Good Books to Check-Out: (These are in easier-to more challenging order)

Magic Tree House Series (super stories to understand historic events, geographic locations, and scientific concepts)

The Jedi Academy Books

W. Bruce Cameron Dog book series (Toby's Story, Max's Story, Bailey's Story, etc.)

The Who's Who Series (So many great people)

The What's What Series (So many historic events)

I Survived Series Book (super stories to understand events throughout history)

Excellent Authors to enjoy together

Kate DiCamillo

David A. Kelly

Patricia Polacco

Jacqueline Woodson

Jean Fritz

Judy Blume

Laurie Halse Andersen

Christopher Paul Curtis

Roald Dahl

C.S. Lewis

Madeline L’Engle

E.B. White

Strategies:

• Alternate reading pages

• Stop to talk about illustrations and discuss what your child notices from the illustrations and captions-What clues do they give him/her about the events or characters?

• Pause after a page or 2 and have your child summarize what happened (First, Next, Then)

• After reading the whole book or chapter review: Setting, characters, first, next, then, what is the big problem, first, next, then, what is the solution, and what does the character learn

Questions to Ask:

• Why does the author create/describe the setting the way it is? What mood/feelings come from it?

• How does the character feel? How do you know? What evidence?

• Why does the character choose to act the way he/she does? What evidence supports your reason?

• How does the character solve the problem? What does he/she learn from it?

• What is the theme (lesson) from this story? We will be talking about the fortune cookie message of stories and how the character learns a lesson throughout the year. The highest level of comprehension will be that your child can explain the theme and give 3 supportive events/details that prove the theme. Don't worry if your child cannot do this at this time. Focus more on the setting and character questions and when your child begins to make connections between stories you read, you can bring out the themes.