What the Cubs are Reading: February 1

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Kathryn of The Book Date. Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers have adapted it to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books. Since I recap what I'm personally reading each month with Modern Mrs. Darcy, for this linkup I post what Abby (age 5.5) and Ellie (age 3.5) have been enjoying. 

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Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad

by David Soman. March 2011

We've been fans of the Ladybug Girl books off and on, since we received Ladybug Girl and Bingo from the Imagination Library a few years ago. But suddenly Ellie decided she REALLY likes them, and we currently have five books from the series checked out from our library! Both of my girls are really getting into imaginative play (lately it's been Star Wars related...), and this particular book has been great for encouraging them to not be bossy and always telling everyone exactly how to play. 

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Surprise Island (Boxcar Children) 

by Gertrude Chandler Warner. 

I discovered that Abby's teacher had been reading aloud the first book in the Boxcar Children series to her kindergarten class, and just finished on Friday. I remember loooooving the series as a kid, and knew I wanted to some day introduce my kids to it. I also want to get in the habit of reading aloud chapter books more, so this was a perfect opportunity! My church library has most of them, so we checked out book #2 and started it. While the image above is what my series looked like as a kid, this is what the books in the church library look like: 

I knew the series was old, but I didn't realize just how old - when looking for a publish date to put with this post, I found on Wikipedia that the first book was originally published in 1924, and reissued in a shorter revised form in 1942. Surprise Island is shown to be published in 1949, with re-prints in 1977 (blue cover above) and 1989.

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We've also been reading a stack of picture books about the Arctic, for the Reading Together Family Exploration Book Club (check out those reviews here). We'd love to have more of you join us for the club! Click here for more info about it.

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Check out what others are reading in today's linkup! 

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Purchases you make help support The Lion is a Bookworm a little bit without changing the cost to you!

10 Chapter Book Series for Beginning Readers (that are NOT Junie B. Jones!)

My 5.5-year-old really took off in her reading ability last spring (read some about it in this post). She went from phonics readers ("fat cat sat on a mat") to My First I Can Read books like Biscuit to harder I Can Read books in a matter of weeks.

(I've since discovered that it was because she became an expert at sight words - without us even trying - she would memorize all sorts of words instead of learning to sound them out. I now know that's why I can read so fast too...)

I began looking for really really simple chapter books ("big kid books" as she called them) for her to try, and surprisingly the search was difficult! There seems to be a gap between those leveled-readers (advertised as for ages 4-8, but so many even of the level 3's were too easy for her) and something like Magic Tree House or Judy Moody or Clementine (all advertised as for ages 6-10).

While I know Junie B. Jones would probably be perfect for this age and there are lots of them in the series, I have heard so many negative comments from parents about everything from bad grammar to rudeness and sassiness in them. No thanks...

Here is a list of some good book series that I DID find. Abby has read most of them, though a few series she wasn't interested in the subject (like Rainbow Fairies - for some reason she didn't seem to like the one we tried, but the level is appropriate. I'll probably get another one for her to try in a few months).

Billie B. Brown and Hey Jack!

Recommended age: 4-7

Pages per book: 48
Chapters per book: 4

Read my full review here. These were the first true chapter books that Abby read after the I Can Read books. Highly, highly, highly recommended -- and not just because I sell them. They are PERFECT for this transition age.

Judy Moody and Friends

Recommended age: 4-6 years

Pages per book: 64
Chapters per book: 8

These are actually shelved with the "level 3" I Can Read-type books at my library, though they're not advertised as such. Full color throughout.

Princess Posey

Recommended age: 5-8 years

Pages per book: 96

Chapters per book: 10

Black and white illustrations are spread throughout these books, and the chapters are short.

Ready Freddy

Recommended age: 4-8 years

Pages per book: 96
Chapters per book: 10

I've heard these are the boy version of Junie B, and therefore some of the books have an occasional bad message in them (lying to parents, etc). But there are nearly 30 books in the series, and it's pretty easy to tell by looking at the ratings on Amazon which ones to avoid.

Rainbow Magic Fairies

Recommended age: 4-10 years, depending on the series

Pages per book: 80
Chapters per book: 

If Abby ever gets hooked on these books, there will be enough for her to choose from to last her till middle school... There is the original "Rainbow Fairies" series (red, orange, yellow, etc), then additional series (night, ocean, party, sports, music, etc) with about 7 books each. According to Wikipedia, over 200 books have been published since 2003, with more coming out every year!

Billie B. Mysteries

Recommended age: 6-9 years

Pages per book: 96

I tried to give Abby the first one in this series, Spooky House, last fall -- but 1) it was still a little too difficult for her and 2) so far she's not a big mystery reader, and I think the idea of a spooky house was a little scary. We tried the series again a couple weeks ago with Playground Detectives, and she read the whole thing. Then she discovered she'd read the books out of order and got mad at me... :-P


Next step: 
(books that are slightly longer, that I really want to get for Abby now to push her reading ability!)

