Thursday, September 17, 2015

Freckleface Strawberry - new chapter book series

Image result for freckleface strawberry backpacks       Image result for freckleface strawberry backpacks
Freckleface Strawberry Backpacks
Freckleface Strawberry Lunch, or What's That?
by Julianne Moore
illustrated by LeUyn Pham

I enjoy the Freckleface Strawberry books.  They are fun to read out loud.

But I really appreciate these beginning chapter books.  At some point in every reader's life, they start the transition into chapter books.  I appreciate transitional chapter books.  The larger text, simpler plot lines and shorter books ease that transition into middle grade books are hard to find.  

What I find, however, is that kids want chapter books faster than they can get into them.  The desire to hold a longer book, one that is divided into chapters, hits as soon as kids start school.  All it takes is one reader holding one that starts the "itchy chapter book fingers".

Usually, students who stick with picture books, especially the longer picture books, the ones with a lot of text on the page, will ease into those transitional chapter books without too many road blocks.  The problem is when students don't get to that point, when they are still at early picture book levels and they want chapter books, that's when the road blocks happen.  They jump when they're not quite ready.

That's why I'm excited for books like this new Freckleface Strawberry series.  It has chapters, it has predictable text and it has art by LeUyn Pham that help support the text.

In both books, Freckleface Strawberry is trying to figure out problems that most kids will relate to - whether it's messed up homework or mystery meat in the cafeteria - readers will enjoy the plot and characters in these books.

Great series for 1st-3rd grade classrooms.

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