It is the time of year when school districts have passed out their summer reading lists. Most schools require a student to read a certain book in the older grades especially if the student is in an honors program (e.g. my oldest will be taking Honors English 9 and is required to read and analyze "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens. We just purchased this classic today!) For elementary students who are in regular grade level or above grade level reading perfomrance, most schools allow the student to choose from a list of books and/or read a grade-level appropriate book. For my youngest daughter, who will be in 3rd grade in the fall but is reading at the 4th grade reading level, she is allowed to choose any 2 chapter books and must complete a certain reading comprehension activity. A few parents, knowing that I used to teach from a developmental perspective with an emphasis on language arts, have asked me for a reading list of good chapter books for grades K-4. So, here is the beginning of the list. I will post more next week. Most of these books can be found at your local library or a bookstore. You can even find some of them online at Barnes and Noble. Happy reading!
(my 2 children have read all of the books mentioned here, and we own several of them, so if you want to borrow one and you live in our area, feel free to contact me!)
FICTION BOOKS
(my 2 children have read all of the books mentioned here, and we own several of them, so if you want to borrow one and you live in our area, feel free to contact me!)
FICTION BOOKS
- Animal Ark Pets (a series of books) by Ben M. Baglio. These books are set in England and center around the Hope family (Mandy is the little girl; her best friend James appears in most of the books with her). The family own a vet clinic and there is usually some kind of mystery associated with a different animal in each book. For example, the first one in the series is called "Puppy Puzzle" and centers around puppies. The Animal Ark Pets are "easy" chapter books geared for grades K-3 depending on your child's reading ability.
- Animal Ark Series by Ben M. Baglio. In this series of books, Mandy and her friend James are a little older. Same setting, same clinic, same type of mystery. Text is more difficult and geared for grades 2-5 depending on your child's reading ability.
- The Jewel Kingdom Series by Jahnna N. Malcolm. This series features 4 short novels and has a different "jewel princess" per book. The 4 princesses are sisters. They each own a part of their parents kingdom. The setting is unknown but my children have imagined that the kingdom is set in Scotland. The books are definitely "fantasy" and a little silly but very fun to read and easy to read. Both of my girls read one book in one evening. Perfect for grades K-2. (higher achieving 2nd graders will think they are "too easy").
- Felicity, An American Girl (from the American Girl Series) by Valerie Tripp. There are 6 books in the series and each book features Felicity and her family. It is set in 1774, Colonial Virigina and spans 1 1/2 years of Felicity's life. Each book is a different season. At the end of each book are some historical facts that complement a child's 2nd grade Social studies curriculum! Facts such as what school was like in colonial times, what the social/cultural mores were, what kinds of foods and toys children were exposed to, etc. My youngest daughter also owns the movie "Felicity" which is based on the series. I HIGHLY recommend these books for reinforcing the social studies curriculum during 2nd grade. The books are geared for grades 1-4 although most 4th graders with an average reading ability will find them easy.
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