Best Books for Your Beginning Reader

Bob Books

Bob Books from Scholastic are great for beginning readers learning to sound out small words. They are intentional about introducing just a few sounds per book. The Set 1 box says, “With four sounds in the first story, children can read a whole book.” New sounds are added gradually, so you’ll want to work your way through this series in order. The illustrations are simple with minimal color, but the stories often have a little humor.

First Little Readers


First Little Readers from Scholastic are box sets of small books with one line of text per page and full-color illustrations. You can start with First Little Readers Level A or the Sight Word Readers pack for learning the “first 50 sight words.” These sets also come with a guide for parents reading with beginning readers at home. They have simple text, but are not as intentional and gradual with introducing new sounds and letter combinations as Bob Books.

I Can Read

The I Can Read books from HarperCollins are also great for early readers. Look for the ones labeled “My Very First Books.” Then your child will move on to “My First Books” and then onto Level 1 and up. The Tug the Pup and Friends box sets are labeled numerically and feature full-color illustrations and simple text for beginners. As children move up in levels, they can begin reading about familiar and beloved characters such as Pete the Cat, Pinkalicious, Danny and the Dinosaur, and the Berenstain Bears.

Nonfiction Sight Word Readers

Another set from Scholastic, these little nonfiction books talk about simple concepts with photographic images and simple sentences. They also use mini pictures above a written word within the sentences on each page to help children recognize new words. Level A introduces 25 sight words, and there are several levels to work through.

Step Into Reading

In the Step Into Reading Books, you can start with Step 1: Ready to Read. These books have large print with one- or two-syllable words and full color pictures. Step Into Reading carries children from beginning reading through until they are ready for chapter books, and there are plenty of books to choose from as you move through the levels. Children will find plenty of familiar cartoon and movie characters they can read about on their own, including Batman, Cinderella, SpongeBob, and more.

Oxford Reading Tree Songbirds

These lovely beginning readers by Julia Donaldson (author of The Gruffalo) are a hit at my house. The stories and illustrations are equally colorful. These books focus on phonics skills with specific sounds and letter combinations in each book. The genius of these books is that they say a lot with a few words and an expressive illustration. The stories are engaging and entertaining, so they are fun to talk about as your little reader sounds out the words.

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Posted byKrista BrockPosted inBooksTags:Beginning Readers, Books, books for kids, Children, Children's books, Learning to read, Phonics, Reading, Sight Words

Published by Krista Brock

As a magazine editor turned freelance writer, mom, and children's book author, I enjoy creating children's books and activities that invite creativity and encourage a love of reading. View more posts

Little Reader's Wishlist - Year of Literature

Text: Natalya Vasilchikova

Collage Year of Literature. RF

At a big book fair, you always feel a little confused: where to go, what to see, what books to buy. We have selected children's books that are definitely worth adding to your home library.

1. Yulia Aronova "My mother is an airplane"

Moscow: Samokat, 2018

All mothers are amazing, but each in their own way. There is a teacher mom, a ballerina mom, a doctor mom, and even a car driver mom. But the protagonist of this surprisingly tender book is especially lucky, because his mother is an airplane. She knows how to fly faster than all the planes in the sky, disperse the clouds and be friends with the sun. Together with their mother, they will fly around the world, visit Paris and New York, the desert and Everest ...

This kind book is based on the cartoon of the same name by Yulia Aronova, which has already won prestigious awards at international festivals. And that is why it is interesting not only to read, but also to look at. Bright, naive, touching and very warm illustrations will definitely appeal to children.

If you don't know how to tell your baby what it means to love, show him this book.

2. Ulf Stark "Little Stark"

Translation: Olga Mäeots, Ksenia Kovalenko

M.: Belaya Vorona, 2018

Ulf Stark is perhaps one of the most famous Swedish children's writers in the world. His books are equally read by children, teenagers, and adults. But it is one thing to get acquainted with the text and quite another - with the author himself. Who are you, Ulf Stark? He tried to answer this question himself. "Little Stark" is a funny and at the same time sad book, built on the real memories of the writer. nine0003

The main character lives in an ordinary family, his father works as a dentist, his mother does housework. He often gets into various troubles, plays pranks on his grandfather, incites his mother to play Indians, or simply sends a firefly on a homemade boat. Ulf Stark describes the relationship between the brothers with amazing subtlety and warmth, combining an adult and childish outlook on life.

