Move Over Dick and Jane

Yes, I am old enough to remember the over-controlled vocabulary books about Dick and Jane that were sorely lacking in entertainment and enjoyment value. Thankfully, we are well past those days - today's authors combine simple vocabulary and creative stories with amazing flair. When I first decided to create a blog based on easy-to-read chapter books series – my purpose was simple. It was to help early readers find chapter book series that would be addictive and convince them to read A LOT. But after choosing these five series, I had a slightly different perspective. I would really recommend that all upper grade classrooms have these books for struggling readers and English language learners. They are a terrific combination of predictable text, pictures that support and enhance meaning, and hilarious adventures that are irresistible.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamilo

A pig or a “porcine wonder?” I guess it depends on the opinion of the reader. This wondrously silly adventure is about a pig named Mercy. Mercy loves hot toast with a great deal of butter, sleeping in a real bed, and a good chase. The trouble all starts when Mercy snuggles up to sleep with her owners, the Watsons. Unfortunately, the three awaken with the bed over a huge hole in the floor. Mercy escapes, but to where?

I would enjoy using this with a literature group because I love to laugh with children. The book could be used to teach inferencing and sequencing skills, but mostly I would just want my students to enjoy how much fun a book can be. It’s a great bridge between picture books and mostly-text chapter books. The pictures are bright, cheery, and well positioned.

Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon

Dory Fantasmagory is the baby of the family. And because she’s the “baby,” she often feels left out. But Dory is never quite alone because of her out-of-control imagination. She spends her untiring energy conversing with invisible friends, outsmarting zany monsters, and pretending she’s a round-the-clock puppy. This charming and fun book deals with sibling rivalry in a humorous and fun way.

In a lit group, it would be perfect for discussing character attributes and development because Dory is such a vibrant and outrageous character.

The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney

Humphrey is a hamster whose "world" is actually a cage in a classroom. Being a class pet gives Humphrey the opportunity to learn about school, people, and gain some interesting perspectives on why things happen the way they do. The one drawback that I can see with reading this book to a class is it would be really hard to avoid getting a pet classroom hamster – Humphrey is that lovable and fun. This book would definitely lend itself to teaching about theme since “You can learn a lot about yourself by taking care of another species.” Humphrey’s classroom experience enables him to understand people’s motivation and therefore help them with their problems. It would also be a great book to inspire kids to write from another “species’” perspective.

Lulu ….and the Brontosuarus…Walks the Dog….Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst

Lulu is a tough character. She’s independent, strong willed and has a zany imagination. It doesn’t matter whether Lulu is looking for a brontosaurus, walking anybody or everybody’s dogs, or on a mysterious mission – she does it in a Lulu-only way. Judith Viorst’s writing style is fun and innovative. Kids love imitating it (which is a perfect way to improve their own style.) My favorite writing minilesson comes from Lulu and the Brontosuarus. Judith Viorst writes three different endings for the book and lets the reader choose their own (sort of). Kids can see how effective it could be to write multiple endings for their own stories and choose the one that works best.

Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires

Binky the Space Cat has a mission to blast off into outer space (which is really outside his house), to explore unknown places (obviously, his back yard) and to battle aliens (also known as bugs). He trains for his mission and builds a rocket ship and almost accomplishes his goal until he realizes something really important is missing. Even your most reluctant readers will enjoy this graphic novel. The pictures are clever and totally reinforce meaning in this story. It would also be great inspiration for kids who want to write their own graphic novel.