A Mid-Summer Library Book Haul
learning to embrace early reader books
Our local library branch is still undergoing a massive remodel. We haven’t made many trips over the last year and have missed a lot of the programming. With renovations nearing completion and books back on the shelf, we stopped in to check out some kid-lit. Sadly, we’ve already turned our books back in to prepare for another month-long closure. Somehow I managed to film a whole TikTok but forgot to take photos of the books. Oops. I’m hopeful that this temporary closure will be the last one. I’m so eager for our monthly book hauls to be a permanent routine!
My daughter started 1st grade in July and their daily homework is to read 15 minutes each day. Treating it as a non-negotiable has helped us make it part of our bedtime routine, where we’ve struggled to prioritize it in the past. Some days she reads to me, and others I read to her. My latest parenting hack is guiding my kids to pick out early reader books with characters they’re interested in. I can easily trick my daughter into reading them to her little brother.
So what are early readers?
Early reader books are designed for children who are beginning to learn how to read and have enough of a basic understanding of phonics to be able to string sounds together to read whole words. Early reader books typically use very few words and simple vocabulary to help children practice recognizing sound-symbol combinations. They serve as a stepping stone for children to start reading independently. Colorful illustrations keep children interested in the story while creating an opportunity to read at their own pace (with a little guidance, of course).
These books are often slim volumes with levels indicated at the top. I’ve found that leveling systems for books vary by publisher, so it's best to check the content to ensure it matches your child's reading level.
I’ve linked to Bookshop.org where titles are available below. Every purchase through Bookshop.org supports independent booksellers and puts a few pennies in my pocket at no extra cost to you. You can shop for more beginner readers here.
Three-Year-Old Selections
Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by Kimberly and James Dean
Baker, Baker, Cookie Maker by Linda Hayward
Heroes of Gotham City by J. E. Bright
Paddington Sets Sail by Michael Bond
The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read by Curtis Manley
Jabari Jumps by Gala Cornwall
Dear Dragon by Josh Funk
The Berenstain Bears’ Seashore Treasure by Stan & Jan Berenstain
Five-Year-Old Selections
Ice Cream Summer by Megan Atwood
Seriously, Snow White was so Forgetful! by Nancy Loewen
Hotel Transylvania: The Creepiest Sleepover Ever by Ximena Hastings
Finding Dory: Dory’s Story by Bill Scollon
Splat the Cat Sings Flat by Rob Scotton
LEGO Friends: Let’s Go Riding! by Catherine Saunders
Biscuit and Friends: A Day at the Aquarium by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Did you use early readers while teaching your kids to read? I’d love to hear about your experience with them. Feel free to leave a comment or reply to this email with your favorites!
Elsewhere on the Internet: Goodreads / Storygraph / Pinterest
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This is great, Kuleigh! One of my biggest children's book pet peeves is the not only the leveling of early readers -- I think it does a lot more damage than good -- but also the wild, WILD inconsistency between publishers. It makes no sense whatsoever and infuriates me -- so to answer your question, I didn't use a lot of early readers in teaching my kids to read. Of course we read some -- I love seeing Paddington Sets Sail on this list -- and there are definitely good, even great ones out there, but overall, I think it's a frustrating experience for so many parents and caregivers, not to mention kids, and it's like, WHY? Why make this harder, when this is already a hard task?
(Thanks for coming to my TED talk 😂)
We really liked the Narwhal and Jelly, and the Mo Willems early readers (Piggie and something). But yeah, this stage is so tough because the books are boring, especially when you've got a kid whose comprehension is stronger than their reading skills. But the early readers are better than the school books, which are such an incredible snooze.