This is one of several posts to help your early readers be successful and develop a love of books. For all of the strategies, as well as recommendations for picture books, easy readers, and chapter books, download the whole presentation, Resources for Beginning Readers, or pick up a printed copy in the Kids’ Area at the Library.
Beginning Readers: Easy Readers
Easy reader books are also called beginning reader books; these books are a good starting point for brand new readers. These books range from very simple stories with common vocabulary and predictable text to less commonly used words and longer more complex sentences. Publishers level their easy readers differently— we suggest you consult with your child’s teacher for advice on selecting the best books for your child. But you can also consider the following:
-Choose books that appeal to your child
-If there are 5 or more words on a page that your child does not know or that she/he cannot sound out, this book may be too hard
Series: Flip-a-Word by Harriet Ziefert
- Crab Cab
- Frog Jog
- Stop Pop
- Wet Pet
- Ice Mice
- Pig Wig
Series: I Like to Read
These series of readers are in a picture book format books young children are familiar with. They have simple words and predictable text.
- Fix This Mess! by Ted Arnold
- I have a Garden by Bob Barner
- A Night at the Zoo by Kathy Caple
- The Fly Flew In by David Catrow
- Ed and Kip by Kay Chorao
- I Said, “Bed!” by Bruce Degen
- Snow Joke by Bruce Degan
- Mice on Ice by Rebecca & Ed Emberly
- Car Goes Far by Michael Garland
- Fish had a Wish by Michael Garland
- Me Too! By Valeri Gorbachev
- The Big Fib by Tim Hamilton
- Come Back Ben by Ann Hassett
- Animals Work by Ted Lewin
- What am I? Where am I? by Ted Lewin
- 3, 2, 1, Go! By Emily Arnold McCully
- Late Nate in a Race by Emily Arnold McCully
- Pete Won’t Eat by Emily Arnold McCully
- Sam and the Big Kids by Emily Arnold McCully
- Little Ducks Go by Emily Arnold McCully
- Bad Dog by David McPhail
- Boy, Bird and Dog by David McPhail
- See Me Dig by Paul Meisel
- The Cowboy by Hildegard Mueller
- Moe is Best by Richard Torrey
BOB Books by Lynn Maslen Kertell
- Alphabet
- My First Pre-Readers
- Set 1, Beginning Readers
- Set 2, Advancing Beginners
- Set 3, Word Families
- Set 4, Compound Words
- Set 5, Long Vowels
- Sight Words, Kindergarten
- Sight Words, First Grade
- First Stories