This school year my boys are reading real books instead of readers for their reading practice. My Kindergartener is mostly reading books from Sonlight’s Reader 1 package, but will be moving on to the Reader 2 books soon. My 2nd grade son is reading books I chose for him. I searched several book lists to find chapter books suitable for his age, interest, and skill level.
My second grader is reading Paddle-to-the-Sea. I was a little hesitant choosing this book because it seemed to be a little boring. It is about a toy canoe that travels on waterways until it gets to the sea. The book won a Caldecott Honor and my son loves reading books that are information based. So I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did. My son is really enjoying the book. Here is a sample of what the text of the book is like from chapter 10.
I once taught this book to a group of fifth graders. I read it alound to them for 15 min. after lunch each day and incorporated geography and map skills into the lesson.It is a great way to review the Great Lakes.