How to Choose a Book

Here are some tips to help your child find "just right" books to read!

Consider the Reading Level:

Easy:

The book flows for you.

The ideas are easy to understand

The words are easy for you to read.

Just Right:

You understand most of the ideas.

You might not know some of the words, but you can figure them out or skip them.

Challenge:

The book is hard for you to read.

You don't understand the ideas; you're confused a lot.

Many of the words are hard for you.

Other Considerations:

Look at the cover

Read the back cover or inside the flap of the jacket

Read the inside introduction

See if you know anything about the author

Use the five-finger rule (see below)

Did someone recommend it?

Look at the pictures

What size is the print?

How thick or thin is the book?

Have you seen the movie?

The Five Finger Rule:

Turn to a page in the middle of the book. Read it. Put up 1 finger for every word you don't know (don't count names).

0 fingers = too easy

1-3 fingers = just right

4-5 fingers = quite hard so go slow!

more than five fingers = too hard for now