WORD DRAGON: ( A FUN & FAST-PACED CHAPTER BOOK SERIES FOR KIDS 8-11) JUNKYARD ADVENTURES 1
Word Dragon is the first book in an interesting adventure book series for elementary and middle-grade readers. When siblings, Eli and Grace visit an antique store owned by “Uncle Larry,” a nonstop fantasy adventure ensues.
Their dad is searching for a second-hand lawnmower. Eli and Grace meet the lovable but absent minded store owner who loves telling stories to children. Larry gives them a hubcap, a length of rope, and an old Scrabble game with a missing letter. He informs the children they they can use these to go on an adventure, but once begun they cannot return until they solve the mystery to find their way back.
Challenge accepted! The brother and sister head off. They will meet a Word Dragon and avoid fireballs thrown at them along the journey. I particularly enjoyed the word vocabulary list that encourages young readers to expand their vocabulary. Readers will definitely want to sign up for a return visit to Uncle Larry’s store.
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Reading comprehension is essential to success in school and in life. You play a major role in helping your kids retain the information they read. There are basic and more advanced strategies that any parent can use to assist their children in this area.
Basic Steps to Strengthen Comprehension
Make it fun. Your child may already feel uneasy if reading is an area of weakness. Project a calm and happy attitude and even try to turn reading into a game.
Practice. Practice. Practice. Encourage your children to take advantage of every opportunity to test their reading skills. In addition to books, they can read street signs and cereal boxes.
Select materials that match the reading level of your child.People retain material best when they can read at least 90% of the words. Otherwise, they’ll get distracted by asking questions or trying to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words.
Choose subjects your kids love. It’s easier to get your kids to read if you keep their passions in mind. Browse your local library for new books about dinosaurs, fairy princesses, or any other area of interest.
Create a summary. Ask your child to recap what was just read. If they struggle, prompt them gently by dropping some clues. When they get it right, praise them for doing a great job.
Take time off. Small children and even some adults have limited attention spans. Alternate between reading and other activities such as baking cookies or taking a walk.
Break long texts down into smaller segments. Approach a large textbook a few pages or one chapter at a time. You can gradually increase the length of reading assignments as your child progresses.
Find a comfortable reading spot. Designate a special area for reading. It could be the corner of the living room couch or while sitting at the dining room table.
Discuss the reading material. Encourage conversation about whatever you and your child are reading. Question one another and share your impressions.
Supplement reading with other activities.Generate more enthusiasm by combining reading with other special activities. This will give your children something to look forward to. If you’re reading a book about the American Civil War, you could plan a family outing to a local museum or even Gettysburg.
Read aloud to each other. Take turns reading aloud to each other. Kids learn faster when they hear and see words at the same time.
Go back and re-read. Let your kids know that a smart student goes back and re-reads sections that they find difficult. Tell them that even adults do this.
Advanced Steps to Strengthen Comprehension
Scan the text before reading. Give a complicated textbook the once-over before you plunge in. Suggest that your kids focus on the chapter titles, section headings, and any words in bold or italics.
Take notes. Purchase a memo pad and sticky notes so your children can jot down thoughts and questions as they read. This is called active reading. Older kids may be more comfortable taking notes using their eBook reader.
Experiment with inferences. Explain what inferences are and how to use them. Making an inference is when you draw conclusions based on clues in the text and your own experiences.
Spot flag words. Talk with your kids about how flag words help you to understand a text by establishing word relationships. Give examples such as analogies, cause and effect connections, or comparing and contrasting.
Map the story. Some readers have a more visual learning style. These kids may benefit from drawing squares or circles and filling them in with elements of the story such as characters, plot, and theme.
With skillful guidance, even children who are reluctant to read can discover the joys of reading for pleasure. As a parent, you’re the best role model and instructor for helping your kids to build reading comprehension skills and love of literature for a lifetime.
Mrs. Wiggles and the Numbers: Counting Book for Children, Math Read Aloud Picture Book
Written and illustrated by Lisa Konkol
Poor Mrs. Wiggles has lost her students. She stands alone in her one room school.
One day the numbers fall off the shelf and come to life. As they introduce themselves, the number zero finds himself without a role. The other numbers welcome him and teach young readers that each of us is important. Children learn to count with single numbers and groups of ten. Finally, they receive a bonus page on which numbers are matched to the corresponding number of objects.
This interactive book contains funny illustrations and appealing faces to entice the youngest readers. Recommended as a read aloud for toddlers, preschoolers, and reluctant readers to be enjoyed over and over.
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The Haunted Lighthouse: Tales of the Lost and Found
Written by Shana Gorian
Thirteen-year-old Noah Wright and his twelve-year-old sister, Oakley have just begun summer vacation in Westport Harbor, a coastal town in Maine. Noah’s best friend, Andre, and the family dog, Cooper are ready to have some fun. What could go wrong?
Noah possesses insatiable curiosity and takes too many risks. Oakley demonstrates more caution but enjoys action. Andre’s personality tends to be more cautious, but he is also ambitious. Cooper, like most dogs, never hesitates to jump into an adventure.
It takes little time for the friends to snoop around and uncover a decommissioned lighthouse where they find clues about a mystery that has haunted the sleepy fishing village for the past century. An antique boat store, a mysterious shipwreck, and scares from the supernatural combine to create an intriguing novel for middle-grade and young adult readers.
I received an advance review copy from the publisher and voluntarily chose to read and review it with my honest opinions for no monetary compensation.