3. Sean Rubin "Bolivar"

Translation: Olga Bukhina, Galina Gimon

M.: MIF, 2018

Little curious girl Sybille learned a big secret: a real dinosaur lives in the next apartment. But the problem is, no one believes her. Although the dinosaur calmly walks the streets, no one pays attention to its too large growth, tail and small paws. Because adults are so busy with their allegedly important affairs that they do not see what is right in front of their eyes.

And then one day the dinosaur gets a fine... for parking the wrong way. The policeman mistook it for a car. And from that moment on, the real adventures begin, which lead the dinosaur to the Museum of Natural History. And here the main character has to make a choice: to continue his "invisible" state or open up to the inhabitants of the city in order to tear them out of the gray cycle of days and make them believe in love and friendship again. nine0003

This kind, funny and incredibly exciting story comes to life through illustrations. Each page of this unique comic book is like a separate fantasy adventure. See if you can see what's in front of your nose and see Bolívar.

4. Egor Egorov, Yuri Nechiporenko "About a living house"

Moscow: Art-Volkhonka, 2018

What are we made of? What is DNA? What does a cell look like from the inside? And how does she manage to resist viruses? Chemists, physicists and biologists know the answers to these questions for sure, and now your child will know if he reads this book. Do not be afraid of complex terms and incomprehensible phenomena, the authors of this book managed to talk about the complex simply and excitingly. nine0003

The scientist and children's writer are happy to share their passion for science and love for all living things with their young readers.

The book is illustrated with drawings by Olga Zolotukhina based on sketches and diagrams by Yegor Yegorov, who is also the author of photographs taken under a microscope.

5. Aleksandra Ershanskaya “Things of my childhood”

Moscow: Pink Giraffe, 2018

, or children who will discover an unusual world of things. nine0003

“My year of birth in 1948 is very far from the generation of modern children,” the author of the book Alexandra Yershanskaya honestly admits and adds, “I am a person from the last century.”

Little Sasha Ershanskaya lives in another century and even in another country that no longer exists. But in fact, Sasha is not much different from modern boys and girls. If only because all children want to be good and give way to their grandmothers on the bus, periodically confusing age and giving way to thirty-year-old girls. And what child does not like to ride a bike, despite frequent falls and knocked down knees. And, of course, everyone had their first love, their first fight and their first grief in their lives. nine0003

But unlike today's guys, the girl Sasha is surrounded by completely different objects. Who now knows what a gang is and why a kerosene stove is needed? Today we do not leave the house without a mobile phone, and our grandparents had coins on a string to call from a pay phone. We can type a hundred characters a minute on a computer, but they tried to write with a fountain pen without blots.

"Things of my childhood" is an opportunity to look into another time, into another era and better understand the people who lived there, and perhaps better understand themselves. nine0003

6.

Rob Biddalf “Kevin”

Translation: Maria and Ekaterina Junier

St. Petersburg: Polyandria, 2018

Rob Biddalf books are loved by children and adults throughout the world. Despite their apparent simplicity, they always have a deep meaning. Kevin is no exception.

Evening, little Sydney goes to bed, receives his kiss from his mother and... remains alone in a dark room. But for some reason I don't want to sleep at all. And then a bright, multi-colored ray of light breaks into the room from nowhere. And our hero, overcoming his fear, climbed along this beam and ended up in a magical land where unusual creatures live and the sky is orange. Here he meets his old friend, whom he drew many times on a sheet of paper, but never saw live. Back in the day, Kevin was just a drawing, and now he is standing in front of the boy, big and very kind. But since Kevin is real in this extraordinary world, the boy Sidney is just a figment of the imagination. So, no one sees him, and he can do whatever he wants. nine0003

The boy's mischievous adventures and charming drawings that you can look at endlessly, looking for hidden details. What else does a good children's book need? Well, perhaps another opportunity to believe in a miracle. In order not to be surprised later if one morning your baby will give you a bouquet from a magical land.

7.

German Lukomnikov "It's good that I'm like that!"

M. : Samokat, 2018

Everything is beautiful in this book: poems by the famous poet, participant and organizer of poetry slams German Lukomnikov and illustrations Nikolay Filippov , a talented artist for whom painting has become the language of communication with the world (because he was diagnosed with autism as a child).

