Reading nonfiction (information) books is a different type of mystery and journey of discovery. When I was a child, learning about the world was my favorite type of discovery, especially about animals.
Suzi Eszterhas, as both author and photographer, has created a charming set of books – one about gorillas and the other about cheetahs, for young readers as part of the Frances Lincoln Children’s Books EYE ON THE WILD series. A baby gorilla loves to be held and kissed, maybe not by you but by its huge hug-able mama! In Eszterhas’s GORILLA we meet several baby gorillas and learn how they live and play. Imagine eating 40 pounds of vegetables every day as you grow from a four pound infant to a 500 pound Big Mama! In CHEETAH the reader watches and reads how a cheetah cub plays, wrestles, eats and even gets scrubbed clean. The photographs of these wild babies will engage a beginning reader. The information will surprise and intrigue – and stir up curiosity to learn – and read – more.
A different journey of mystery and discovery, is found in books that describe the detective process used by scientists. Imagine traveling across the Pacific Ocean to a tiny island where dragons still live. In Marty Crump’s MYSTERIES OF THE KOMODO DRAGON: THE BIGGEST, DEADLIEST LIZARD GIVES UP ITS SECRETS, the reader follows the scientists – and their children – as they attempt to track, label and observe the deadly komodo dragons.
If ever there were a smartly-written, fascinating, action-packed, high-stakes mystery Chronal Engine is the one. Greg Leitich Smith’s fast-paced prose, paired with Blake Henry’s graphic novel-like illustrations, will wow even the most dire of reluctant readers. An intriguing time travel adventure, cleverly crafted characters which appeal to both genders, and dinosaurs! Reader, you can’t go wrong with Chronal Engine. I’m telling it true.
Eighth-grade paleo-geek Max and his popular older twin siblings, Kyle and Emma, must spend the summer with their excentric grandfather on his hill-country ranch west of Austin, Texas – home to Loblolly dinosaur tracks, fossilized from the Cretaceous period. The ranch house was built by Max’s great-grandfather “Mad Jack” Pierson, a recluse who spent his fortune building a time machine called the “Chronal Engine.” As the story progresses, Emma is kidnapped at gunpoint by a man dressed in early 1900’s garb, both of whom are transported into another space and time in a flash of light. Max, Kyle, and Petra (the hunting-bow bearing girl next door) must rely on Mad Jack’s invention to save Emma and, coincidentally, unravel centuries old family secrets. To do so, they travel back to Cretaceous period – the dangerous days of the dinosaurs, when Tyrannosaurus Rex was vicious king!
One of the most satisfying aspects of Chronal Engine is the compelling ending, as it should be. In efforts to avoid crafting a spoiler, let me say that there are hints of a story yet to come. Max has a duty that only he fulfill – a task, if left undone, can shatter aspects of time and place as it is presently know. High-stakes, I’m telling you! Greg Leitich Smith has left this reader wanting more. A sequel, perhaps?
When selecting books, parents frequently ask librarians to help them determine their child’s reading level. Often the parent actually wants to know whether a book will be too easy or too difficult for that child.
Teachers use formal assessment tools like DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) to determine a student’s skills and identify areas where the child might be having problems. It’s likely that your child’s teacher can tell you your child’s reading level although this assessment may be coded to match the specific assessment tool and be of little help in determining whether a specific book will be too hard for your child. Within the classroom books may be assigned a reading level (examples of proprietary leveled reading programs include Lexile and Accelerated Reader) and your child may be assigned to read books at specific levels. There are also readability tests that calculate the readability by using a formula that is applied to a calculation of variants like words in a sentence and syllables in words. Keep in mind that these tests only consider the book’s difficulty, not the age-appropriateness of the book’s content.
Kids’ Reading Level “5 Finger Test” (graphic by James Larson)
Books like those recommended on ReaderKidz usually have a broad reading range and what you really want is an on-the-fly way to determine if your child is likely to struggle with a book that is too difficult.
A popular and quick informal assessment of difficulty is The Five Finger Test.This works best for chapter books that have a reasonable amount of text and few or no pictures on the page.
Ask your child to read a page from the book. When a difficult word is encountered the child folds down one finger. If the child encounters five words that are difficult, the book is probably too difficult. If the child encounters only one or no difficult words, then the book is probably too easy. A book with two or three difficult words on the page is generally just right.
