Beginning & Transitional Readers

 

Adler, David A., and Sam Ricks. Don’t Throw It to Mo! Random House, 2021.

Don't Throw It to Mo! is a triumphant story of a young football player that no one wants to throw the ball to due to his small stature. Through a unique approach from his coach, he overcomes his inability to catch, and helps the team win the game! This is a Level Two Reader with an average of five words per line and 5-7 lines per page. While there are plenty of sight words to assist young readers, this story also expands into multisyllabic words. The longest and most difficult word in the story is the word "butterfingers." There are also longer sentences with some shorter sentences sprinkled throughout the book. While some words are longer, the dialogue remains on the simpler side. There is also more of a complex plot compared to Level One books. The illustrations assist in driving the plot and can help provide context clues if a reader is stuck on a word. The font is larger and spaced out. The type is primarily on a white background, with the exception of a few pages where it is on light blue or light green. The repetition of some more complex words help the reader gain confidence in complex sounds and words!

Fenske, Jonathan. A Pig, a Fox, and a Box. Penguin Young Readers, an Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2015.

A Pig, a Fox, and a Box is a humorous story about a prankster fox that likes to trick his friend the pig. This is a Level Two Reader with an average of five words per line and 5-7 lines per page. It is worth noting that all text is told via speaking bubbles above the characters, which can add a level of reading difficulty as the pattern to follow for reading is different than a standard paragraph format. Most words are on the simpler side, with the reader being introduced to some more complex words such as "around" and "sneaky." The dialogue is overall on the simpler side, and if a reader can easily navigate beginning and ending sounds of words, they should be able to handle this book. This book could also be a fun co-read as it is humorous and exciting, filled with sound effect words! The plot is fairly straightforward, so I would encourage a young reader to guess what happens next as they are reading. If they need help, they can take context clues from the illustrations. The font is on the larger size and against a white backdrop. The illustrations are a simplified graphic novel style and help drive the plot. There is a lot of rhyming and repetition, helping young readers be familiar with new sounds. 

Hale, Shannon, et al. The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe. Candlewick Press, 2024.

The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe is a humorous adventure of a superhero who finds and adopts a kitten. The kitten causes chaos and destruction whenever Princess Black has to go save the day. She has to try and find a solution to the destructive kitten before her whole castle is ruined! The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe is a Level Three book, averaging 6-7 words per line and 6 lines per page. There is a significant jump from Level Two to Level Three regarding the vocabulary. Compound and complex sentences are primarily used in this book. The language sounds much more natural than previous level books. There are large illustrations every few pages, such as the start of a new chapter. Other pages either have small or no illustration. A reader can certainly use them for context clues, but they are not the primary plot driver. They are a fun addition to the story. The type is larger and primarily on a white background (with very few exceptions). You will notice that the spacing is also smaller than previous levels. The book contains very short chapters, with one continuous and in-depth plot throughout the entire book.

Bruchac, Joseph. Rez Dogs. Playaway Products, LLC, 2024.

Rez Dogs is a novel about a young girl, Malian, who is an indigenous person and stays on a reservation with her grandparents throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. She meets a dog on the rez, who she befriends as they protect each other and form a special bond. This is on the upper end of a Transitional Book. It is told in verse, which means many lines are shorter than the average transitional read (roughly 4 words per line), but the pages are averaging 20 lines each. The typeface is noticeably smaller than other levels, but still larger than a YA or adult novel size. There is plenty of white space and large margins. There are no illustrations in this novel. Since this is told in verse, each chapter is one verse, making easy breaks between chapters while still creating the flow of one continuous story. The vocabulary and subject matter are for an older child reader, grades 3 and up. There are many complex words on each page. Some subject matter, including the pandemic and historical injustice, make this a book that should be read by children emotionally mature enough to read it, and have an adult available if they have any follow up questions or discussions. That being said, this overall is a warm read, that is highly recommended for children's libraries.