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Publisher’s Book Summary: Phoebe loves anything that involves brainstorming, like jigsaw puzzles, riddles, and word searches. Her lifelong dream is to solve mysteries like her detective father—or ND, her favorite girl detective. So when a friend’s prized autographed book disappears, Phoebe immediately offers to take on the case.
Enlisting the help of her BFF, Phoebe gets to work searching for clues, interviewing witnesses, and compiling a list of suspects. But when the evidence implicates a friend, she realizes being a detective isn’t all fun and games. Phoebe must find concrete evidence before she points the finger. Can she do it, or will the book bandit get away with the dastardly deed?
Caron Pescatore was born in the United Kingdom. She spent her childhood in Jamaica before migrating to the United States. After practicing as a registered nurse for several years, she entered law school, getting her J.D. in 2001. She worked as an attorney for years before leaving the profession to become a stay-at-home mom—her most challenging career to date. Ms. Pescatore recently returned to law and now works for Legal Aid. Her favorite pastimes are reading, writing, and watching true-crime shows. At present, Ms. Pescatore lives in Florida with her husband and children.
Eight-year-old Becky and her best friend Luana belong to a soccer team. When Becky, a teammate, loses her treasured autographed book, Becky immediately decides to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a detective to solve the mystery and find the thief. The two best friends interview all the members of the team to uncover clues as to the identity of the bandit. They soon realize that the evidence may lead to an unfortunate conclusion.
One of my favorite parts of this chapter book is that the author takes pains to present both sides of the story teaching young readers that it is important not to jump to conclusions without looking at all sides. The black and white illustrations within the chapters are fun to look at and incentivize reluctant readers to sustain interest. Characters are age appropriate and relatable.
I highly recommend the first book of this mystery series to beginning readers and middle-grade readers.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a paperback copy of The Book Bandit, autographed by Caron Pescatore.
Four (4) winners receive:
– A signed paperback copy of A Phoebe Chen Mystery: The Book Bandit
Publisher’s Book Summary: Snail and Worm are having a dispute. It’s causing quite a ruckus in their home. Many of the other inhabitants of the garden are affected by their fight. Will they be able to put their differences aside when they learn the garden’s existence is threatened?
An earthworm churns away in the garden doing his job. He disturbs the snail, the bees, and the butterflies. Each of the garden creatures wants to get his job done, but they cannot seem to get out of each other’s way. When a monster appears, they scatter until the danger is gone.
Will the garden’s inhabitants learn to work as a team for the benefit of all? Is it possible to overcome individual differences for their mutual benefit?
This adorable picture book speaks volumes about friendship, cooperation, teamwork, and empathy for all kinds of life. Endearing characters and large text create appeal for the youngest audience as well as a beginning reader.
Highly recommended for preschoolers and elementary school age readers. A perfect choice to welcome the Spring season.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Mrs. Spring’s Garden and a $100 Amazon gift card!
This short book of affirmations provides inspiration and self-confidence for elementary school and early middle grade readers. Who is to say what I can or cannot be, the answer is only me?
The affirmations cover topics like career aspirations, academic success, athletic prowess, and the Golden Rule. A dozen affirmations interspersed with multicultural illustrations encourage children to “be all they can be.”
A wonderful resource for a child’s home bookshelf, classroom library, or neighborhood library to build empathy, self-esteem, and social-emotional skills. Recommended especially for children ages six through ten.
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Illustrated Would You Rather? : Jokes and Game Book for Children 5-11( Silly Kids and Family Scenarios, 1
Written and Illustrated by Dr. Shh
Book is part of a series. This one features jokes and games for elementary and early middle grade students.
I love interactive choice books because they encourage children to do critical thinking while they make choices. The first part of the book presents crazy scenarios, the second crazy questions. Each section is richly illustrated with black and white images. Readers are urged NOT to look at the answers provided ahead of time. As a bonus, the author includes references for the curious reader who wants to go into any of the topics in greater detail.
An excellent choice for readers age six through twelve as well as the reluctant reader.
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Katt Scallion and the Oracle Bird: Katt’s First Adventure
Written by E. K. Issacs
Illustrated by Taru Haimi
This is the first book in an adventure/mystery series for elementary and middle school readers. Katt is a feline space pirate, accompanied by a sloth named Speedy. Things have been slow in the pirate business lately until he is dispatched to retrieve the egg of an oracle space bird.
Off the readers go on this mystery adventure. Katt meets lots of interesting characters on his quest. The book features lots of dialogue and humor. The characters are interesting and the plot moves along quickly. I would describe the book as a chapter book for advanced elementary school readers or an introductory middle school read. There are a few black and white illustrations that enhance the tale.
Recommended for ages six through twelve who enjoy mystery, adventure, humor, and animal characters.
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Miranda grew up in an ordinary town, but her temperament was different from most children. While her friends discarded toys that were broken or in which they lost interest, Miranda collected and cherished these toys. Her friends thought her strange. Soon they abandoned her. So Miranda ventured far away, and became the Queen of Broken Toys. She lived a lonely life until one day a boy who had lost a toy came to her castle. An incident changes the lives of both.
The soft pastel illustrations are appealing and appropriate to the mood of the tale. Elementary school readers can learn many lessons from Miranda. I am sure many children will empathize with her.
A charming, quick read for children of all ages. It might inspire a few to take better care of their toys.
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May 28, 2023
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