Remember that interest is a major factor in reading success. A child may struggle with some words or encounter words he or she doesn’t understand — just as adults do when reading — but persevere because the topic is compelling. Dinosaur books, for example, generally test for higher reading levels but many very young children can read the scientific names with ease! The important thing with reading for pleasure is to keep it pleasurable. If your child is struggling with difficult words and not enjoying the book, find another one and keep reading fun!
When her husband, William Harkness, set off for China in hopes of bringing the first live panda to the U.S, Ruth Harkness had no idea how this dangerous expedition would change her life. Working as a dress designer in New York, Mrs. Harkness hadn’t intended to join the treacherous journey to the mountains of China until the expedition had been completed.
But when she received the news that her husband had died in China, Mrs. Harkness knew she would make her husband’s mission her own. She would go to the mountains of China and bring back a panda. She had an expedition to plan!
MRS. HARKNESS AND THE PANDA by Alicia Potter, illustrated by Melissa Sweet will introduce young readers to the little-known and fascinating true story of Su-Lin, the first panda in captivity. An author’s note adds context to questions about the differences between the attitudes and beliefs on animal conservation held during Harkness’s and today’s times.
Like readers of all ages, kids love mysteries! They offer many elements of surprise and satisfy our desire to find answers. Mystery readers tend to be curious and intelligent people who enjoy the challenge of shifting through clues and casting aside red herrings. Mysteries for the youngest readers usually involve simple situations in familiar settings but those for older readers become more complex and may even involve more serious crimes. Check out these titles for intrigue and excitement:
For the youngest readers:
What Really Happened to Humpty?: From the Files of a Hard-Boiled Detectivewritten by Jeanie Franz Ransom and illustrated by Stephen Axelsen (Charlesbridge, 2009) Joe, a detective in Gooseland, is convinced that his brother’s fall was no accident! Spoiler alert: All the king’s men were able to put Humpty Dumpty back together again but he doesn’t remember anything about the fall. So his big brother sets out to investigate the dastardly deed in this soft-boiled picture book mystery. Which of the other nursery rhyme characters could be the culprit? (Chicken Little has always acted a little cagey!) For reading aloud, the book is filled with enough laugh-out-loud humor and allusions to classic hard-boiled mysteries to keep adults interested. Young readers will also appreciate the eggs-ellent illustrations that are filled with familiar fairy tale details.
Enigma: A Magical Mystery by Graeme Base (Abrams, 2008) Crime can happen anywhere but when he learns that all of the magician’s props have gone missing from the Retirement Home for Elderly Magicians Bertie Badger is determined to investigate. After all, he loves to watch his grandfather perform and a magician can’t just make props appear out of thin air! The story includes secret codes and ciphers, clues, puzzles, and conjuring. Graeme Base’s trademark illustrations are lush and rich in details and readers must look closely to uncover clues hidden in the intricate paintings. As in some of Base’s other books, a magical panel at the back of the book reveals all to those who can unlock the mystery. Younger readers will simply enjoy the magical mystery story while older kids will spend hours poring over the clues and reasoning out the truth.
For the transitional readers:
The Case of the School Ghost (The Buddy Files #6)written by Dori Hillestad Butler with illustrations by Jeremy Tugeau (Albert Whitman, 2012) Like many kids I’m a sucker for dog stories. And I love mysteries. Add in that Buddy is a school therapy dogs and the books in this series are surefire winners. During the fourth grade school sleepover, Mr. Poe, the custodian, tells the students about the ghost that haunts the building. Being a great detective, Buddy is determined to solve the mystery of the mysterious banging and scary voices that are heard throughout the school. Can he prove that ghosts don’t exist? Bet on Buddy to sniff out the facts! The story is told from Buddy’s perspective and line drawings add to that point of view as we see Although there are some clues that span one or more stories, each book in the series stands on its own so readers can start anywhere.
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Casewritten by Alexander McCall Smith with illustrations by Iain McIntosh (Anchor 2012). I absolutely adore Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective series but who knew that Precious Ramotswe got her investigative start as a child? When treats begin to disappear at her school, everyone suspects Poloko. After all, he’s a “traditionally built” boy so he must be stealing food! Precious uses her powers of deduction to ferret out the truth and learns to be a detective. The book includes charming black and red illustrations that show some of the settings and a map of Botswana. Yes, the case is simple but the logic and reasoning is flawless and Smith’s writing is wonderful. And of course, Precious is precious!
