Anyhow, there can be no dispute that READING is the BEST part of the homework!
In primary school, the reader that comes home in your folder will be your designated book to read, and in the bigger classes, the teacher just prescribes 15 minutes of reading every night.
While it is great if your child can read the book chosen by the teacher, it’s always good to have a backup plan. Your local library most likely will have shelves of home readers in all reading levels and imaginable subjects, fairy tales, superheroes, science, nature, machines. Whatever your child is interested in, you will find a book in this section. At Brisbane Libraries, here what that shelf might look like –
MARVEL World of Reading has 4 levels, starting from Pre-1 for kindergarten tots up to level 3, suitable for year 1 to 3. The books have activities on the last page and some have a page of cool stickers.
THWIP! YOU ARE IT!
Level Pre-1: In this book, Spiderman plays tag with the supervillains that come his way. Many of the words are from the first 100 sight word list and repeated frequently. You can introduce ‘Onomatopoeia‘ with Spiderman’s web going Thwip! Thwip! on most pages. There are one or two simple sentences on each page and bold clear font makes the words stand out. This would be suitable for preps and year 1 kids. The illustrations are colourful and attractive to the young crowd.
CAPTAIN MARVEL
Level 1: This book tells the story of how Carol Danvers becomes Captain Marvel using simple sentences and word repetition, in clear medium font, perfect for year ones. The graphics are awesome with a picture of Captain Marvel teaming up with the Avengers towards the end of the book. There’s a word scramble on the last page and stickers too.
SPIDER-MAN DOWN TO A SCIENCE!
Level 2: Follow Spider-man as he battles the Vulture and then as Peter Parker when he uses science to diffuse a dangerous fire situation at school. Two or three compound sentences, in medium font, on each page, with contractions as well. Science facts added on the bottom of each page are great for those who love byte size facts. On the last page, there is a true or false quiz you can do and the book comes with stickers too.
DK Readers have many interesting titles in the readers series from superheroes to superwomen in science, bugs to dinosaurs, volcanoes to galaxies, and I have reviews of Star Wars & Lego below.
STAR WARS REBELS – MEET THE REBELS
For young ones the attraction to Star Wars must be the laser swords! This book from the Star Wars Rebels series introduces us to the rebels, their names, what planet they live on, their connections and powers. It is categorised as ‘beginning to read’, contains simple sentences, some compound and will suit year one readers.
STAR WARS REBELS – DARTH VADER, REBEL HUNTER!
This book has all the facts you need to know about Darth Vader. Kids who love reading facts will love the fact files and labelled diagrams that point out his technical features. Thrilling history and secrets are found in these pages too, a good read for year one to two children. The font is medium to large and each section has bold headings.
LEGO MIXELS
Meet the Mixels is a book that will give you all the details on cute and funny lego characters called Mixels. Learn their names, what they can do and where each one lives. It is really good reading practice as some of the names are tricky, and your child will need to use reading techniques to sound them out. There is a maze to do and a quiz to complete too!
MONSTER FIGHTERS – MEET THE MONSTERS
It seems that there are many mini lego monsters and you can meet them all in this book. There are gorgeous lego castles, cars and chariots which have been photographed nicely in these pages. There are even lego ghosts and a ghost train. It is a beginning to read alone level 2 with complex sentences and slightly difficult vocabulary.
LEGO HERO FACTORY – BRAIN ATTACK!
This is a battle between heroic robots and evil controlling brains! A compelling level 2 read containing compound sentences and difficult vocabulary. There is lots of text on each page, in medium to large font. The story is complex as there are a lot of characters, heroic and villainous, and the brains attacking methods are intriguing. Find a quiz at the end to test your knowledge.
Pokemon early reader is a series of 6 books containing the adventures of Ash and Pikachu in chapter book format.
POKEMON – SCHOOL TRIP
This is a long book, of 62 pages, that has lots of text in medium to large font. However, the sentences are simple and storyline easy to follow. Join Ash and Pikachu over 9 chapters as they go on a school field trip to Kanto.
Scholastic readers have 4 levels from pre1 to level 3 in all the subjects children love. Below I have two Pokemon level 2 books for review.
WELCOME TO ALOHA
This book has a medium font and simple compound sentences that are easy to follow. There are around 3- 5 sentences per page, and each page has a different background shade and colourful illustrations which make the book very attractive. The story follows Ash and Pikachu on vacation in the Alola region.
PLAY BALL, PIKACHU!
This book has a medium font and simple compound sentences that are easy to follow. There are around 3- 5 sentences per page, and each page has a different background shade and colourful illustrations which make the book very attractive. The story is all about Pokemon Base, the game and features Snorlax, a very sleepy pokemon!
I hope you and your kids enjoy these readers. Continue to read and learn with your favourite characters!
