A Decodable Book that is a Great Resource for New Readers

Title: Drop It, Rocket!


Author/Illustrator: Tad Hills


Publisher: Random House


     “Drop It, Rocket!” is a story about a dog who searches for items that are on his word list and brings them back to his teacher. It is a very uneventful book, and I found it to be quite boring.


     I give this book three out of five stars. The book is a little boring because the images are very plain. If I think the book is boring, than young children will definitely find the book boring. However, that is not the main objective of the book. The book is supposed to be boring so that young children can focus on the words in order to improve their reading skills. This book is very useful for reading comprehension practice for children because a lot of the words are repeated throughout the book so that they can practice saying the word multiple times. Therefore, I would use this book as a learning tool but I would not rely on it for getting children to enjoy reading.

A Picture Book that will have You Scratching for More

Title: Mr. Wuffles!


Author/Illustrator: David Wiesner


Publisher: Clarion Books


     David Wiesner strikes again with a very intriguing picture book! This time his story involves a cat and a few aliens battling it out in a comic book like nature. The aliens team up with some ants and ladybugs to try and defeat the cat. You’ll have to read the story to find out what happens!


     I give this book four out of five stars. The book provides an interesting story to grab the attention of many young readers, and allows them to practice their speaking skills by being able to come up with their own stories. The pictures in this story are just as detailed as Wiesner’s other stories, however they are a little more difficult to follow because they are displayed in a format that is similar to a comic book but without words. If a child does not know how to read a comic book, it will be difficult for them to figure out what order events happen in. It was even difficult for me to understand what was going on sometimes. I would recommend this book because it is a funny story, however it may not be appropriate for readers of all levels.

A Picture Book that will make any Young Reader 'Hop' into Reading

Title: Tuesday


Author/Illustrator: David Wiesner


Publisher: Clarion Books


     David Wiesner brings things that you could only think of in your imagination to life with “Tuesday.” Some odd things happen in a small town on a Tuesday night. The people of the town are ready for bed, but the animals are ready to go wild all night. You should pick up this book if you want to see what crazy things happen.


     I give this book five out of five stars. The entire time that I was reading the book I was laughing and engaged in what was going on because of all of the funny images. I found this book to be very enjoyable. Although there are very few words in the book, the story is relatively easy to follow because the illustrations are so vivid and very well done. It challenges the reader to come up with their own description of the story since there are few words, however it is very easy to describe. The book will also keep you laughing and intrigued with all of the odd things that the animals do.

A Board Book that will Put You Right to Sleep

Title: Goodnight Moon


Author/Illustrator: Margaret Wise Brown/Clement Hurd

Publisher: Harper Collins


     “Goodnight Moon” is a highly acclaimed and recognized children’s book. It features a young rabbit who is getting ready for bed, who decides to say goodnight to many different things in the room. This book is great for young children who are just beginning to read because most of the words are repeated throughout the book and there are not a lot of words in the book. Many of the words also rhyme or sound alike, so it is easier for children to sound out similar words. However, I did not think it was that interesting to read myself, so it may be a slightly boring read. I would highly recommend this book for new readers that are beginning to broaden their vocabulary, and give this book a four out of five.

A Grocery Store Book that You Do Not Want to Sink Your Teeth Into

Title: Vampirina: Ghoul of Rock

Author: Adapted by Courtney Acampora (Original Episode on Disney Junior written by Chris Nee)

Publisher: Studio Fun International

     In “Vampirina: Ghoul of Rock,” Vampirina and her friends are practicing playing their instruments for their band. They are new to this so there are some obvious struggles. However the famous band Scream Girls comes to town and vows to help the girls become rock stars.

     I give this book two out of five stars. When I picked up “Vampirina: Ghoul of Rock,” I thought it looked like a good book to read because the images on the cover were very bright and fun, and a microphone came along with the book so that you could sing-a-long. The story also teaches an important lesson about bravery and determination. However the book never introduced who each character was specifically so the story was confusing, and a lot of the images were blurry and random. This is a good book to grab the attention of young children who have not had an interest sparked in reading yet. However that is all this book does because the content would be very confusing for a young reader to understand, and the story is also not very interesting.

Welcome to my blog about youth and children's literature!

My name is Jess, and that is me and my brother!^

     I am a senior Sports and Exercise Physiology major and I will be continuing my education in the Physical Therapy program at DeSales University next Fall. I always loved to read as a child because books were a great escape from the world. I began reading a lot when I was around five years old. The books that I mostly read consisted of books like "Curious George" and "Blue's Clues." Then as I began to become a stronger reader, I began to read more advanced books like the "Magic Tree House" series and the "Geronimo Stilton" series. Then one day when I was in eight grade, I discovered the teen section in Barnes and Noble and I was hooked on reading for life. Reading has not only helped me improve as a student, but it has also helped me improve myself as a person because I have learned many important lessons from all of the books that I have read.

     Although reading children's books will not help improve my skills as a reader anymore, I am excited to dive right back into the world of children's literature because I will get to see all of the new books that have been written. I am excited to share my discoveries about what books I think are perfect for young readers and what books I think should be left on the shelf with all of you. Now let's get started on this fun adventure!