For the older readers:
The Lemon Tree Caper by René Salaña, Jr. with illustrations by Giovanni Mora (Arte Publico, 2011) So many mysteries for children feature animal detectives so it is refreshing to have a kid demonstrate great detective abilities. When Senorita Andrade’s prized lemons go missing just as a neighborhood girl opens a lemonade stand on the hottest day in South Texas, well, something smells rotten! Mickey Rangel has been taking an online private investigator course so he is on the case. Witty and frequently wisecracking, Mickey goes to great lengths for justice. The short chapter book can be read in either English or Spanish (both are included in the same edition) and readers will enjoy matching wits with Mickey.
What kid wouldn’t love to have the run of the White House! Since their mother became president of the United States, First Kids Cammie and Tess, along with their cousin Nate have enjoyed a lot of wonderful opportunities–like meeting rock and roll stars. They have also been able to play detective and solve some interesting crimes. When the White House staff plans a surprise party with a Wizard of Oz theme, the Smithsonian agrees to lend out the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland. But when the box arrives from the museum, this national treasure is missing! Cammie and Tess, along with Hooligan, the White House dog, quickly take on the case. Can they catch the crook or will the ruby slippers become a doggy chew toy? This is a fast, fun read, filled with information about the White House and the Wizard of Oz.
Doreen Cronin’sThe Legend of Diamond Lil: A J.J. Tully Mystery is a tale of intrigue, deception, and – well – chickens. It is a marvelously tangled web of solid clues, red herrings, and everything in between, one that is interesting enough that child readers will be willing to return to the text for some deep literary analysis. Yippee!
To do so in a creatively fun way, Read Write Think is offering an interactive tool entitled The Mystery Cube. It is so easy! Simply enjoy reading this great story, then access the Mystery Cube link. Type the answers into the interactive site as they correspond to Diamond Lil’s story line. You know…plot, characters, clues, setting, and the like. Have the child recall as many aspects of the Legend... as they possibly can. Be thorough. When complete, hit PRINT and – boom – you’ve created a story cube that offers countless opportunities to reinforce the important literary elements of this great mystery and teach about the story structure of the genre as a whole.
Try it! It’s a ton of fun. Almost as enjoyable as teasing Vince the Funnel.
Here Come the Girl Scouts celebrates the vision of the one of the most influential feminists of all time, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts. Author Shana Corey tells the 100 year-old-story of a young woman’s vision to establish an organization that developed a girl’s character through physical activity, a love of nature, and public service. Hadley Hooper‘s illustrations wonderfully depict the historical elements of this inspirational story in a warm, lively, and enchanting way. Each spread is ribboned with timeless quotes and mottos spoken by the woman whose passion was to provide uplifting experiences for girls that would directly affect the women they would become.
Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Law’s life’s work can be summed up in the powerful, transformative words of the The Girl Scout Law:
I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and to be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Mission Statement
To provide teachers, librarians, and parents with the resources and inspiration to foster a love of reading in kids, K-5.
infant to a 500 pound Big Mama! In CHEETAH the reader watches and reads how a cheetah cub plays, wrestles, eats and even gets scrubbed clean. The photographs of these wild babies will engage a beginning reader. The information will surprise and intrigue – and stir up curiosity to learn – and read – more.
used by scientists. Imagine traveling across the Pacific Ocean to a tiny island where dragons still live. In Marty Crump’s MYSTERIES OF THE KOMODO DRAGON: THE BIGGEST, DEADLIEST LIZARD GIVES UP ITS SECRETS, the reader follows the scientists – and their children – as they attempt to track, label and observe the deadly komodo dragons.
struggle with some words or encounter words he or she doesn’t understand — just as adults do when reading — but persevere because the topic is compelling. Dinosaur books, for example, generally test for higher reading levels but many very young children can read the scientific names with ease! The important thing with reading for pleasure is to keep it pleasurable. If your child is struggling with difficult words and not enjoying the book, find another one and keep reading fun!