Critter Club

Recommended age: 5-9 years

Pages per book: 128

Flat Stanley

Recommended age: 6-10 years

Pages per book: 96-128

Magic Tree House

The first 28 books in the MTH series have 80-96 pages and are recommended for ages 6-9. After those, the books become 144 pages long and are for ages 7-10. I tried the first few books with Abby last fall, and she only paged through to look at the pictures. I think it's about time to try them again!

What other beginning-independent-reader chapter books would you recommend?

I am an Independent Consultant with Usborne Books & More. Purchasing books through the link(s) above will pay me a commission. Usborne Publishing Ltd. has no connection with this blog and does not sponsor or support its content.

This post also contains Amazon Affiliate links. Purchases you make help support The Lion is a Bookworm a little bit without changing the cost to you!

Raising Readers: How my 5-year-old learned to read

As of last weekend, I now have a five-year-old. The things people tell you during the sleepless nights and endless feedings of the infant stage is true: the time really does fly by. Abby is getting more and more independent every day, and during the last school year her academic skills have taken off like a fighter jet from a naval ship.

In the last year, Abby has gone from asking questions like "how do you spell ___?" and wanting to watch movies all the time, to holding her pencil correctly as she sounds out and writes descriptions of the pictures she's drawn, and asking for her Start to Read pack of books by her bed at night so she can read them when she wakes up in the morning.

Some of it is probably her genes (*puffs up proudly, and gives credit to Rocky too*), some of it is probably her amazing preschool teacher. But there are probably also some things Rocky and I have done to help her along.


Always answer their questions.
Whether it's "what does 'tree' start with?" or "what rhymes with 'sad'?" or "what is a 'country'?", kids this age are sponges! Every day holds opportunity for them to learn something new. The things about life that we take for granted have to be learned at some point, and you are your child's best teacher.

Describing the pictures to her ponies. 

Take it slow.
I was the child who was writing and illustrating stories at age 4-5. But I had to force myself to not push Abby along the same path, just because I thought she needed to. It's not a race. Am I proud of her abilities now? Absolutely. But if those skills hadn't come along for another year or two I would need to be okay with that (though it would be SO difficult for me...). I also try currently to not brag about her reading to many people, especially not to those with kids the same age, because I know how stressful "mom guilt" and the comparison game can be. All  of my mom friends know she can read -- but I don't need to be posting daily Facebook updates about it.

One of the first books she tried to read on her own.
And it took many tries and many days and lots of help.

Don't push them. 
Learning to read should not be a chore. Even the kids who take to it quickly will have days where they just don't want to try (believe me, we've had many!). It's okay to take the story and read it to them yourself, or set it aside for them to try again another day. But as soon as we start forcing them to finish the book, or the page, or whatever, they will backlash and suddenly reading is no longer fun. They'll be forced to read for school soon enough; let them read at home at their own pace.

Yes she fell asleep like this. 

Let them see you reading.
I'm one of those strange people who loves both her Kindle and paper books. I try to balance my reading time between the two. Both of my girls know the Kindle is "a book", I've shown them the words on the screen. If they're playing nicely and don't need me for a few minutes, I'll curl up in a chair near them and read for a little bit. Hopefully as they see me relaxing like that it will encourage them to do the same.

Playing "storytime" at 3 years old

Keep reading aloud.
I mentioned in my last post about Ellie that a study a few years ago concluded reading aloud to children has been called the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in reading -- and I firmly believe that was the case with Abby. However, it would be easy for me to stop reading to Abby over the next few years as she starts to read more and more on her own, and especially once her younger sister is reading too and they're both out of the picture book stage. Instead I'm keeping my eyes open at garage sales -- I've already collected boxed sets of Little House on the Prairie and The Chronicles of Narnia.

What other tips do you have for helping your children learn to read?

Raising Readers: They're never too young

My oldest child turns five next weekend, so I'm taking a few posts to look into the importance of early literacy.

My second-born, Ellie, will turn three this summer. She is surprisingly very different from her older sister (which I suppose is a good thing!) -- brown hair and brown eyes (Abby is blonde & blue), naturally goofy (Abby tends to be more serious), needs less sleep overall (they both dropped their naps this spring), and ever since Ellie was an infant we've said that while Abby never stops talking, Ellie never stops moving.

Playing "library". No I did not prompt them.

Yet even though their looks and personality are different, one thing between them is the same: they both love books. And I firmly believe it's because books have been part of their lives since they were both infants.

One year old. We've gone through 3 copies
of that book -- Goodnight Gorilla.

Yes it's difficult to read to a baby, they seem more interested in tearing pages and eating the books than what's actually happening in the story. But it's more about exposure -- teaching children that books are fun -- than anything. What do you think a child will grow up thinking about books if she is constantly yelled at and scolded for not handling them "right"?

Waiting for me to finish up at the library.

That's not to say we should let our babies rip pages out of every book on the shelf. We do need to teach them to be gentle. Just like we teach them how to eat. How many cute pictures do we take of our kids with mashed carrots spread across their face? And oh how quickly that stage passes...

Post-bath reading, 15 months old

Here are a few ways we can encourage a love of books with even our littlest readers:

Board books are amazing.
Whoever invented board books is a hero of early literacy. Made from thick, cardboard-like "paper", board books are the best kind of book for babies. It is nearly impossible to rip the pages out (unless it's a lift-the-flap board book). Many of our favorite stories are also available in board book form (Goodnight Moon, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Dr. Seuss, etc.). And check your local library -- they might already be a bit beat up, but who can turn down free books that you don't have to store forever?

