Hit: Early Chapter Books (LONG)

[Wayne and Harrow Strickland <w-hstrickland@MINDSPRING.COM>]

Sorry for the lateness of the hit and thanks to everyone that responded.  I
may have left some out b/c they responded to work and I neglected to forward
home where I have my account.

Mrs. Harrow Strickland
Media Specialist
Cary Woods Elementary
Auburn, AL
work- hstrickland@auburnschools.org
home- w-hstrickland@mindspring.com

Original Post:
> Hi All,
> I have a request from a second grade teacher to work with a small group of
> students who are at a higher reading level with chapter books.  She is
> doing an author study on Jane Yolen and I recently came across the Young
> Merlin Trilogy by the same.  I don't know if these are too heavy of a
> subject for high level second graders, so I guess my question is do you
> have any other suggestions (not necessarily Jane Yolen) for early chapter
> books but with weightier, more intellectual subjects?  We've done Junie B.
> Jones and others, but we want something with more meat

1  .How about The Boxcar Children?


2.  Hi ! Having taught second grade reading, I found that the kids can learn
lots from the Magic Treeehouse series, The Time Warp Trio by Szcieska
are backed full of fun, but require the kids know background information
that you can give them as they read the books, there are early "Little
House" chapter books, Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl is a winner and
lots to discuss, The Curse of the Squirrel by Yep is quirky and an
introduction of fantasy/science fiction, Hugh Pine by Van ( ?) and books
by Robert Bulla like the Chalk Box Kid... Sometimes looking in the
catalogues from Baker and Taylor or the like offer suggestions.

3.  how about some of Clyde
Bulla's books? I particularly like using The Shoeshine Girl. It really
gets a discussion going. You migh also try historical fiction--like The
American Girl series. Boys really enjoy them once they read them and
there are lots of compare/contrast activities that "dig" into the meat
of comprehension. The facts at the back of the book help give them a
sense of history and you could add research using other non fiction
books or other historical novels of the various periods.

Attaboy Sam and/or All About Sam (Lowry), The Chocolate Touch-a King
Midas variant-(Caitling), The Teddy Bear Tree (Dillon), The Gadget War
(Duffey), Gooseberry Park (Rylant)-there is a great study guide in Book
Bag magazine for this book, Hugh Pine (Van Leeuwen), Amber Brown series
(Danzinger), books by Dick King Smith, easier books by Roald Dahl like
The Twits or George's Marvelous Medicine, The Little's series
(Petersen), Boxcar Children (Warner)not the series just the first one,
Ramona series (Cleary)--her new one Ramona's World is a pretty easy read
and considers the value of learning to spell, De Paola's new
autobiographical book 26 something (I can't remember the title) use it
with all the other titles (Tom, The Art lesson, Nana Upstairs, Nana
Downstairs, Watch Out For the Chicken Feet in Your Soup, Baby Sister)he
has written about his family and them have the students write personal
narratives. There are many more to choose from --have fun with this
gruop--I love stretching second graders.


4.  Shoeshine Girl by Bulla
Frindle by Clements

5.  Hi,
What about the Magic Tree House Series?  They are action/mysteries and
usually include historical facts.

6.  Marc Brown's Arthur now has a chapter series as well as the Berenstain
Bears.
 The Junie B. Jones books may not be too hard for really high readers, as
well as the Marvin Redpost.  Cam Jansen series, Babysitter easier levels.

7.  Because of the number of 2nd graders and other young students  at my
school who were ready for chapter books, I have created a "Chapter Book"
section in the media center.  It has become the most popular part of my
collection, I think.  Older students who are not strong readers like to
visit this section as well.

In this section, I have books by Judy Delton, Barbara Park (yes, Junie
B. is there), Patricia Reilly Giff, Cynthia Rylant, Kevin Henkes, and
many others.  (I am writing from home, so I can't think of all the
authors off the top of my head.)  There are many series that lend
themselves to this section as well, and I am building my "Chapter Book"
collection with those.  The Marvin Redpost books are wonderful, also The
Magic Treehouse, Bailey School Kids, Babysitters Club Baby Sister, and
Stepping Stone books.

8.  What about White Bird or The Chalk Box Kid by Bulla?  We use them with
our high-level second graders.  Just a suggestion.

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