Last night, I was looking at the box of (sadly) damaged books at work. I saw four I Can Read books. I have not read one in a while, so I picked them up. They average out to be a 2.5 for the four, but kids will enjoy and will be 5’s down the board. My biggest complaint with easy readers is companies do not have a uniform rating system. Publisher X might have these at a Level 1 but another would have them as a “My First” level. Or one has it at Level 2 and another will have it at a Level 3. Therefore, you will have to look at each one to see if they fit your reader. That aside each one of these books has something about them that was fun.
Pete the Cat Scuba-Cat is for the child who has loved Pete the Cat in his other adventures and is ready to start reading on their own. However, I think they will need a little assistance if they are the on the younger side as there are words such as octopus, seahorse, turtle, tickle. These words do not always lend themselves to easy “sounding out” of the word. However, kids will love the fact (spoiler) there is a little seahorse on each page that for some reason, Pete keeps missing! James Dean’s signature style is here.
I realized as I was reading Pinkalicious Tutu-rrrific and Pinkalicious Story Time I have never read a Pinkalicious book. But like Pete, Victoria Kann’s style is there. Pinkalicious is the typical pretty-pink girl I understand her to be. She has adventures after meeting an author and learns you do not have to be a magic princess to write about magic princess or other fun things. In fact, you do not have to have words to write a book at all. And she finds herself in a dance class that might be a bit over her head, but she rises to the occasion! Her level is a Level One, therefore meant for the child a little more advanced in their starting to read. Again, the younger side might need a little help with words like broccoli, barre and a few other dance terms.
Now we go onto Amelia Bedelia, Cub Reporter. Herman parish and Lynn Sweat take the beloved maid and put her in a new adventure. Of course, she mixes up things, but as always, they come out better than expected. At a Level 2 the length and the concept good for the slightly more advanced reader. Again, there might be a few concepts or terms that might need explaining, but overall it is a solid book.
If you need to fill in or start your beginning readers shelves, each of these books can fit your needs. (I am linking Story Time as it is about books!)