The Bookshelf

Back to the Bookshelf

It’s been a while since I’ve done a bookshelf post. Honestly, we’ve been basically reading the same books over and over lately, or using the learn to read books, such as We Both Read where the parent has a page to read and then the child does. I’ve been finding these very helpful. I am constantly getting, “Can’t you just read it me?” With these books it’s specified as parent page and child’s page.

My boys both needed help in reading this year so we’ve been focusing on easy to read stories to help build their skills and confidence.

Logan loves the Jane Yolen dinosaur books. He’s confident reading them and will sit and read them to his brothers, which just melts my heart. I’m trying to find some books that challenge him more, but that he’s interested in. The child is seriously obsessed with non-fiction and dinosaur encyclopedias. Not the best of reading material for a good night story.

When meeting with the reading specialist she mentioned the “Magic Tree House” books. I, myself, have never heard of them, but everyone I’ve talked to seems to have. I looked them up online and saw that book #1 was Dinosaurs Before Dark. Perfect. I was seriously excited and immediately went out and purchased it. I found it right in Target. I was thrilled. I glanced through it and it combines a fictional story with real facts about dinosaurs. I brought it home and the first thing he said was “Where are all the pictures?” May I preface, yes there are pictures in these books. They just don’t have elaborate colored illustrations. So we went from Jane Yolen, quick and easy reads, to chapter books.

I jumped the gun too fast and overwhelmed him a bit. We started reading the books together instead. I’m thrilled to say he’s excited for each new chapter. Now I just need to build his confidence so he realizes that even though he reads slowly, he can still read the stories to himself. We’ll get there eventually I supposed. What I really need is an in between type book.

learn to read books

So I’m looking for recommendations. What’s on your bookshelf for your first and second graders? Any good books that they enjoy to read independently?

6 thoughts on “Back to the Bookshelf

  1. My oldest is going into 3rd, but last summer before 2nd grade he was OBSESSED with the Magic Tree House books. We ended up going to EVERY library in our city so he could read the whole collection. The good thing about those books is that the beginning and end are all basically the same so you get some repetition when you are working on reading skills but the actual stories are different. And, they do still have some pictures, which is a definite necessity!

    With my daughter (who is going into 1st) we have been reading a lot of those books that have the levels in the corner. I can’t think of what they are called, but I’m sure you have seen them. If she is feeling particularly up to the reading challenge, she will get a higher level to read (she usually picks out princess ones or strawberry shortcake or barbie, etc. but they have books for all different interests), and if she is feeling a little more “lazy” for lack of a better word, she will stick with level 1 and those are still fun, just shorter.

    It is so tough to find books for each particular kid because everyone has different interests and abilities! Good luck!

      1. she usually is too (nothing like her big brother who is obsessed with reading) but every now and then I catch her in a random moment when she is interested…or when she’s just feeling competitive and trying to keep up with brother! haha! sometimes I totally love the sibling rivalry when it works in my favor!

  2. Mbot loves the Magic Tree House series too; he’s not reading yet, but we read them to him (and read, and READ). He also loves (as do I) Ms. Frizzle in The Magic School Bus series. They’re available (cleverly) in several reading levels, some in the form of paperback picture books, some in the form of chap books. Sounds like Logan, with his love of nonfiction, would glom onto them like a T Rex on a steak. There are some great picture encyclopedias out there, although I can’t offer a url at the moment. What fun!

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