This book, of course, should not be given to the smallest readers, and the poet himself honestly admits that these are "almost children's poems." But for older children, it will be very interesting. And this book will be a great gift for a lover of poetry and literature of the absurd.

It is pointless to try to tell what this book is about. So let's just quote a small passage:

If I were God

I could do anything.

I can do a little.

So I am not God...

God is an artist, God is a poet,

I am his self-portrait…

8.

Esther Slobodkina “Kapki for sale”

Translation: Olga Warsaver

M.: Forest of Hands, 2018

This funny story about hats, who once decided to relax and relax and relax and relax and relax fell asleep under a tree, and mischievous monkeys, who immediately took advantage of this, have long been included in the world fund of children's literature. nine0003

Published in 1940, the book by Esther Slobodkina, an American avant-garde artist of Russian origin, was the first book in the United States made using the paper collage technique. It has been translated into dozens of languages, and the total circulation for more than 70 years has exceeded two million. This book is published in Russian for the first time thanks to the efforts of a small independent publishing house Les Ruk

9.

Sergey Dmitriev “We live in ancient China”

M. :, Walking into history, 2018

China is not only the most populous country in the world, which produces almost all the things we use, but also the heir to one of the greatest ancient civilizations. The history of ancient China begins 40 thousand years ago, when the first intelligent person appeared in China, and ends with the fall of the Han Empire in the 3rd century AD. Specialist in the history of China, Sergei Dmitriev, managed the almost impossible - to fit this story similar to Chinese silk under one cover. nine0003

“The history of China is like colorful Chinese silk - so many different events intertwined in it,” he begins his book with these words. And now the ancient gods come to life before our eyes, the hieroglyphs begin to speak, and the ancient kingdoms enter into a mortal battle. And when you get tired of battles and the struggle for power, you can delve into the daily life of ordinary people: what they ate, what they wore, how they celebrated holidays and what games they played.

As befits a children's encyclopedia, the text is accompanied by illustrations: reproductions of works of ancient art, reconstructions of everyday life in China, and even comics specially designed by the artist Nadezhda Davydova. Thanks to them, the story turns into an exciting adventure. And unusual facts - how wasps helped invent paper or how butterflies made the empire rich - will help you remember everything better. nine0003

10.

Barbara Cantini « Mortina. How to find friends”

Translation: Tatyana Stamova

M.: Rosmen, 2018

Another book about the eternal, namely about true friendship, which will especially appeal to children who are passionate about all sorts of fantastic evil spirits. You can, of course, forbid your child to read about zombies and vampires, or you can show that they are not really scary at all, but terribly hilarious. nine0003

The girl Mortina lived in an abandoned castle and dreamed of making friends with the guys from the neighboring village in order to introduce them to Aunt Usopla and the dog Ponur, who was either alive or not. But this was strictly forbidden to her, because her skin was not pink, but almost white and her eyes were bulging. And then one day she decides to take a desperate step: disguised as a normal girl, she goes to the village ... On Halloween. Of course, you are already looking forward to horror, but in fact, a kind, funny and adventurous story awaits you. nine0003

By the way, the story of Mortina has fascinated professionals of children's literature all over the world with its unusualness: the rights to translate it have been sold to 23 countries.

11.

Lewis Carroll Alice Through the Looking Glass

. Because there is no such book. Because this is not just a well-known fairy tale by Lewis Carroll, but a real encyclopedia of the life of England in the Victorian era. Accurate comments, everyday notes, drawings and engravings, pages from books and magazines of the time, and unexpected interactive elements will enliven not only distant and incomprehensible Victorian England, but also Wonderland. Next to a fairy tale, an era comes to life in the smallest detail: you can visit London and Oxford, find yourself in a Victorian house, look at old things, be surprised by the latest inventions, learn how to get acquainted with the queen and why one should not write three-layer letters, what to cook fake turtle soup from , what it's like to swim in a wool jacket, where to ride a penny and a farthing, and when to shout "Snip-snap-snorum!". And you can also turn a scarlet rose into white and open the door to a wonderful garden. And as a bonus, each reader will receive a deck of cards for playing Merry Families, a smile of the Cheshire Cat and the War of the Scarlet and White Roses table lotto. nine0003

12.

