See The Book. The Book is Good. (A little bit about Easy Readers)

I suppose I should move on from picture books at this point and talk about Easy Readers.  It’s harder for me to recommend a bevy of Easy Readers because I honestly don’t remember reading that many. My first concrete memories of reading to myself were from chapter books, which led me to suspect that I had almost “skipped” the Reader phase.

Easy Readers fall into that “in-between” niche of a child’s life, between having an adult read to you and fluently reading to yourself. A lot of children aren’t sure this is a smart move. So Easy Reader publishers tend to capitalize on trends: popular picture books, graphic novels, and movies are adapted into Reader form. A lot of the most popular Easy Readers are entitled along the lines of “Meet Batman,” “I am a Jedi,” series based on the picture books of Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy. Therefore you can probably go through the picture books I’ve recommended and find a corresponding Reader. 

As a result, while I recommend a lot of those continuations from picture book to Reader, there aren’t that many independent Reader series that I remember enjoying off the top of my head. In fact, there are only three titles that come to mind:

My Top Three Easy Readers:

The Read-It-Yourself Storybook edited by Leland B. Jacobs 

In “third place” comes this collection of Readers published by Golden Book. While I don’t recall reading many Easy Readers as a youngster, I distinctly remember reading and rereading the stories in this volume. I remember liking the variety of tones, senses of humor, and the style of illustration.

Seahorse by Robert A. Morris, illustrated by Arnold Lobel

Another book I remember reading over and over until maybe I wasn’t so much “reading” it as “reciting” it. Yet it just might be the first nonfiction book I ever read, and fittingly reflects my interest in animals.

My Minnie is a Jewel by Tricia Springstubb, pictures by Jim LaMarche 



And last but most beloved of my three memorable Easy Readers is this lovely, funny, heartwarming and imaginative story about an elderly couple. Minnie is the absent-minded wife who constantly makes mistakes while trying to do something thoughtful for her husband. Her husband Alfred is hard-working and understanding and loves Minnie even when things don’t go as she expects. There’s a bit of fairy-tale element to this book when Minnie encounters two spoiled sisters and their mother as the three travel to a palace.  This book is just plain wonderful and you need to go and find it and read it if it is the next thing you do which it should be because that’s how great it truly is I kid you not.

 

Other Great Easy Readers:

The Dr. Seuss Books 

Naturally.  A few years ago I read The Annotated Cat: Under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats by Philip Nell, and it was fascinating to learn how Theodor Geisel (the mild-mannered alter ego of Dr. Seuss) designed his stories to help children make connections in how phonics create words through rhymes and nonsense-words.

The Bob Books

These were, I think, after my time. My younger brother devoured them, however, whenever we could get them from the library. They’re very simple readers and great for beginners.  They are also in high demand.

The Dan Frontier series by William Hurley and Jack Boyd

Another of my brother’s favorite readers, Dan Frontier is basically Daniel Boone. Any boys who are fans of American history, pioneers, or westerns will love Dan’s myriad of adventures. 

The Amelia Bedelia books by Peggy Parish

This is another "duh" recommendation.  Of COURSE Amelia Bedelia deserves special mention on an list of recommended Easy Readers!  Lately I’ve seen tons of sequels to the original Peggy Parish books, even picture books, about the beloved yet homonym-challenged maid.  Yet in my opinion nothing beats the originals.

The Nate the Great books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Another Reader series that has been continued by relatives of Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Nate the Great is a boy detective with a nose for sniffing out clues and pancakes.  This would be a good segue for a child who loves to solve puzzles, and parents and teachers could easily work up to chapter books like Encyclopedia Brown from here.  But I think I’m getting ahead of myself….

The Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel  

I must have read this book when I was little, but the first time I really remember it is hearing my little sister sounding it out when she was first beginning to read. I particularly remember Frog and Toad are Friends because she also had that on cassette and would listen to that over and over. And over. It’s a testament to how good this series is that I didn’t get thoroughly sick of it.

The Fox books by James Marshall

There is something endearingly hilarious about James Marshall’s illustrations and the characterization of the ambitious, arrogant, and thoroughly silly Fox. While I best remember Fox on the Job and Fox in Love, I would recommend any of this series to young readers.  Boys and girls alike should enjoy Fox’s fun and fantastic adventures.

*Although nothing could prepare me for how awesome actual reading feels.