2.5 years old, "reading" to her baby.
She actually has this book memorized.

Keep more important books out of reach.
Once baby is big enough to crawl and pull up and walk on her own, we know enough to baby-proof the cupboards and doors and staircases. But what about your bookshelf? Keep those board books within easy reach (so she can learn that those books are for her!) and keep your older kids' books higher up on the shelf.

Buy books at garage sales.
Yes I sell brand-new books through Usborne and yes I worked at a library for two years. But I shop at garage sales too. Two weeks before my first daughter was born I came away from a garage sale with a set of board books about animals for $1 that were already well-loved. And both of my kids have loved on them even more, scratching at the fake fur and pulling out the cat whiskers and ripping the binding. Sometimes you've just gotta have those kind of books that you can REALLY not worry about.

Share books with them. Every.single.day.
Reading aloud to children has been called the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in reading. I'll share more about this in my next post (when I talk about my oldest daughter), but I want to encourage you that no matter how boring it may be to read the same book over and over, or how long your day has been with the kids and you-just-want-them-to-go-to-bed-so-you-can-have-PEACE-and-QUIET... still snuggle and READ TO THEM. Even if it's only one book, make reading aloud part of the bedtime routine. Read a single board book when they're little. I was surprised how well my second-born would sit when she was really young, while I read a picture book that was really more for her older sister. Even now, at age almost-5 and almost-3, I'll sometimes limit them to choosing one book each (and pray that they're short books... :) ) when Rocky and I have had a long day.

Almost 2 years old

I mentioned earlier that both of my girls have pretty much given up their naps. But I still insist on rest time every afternoon. Most days I'll peak in on Ellie and find her sitting on a pile of books in the corner, paging through one, and even attempting to tell the story out loud for herself. Not bad for a 2 year old. That, my friends, is a sight that warms this bookworm's heart.

And yes I'm going to throw in a little pitch for some of Usborne's best-selling books for babies. :)

That's Not My ... series

With over 30 books to choose from, ranging from animals to vehicles to angels and fairies, there is something here for everyone. These sturdy, touchy-feely board books feature bold colors and thick black lines for little eye development.

Very First Book of Things to Spot

An I Spy sort of book that has thick board book pages, this one is very interactive as you ask your child to find things like the red car, the penguin with a hat, and the circle-shaped window.

Baby's Very First Touchy-Feely Fingertrails PlayBook

These playbooks (others in the series too) are great for learning about textures and tracing lines - things that will develop even more as a child learns to hold a pen and write.



I am an Independent Consultant with Usborne Books & More. Purchasing these and other books through the links above will pay me a commission. Usborne Publishing Ltd. has no connection with this blog and does not sponsor or support its content.

Raising Readers: My own book-ish childhood

As I prepare for my oldest child to turn five next week, I'm going to be posting a few things related to children and reading. Let's start by looking back in time...

My first Christmas. 

I was that kid.

You know the one -- the introverted girl whose closest sibling is 6 years younger. The one who would prefer to spend her summer on a blanket in the yard reading Nancy Drew or The Babysitters Club or The Black Stallion instead of playing sports or going to the beach. 

My birthday stash of books. I think I was about 8.
Please ignore the glasses and clothes of the 90s... 

The one who the librarians knew by name, AND knew where I was in a book series and always had the next book ready for me when I came in on Fridays. Oh and the one who would be dropped off by mom at the library on said Fridays while mom went to the grocery store.

My home library used to be housed in this end of the township hall.
The space you see is literally all the bigger it is. A new building was
built after I'd left for college, and I've never been inside. 

It was a glorious childhood.

Yes I spent time playing. Granted, my pretending often revolved around books -- the neighbor-girl and I riding our bikes around, playing Nancy Drew (me) and George (her - though she insisted on being called Georgie). My favorite animals were wolves (Julie of the Wolves) and dolphins (Island of the Blue Dolphins) and horses (Misty of Chincoteague, The Black Stallion). I even went through a phase of spying on my little brother because of Harriet the Spy (I recently found an old journal of mine from probably 3rd grade where I detailed the [boring] things I saw).

Yes we had a tv with an antenna, and a VHS player. I had a childhood that included the weekly Sunday Night Family Night movie on ABC, classic Disney movies, and Saturday morning cartoons. One thing that set us apart though was we had no phone. Our house was almost a half mile off the road and it was too expensive to run a landline. So we did without until my junior year of high school, when cell phones started becoming more available.

A lot of posts have been floating around Facebook recently about the freedom we had as children of the 80s and early 90s, and how sad it is that our kids don't have much of that same freedom today. I do miss the days of reading the day away outside without direct supervision. I do miss the days of trusting the people in our small town with a Mayberry-ish atmosphere.

But wishing for the past won't change our present. I can still raise readers who love where they are in life, within the constraints of today's world. Over the next week or two I'll post a few things that have worked so far in our family.

What was your book-ish childhood like?