Svetlana Lavrova “Proverbs in the lead roles”

M.: ID Meshcheryakova, 2018 modern schoolchildren will certainly appreciate the creative approach of the teacher). And so Vanya, in the most unusual way, finds himself in the city of Proverbs, where proverbial people live. And since no one is obliged to remember all the proverbs by heart, each inhabitant has a badge with a name on his chest, for example, “Mind is good, but two is better.” And Vanya would have filmed his film calmly if there had not been an emergency in the city - the most important magical talisman had disappeared. And Svetlana Lavrova did her best to put Vanya in the thick of things. nine0003

But the author did much more - she carried the reader into the world of proverbs, sayings, sayings and fables. We have no doubt that after reading this book, your child's speech will change.

13.

Marina Babanskaya “Saryn sets off. A fairy tale that happened in Khakassia”

St. Petersburg: BHV-Petersburg, 2019

A new fairy tale by Marina Babanskaya tells a story about people, spirits and magical abodes on the left bank of the Yenisei, which could only happen in Khakassia. nine0003

Saryn was an orphan and lived on the edge of a taiga ulus (village). She was a kind, beautiful girl, but very shy. Once she was spotted by Musmal (a horned, evil creature). And he would have stolen the girl if the hero Chibitey had not saved her.

The struggle between good and evil, love and hate, black magic and human loyalty - everything is in this story. And, of course, the true feeling will be stronger than any witchcraft and fictional fears.

But this is not just a fairy tale, this is the history of the people of Khakassia with all its traditions and beliefs. In the past, the Khakass were engaged in cattle breeding, and lived in yurts. The Khakass people are brave and courageous. Until now, many legends are known about the brave heroes and heroes who performed feats for the glory of their people. And the patron spirits helped them. nine0003

Family Tree - A reader from childhood: how to help your child fall in love with books

Today, April 2, the world celebrates International Book Day.
What is a book? Source of knowledge or space for fantasy? Why is it necessary for modern children? How to choose books that kids will like? We talked on this topic with the PR director of the Samokat publishing house, Maria Orlova, and now we are sharing our discoveries with you.


“The book has long ceased to be a source of knowledge. Now Google is doing this much better. nine0298
Modern educators and writers define a book as something that provides space for discussion, conversation, as a place where stories live. The book is necessary for young readers in order to reflect, as in a mirror, themselves with all the complexities of entering the world, growing up, being in society.
Maria Orlova.


Books for babies up to 3 years old

During our childhood and before, children under 3 years old were almost never read. It is after the sensational book “After 3 it’s too late” that the number of books for preschoolers has grown significantly and now it’s difficult for parents to figure out this abundance. Producers of books for the little ones mercilessly confuse the concepts of books and toys, while in order to instill a culture of reading, the first thing to do is to explain to the child what a book is and how it differs from a toy. To make it easier to separate these concepts, it is worth storing books separately, putting them on a special shelf. nine0293 Reading for children under the age of 3 has several characteristics.

1. Young children value constancy and stability very much, which is why they love to re-read books or listen to the same stories a hundred times over. Keep this in mind and do not buy more than 8 books for this age - they simply will not be useful to you.

2. The game element is important in a book for toddlers, because otherwise you simply will not be able to keep the child's attention. A great example of a book for toddlers is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Karl. It cannot be torn, it cannot be eaten, it has a playful element, and besides, this is a real book about growing up, because every little caterpillar dreams of becoming a beautiful butterfly. nine0003

3. Another feature of reading in early childhood: until the child begins to speak coherently, he will hardly perceive the text that you read to him. Unless in the course of reading you do not constantly address him personally. For this reason, up to 3-4 years old, children do not perceive audio books well. But kids are very fond of nursery rhymes, which many mothers simply hate. Indeed, it is strange to read these seemingly stupid rhymes aloud. There is a slight feeling of own abnormality. The fact is that nursery rhymes really are the “entrance” for the baby to great literature. There is a closed word form in the nursery rhyme, which, in fact, is literature. If you do not like folk rhymes at all, try reading modern ones - they are very funny and well reflect the life of today's kids. The book "Apple Heels" by the poetess Anastasia Orlova will help you with this. nine0003

