Books, resources, and literacy support for reading levels that grow with your child
 
What Do the Colors Mean? - Red!
 
You may have noticed our Easy Reader section changing this year. We have been transitioning this collection to a color-coordinated Beginning Reader section. Each color groups books focused on different Science of Reading backed skills to help your reader along their reading journey! Join me over the next few months as we dive deeper into each color of our Beginning Readers.
 
First up, the red stickers - Phonics Readers. Phonics may seem like a scary word, but it is just the connection between the letters used to write and the sounds used to speak. These red sticker books include less of a storyline with lots of pictures, and provide readers the opportunity to hear the small sounds in words to improve word recognition and reading comprehension!
 
Now that we have an understanding of phonics as the foundations of the science of reading, let's explore the outdoors at all our reading levels!
 
 
Get Outside with a Good Book!
 
Phonics Readers
For brand-new readers making connections between letter sounds.
A day with George : the sound of soft G by Cynthia Amoroso
A Day with George: The Sound of Soft G
by Cynthia Amoroso

Simple text featuring the sound of the soft letter "g" describes a day spent babysitting a boy named George.
 
Get more practice with soft G in A Gem for a Slice by Taryn Painter.
The rainy day by Taryn Painter
The Rainy Day
by Taryn Painter

Faith and May are stuck inside on a rainy day. What will they do? This book focuses on the vowel teams ai and ay.
 
Check out more by Taryn Painter here.
On the boat : the sound of long o by Cynthia Amoroso
On the Boat: The Sound of Long O
by Cynthia Amoroso

Simple text about boats and repetition of the letter "o" help readers learn how to use the "long o" sound.
 
Need more phonics support? Check out the rest of the Phonics Fun! series.
Emergent Readers
For readers working on recognizing and blending words to make simple sentences.
King of the mountain! by Susie Lee Jin
King of the Mountain!
by Susie Lee Jin

All the fleas want to be king of the mountain and race to the top--until the mountain starts to move! They discover their mountain is a small part of a world that is bigger than the fleas ever imagined. Could it be some things are more important than being first?
 
If you liked this, check out this similar silly read: We Are Growing! by Mo Willems.
We dig fossils by Alliah L. Agostini
We Dig Fossils
by Alliah L. Agostini
 
Ava loves rocks! But what she really really loves are fossils! Ava and her family are on a mission to dig up some fossils. They dig in their backyard, in the park, and by the creek but still no fossils. The family head out to the beach for one more fossil hunting adventure. Will Ava finally be able to dig up her very own fossil?
 
Check out more by Alliah Agostini here.
Inside, outside, upside down, by Stan Berenstain
Inside, Outside, Upside Down
by Stan Berenstain

A simple tale, using a limited vocabulary for young readers, of how little bear travels to town in a cardboard box.
 
Check out more Berenstain Bears here.
Early Readers
For readers starting to read on their own with longer sentences and more advanced storylines.

I am a leader! by Kelly Greenawalt
I am a Leader!
by Kelly Greenawalt
 
This trio of stories starring Princess Truly, who helps her friends, her pug, and lost ducklings, promotes believing in yourself, building confidence and having a positive self-image.
 
Check out the rest of the Princess Truly series here.
Blink and Block build a fort / : Blink and Block Build a Fort by Vicky Fang
Blink and Block Build a Fort
by Vicky Fang
 
In this STEM-inspired graphic novel for early readers, polar opposite robot friends Blick and Block must learn to compromise when competition gets in the way of them building a fort on the playground.
 
Want more Blink and Block? Try Blink and Block Make a Wish next.
Fall leaf project by Margaret McNamara
Fall Leaf Project
by Margaret McNamara

Mrs. Connor's first grade class decides to send colorful fall leaves to students in another state where the leaves do not change color.
 
Read the rest of the Robin Hill School series next!
Transitional Readers
For newly independent readers with basic chapters and genres as they build reading confidence.
A poor excuse for a dragon by Geoffrey Hayes
A Poor Excuse for a Dragon
by Geoffrey Hayes
 
Tackling a challenging list of tasks to complete in order to become a successful dragon, Fred manages to swallow down three people despite his lack of enthusiasm for doing so and subsequently turns for help to a shepherd, a giant and a witch to get the people out of his tummy.
 
Want more dragons? Check out the Dragon Masters series next!
Seashell Key by Lourdes Heuer
Seashell Key
by Lourdes Heuer

Follows residents of Seashell Key as they welcome summer visitors to their coastal town.
 
Read book 2 in the Seashell Key series, The Monster Storm, next!
Mega Mole Girl digs deep / : Mega Mole Girl Digs Deep: a Branches Book by Thomas Flintham
Mega Mole Girl Digs Deep
by Thomas Flintham

In Rue's new game Miss Business has captured Super Rabbit Boy and other superheroes for her collection, and it is up to Mega Mole Girl (and Rue) to find a way to rescue them from Miss Business's fortress.
 
Catch up on the rest of the Press Start! series.
Just for Caregivers
Books to help with at-home learning to read support.
Reading for our lives : a literacy action plan from birth to six by Maya Payne Smart
Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan From Birth to Six
by Maya Payne Smart
 
Reading for Our Lives challenges the bath-book-bed mantra and the idea that reading aloud to our kids is enough to ensure school readiness. Instead, it gives parents easy, immediate, and accessible ways to nurture language and literacy development from the start. Through personal stories, historical accounts, scholarly research, and practical tips, this book presents the life-and-death urgency of literacy, investigates inequity in reading achievement, and illuminates a path to a true, transformative education for all.
 
Check out additional school readiness tools like launchpads, kits, and picture books here!
Teaching your child to read : a parent's guide to encouraging a love of reading by Jessica Wang
Teaching Your Child to Read: A Parent's Guide to Encouraging a Love of Reading
by Jessica Wang
Perfect for parents/caregivers of children ages 3-6, this guide to getting your child(ren) interested in reading explains how to help them cultivate reading ability step by step.
 
Prefer an e-reader? Check out a copy of the e-book on Hoopla.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Handley Regional Library System
100 W Piccadilly St
Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 662-9041

https://www.handleyregional.org/
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