4. Wimmelbuchs (these are books that do not contain a single word, but a lot of pictures with fascinating details) are perfect for instilling an interest in reading for children aged 3-4 years old. For example, Susanne Rotraut's wimmelbuchs. They perfectly develop the child's understanding of conventional signs, because a cat drawn in a book is not at all like a living cat. Remember that when introducing Wimmelbuchs, it is important to show the young reader how to use them, how to follow the story of the characters and find it out of nowhere. nine0003

Reading books for ages 3-5

The first thing that comes to mind when we talk about reading for preschoolers is folk tales. It turned out that this is not at all an obligatory stage in the development of a person who reads. If you do not like folk tales, you can find an alternative to them, but if this genre is still close and dear to you, be sure to pay attention to whose retelling of the tale was published. According to literary critics and teachers, K.D. has long been recognized as the best author of retellings of Russian folk tales. Ushinsky. nine0003


“The number one writer for children aged 3 to 5, of course, remains Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky. From the point of view of child psychology, his works are what you need: there is fantasy, dynamics, and a lot of actions that are very necessary for a child at this age.
Maria Orlova.


If you think Chukovsky is too bloodthirsty, try reading The Gruffalo and other books by Julia Donaldson. The Gruffalo is a book that clearly reflects the life of a kid who goes out into a world full of dangers and defeats them with the help of resourcefulness. It can also be used to work out children's fears along with the book "Black Dog" by Levi Pinfold. nine0003

Pay attention to picture books, even if they seem out of date for your child (eg Philip Stead's Uncle Amos Doesn't Go to Work or David McKee's Elmer the elephant series). Such books are important for a small person: on the one hand, their plots are already more complex: a conflict appears here, but, on the other hand, they are still easy to understand due to the abundance of pictures. Most of the books of this genre are published by the Polyandria publishing house. These same books can then be used in teaching reading. nine0003

Three-year-olds usually get bored with long stories, but if your little one likes to read for a long time, check out the series about Petson and Findus by Sven Nordqvist. The Swedes generally hold a strong lead in producing quality children's literature, so if you see a book by a Swedish author, it will most likely be suitable.

Reading books for ages 5-7

Hooray! You can start reading long stories. The age of 5-7 years is the time of assimilation of social norms. It is important for children to see a good boy and a good girl in literature. Books such as "Emil from Lenneberg", "Grandmother and Frieder", books by Roald Dahl will help to fulfill this task. Modern children prefer realistic stories to fairy tales, so instead of fairy tales, you can try reading modern children's classics. Often, children of this age like books consisting of small chapters, therefore, in addition to long reads, children can read short stories, which, oddly enough, are best found in the 20s and 30s. XX century. For example, modern children really like Zoshchenko's stories about Lelya and Minka. nine0003


“I would like to warn you against the mistake that almost all Russian parents make: do not be zealous with reading books from your childhood to your child. Very often, these texts do not resonate with the life of modern children at all.
Maria Orlova.


When your kid wants to try to read on his own, buy him a series of books about Pip by Yulia Lugovskaya. It seems that there is nothing to read there, but the child will be happy to make out three-word stories, recognizing himself in the mischievous Pipa. But if you start learning to read from “specialized” books with words broken into syllables, the child will quickly get bored with such activities. For novice readers who already confidently put letters into words and can read short sentences, Maria Orlova recommends a series of books by Sylvia Vanden Heyde about the Fox and the Bunny. nine0003

Books for schoolchildren

In our culture, it is believed that a child who starts school ceases to be a child: now he only needs knowledge. Nothing extra. This is a fundamentally erroneous opinion. The schoolchild needs not only encyclopedias, but also fiction, read both independently and with their parents.

Don't stop reading to your child just because he has learned to do it himself. After all, a book is not just a source of knowledge. Joint reading is a communication between a parent and a child, which gives children a feeling of peace, comfort, closeness. Daniel Pennack, in his book Like a Novel, addressed to parents of non-reading teenagers, proclaimed a kind of parenting manifesto about how wonderful early childhood is before the child can read. When we read to him, tell him, invent our own stories ... This creates an indescribably warm and tender feeling, which, unfortunately, we cut off at once when the child begins to read on his own. nine0003

That is why there is a large category of books for parents to read to children of school age. For example, Rune Belswick's books about Prostodursen. And do not hope that the school curriculum is able to instill in the child a love of reading. Most of the time, this is a boring job for him.


« Read modern literature together, discuss, because discussion is the main thing for which books are needed.


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