Begining/Transitional Readers

We Are Growing!

Keller, Laurie with Willems, Mo. We Are Growing!. illus. by Laurie Keller with Mo Willems. 64p. (Elephant & Piggie Like Reading!). Disney-Hyperion. Sept. 2016. Tr $9.99. ISBN 9781484726358.

    We Are Growing! fits the description of a Level One book. The font is big and easy to read, with no more than 3 words per line in most cases. Containing mainly sight words, and featuring a lot of repetition. The vocabulary in this book also focuses on word endings, specifically -EST. The main exception to the sight word and 5 letter word pattern is in the adjectives that grass use to describe themselves. These words tend to be more letters and syllables, and are the ones that are repeated with the -EST ending. Due to the inclusion of this, this text could be a good transitional book between a strictly level 1 and level 2 book. 

See the Cat! Three Stories About a Dog

LaRochelle, David. See the Cat! Three Stories About a Dog. illus. by Mike Wohnoutka. 64p. Candlewick. Sept. 2020. Tr $8.99. ISBN 9781536204278.

    See The Cat! Three Stories About a Dog is a level one reader. The font is big, and pages have lots of white space. Sentences are longer than a 5-7 word limit, but they are primarily sight words and do not typically exceed more than 7 lines on a page. Even though the longer sentences exceed the 5-7 word limit, they are always broken down across multiple lines, which per the Horning text, is a successful way to make more complex sentences accessible to early readers. Though this book has 3 stories in it, the stories are not really about anything which is highly typical in early (level 1 readers). Sight words are strung together to make sentences that when paired with the illustrations are rather digestible to early readers. The illustrations are especially helpful for the inclusion of words that are NOT sight words, because readers can use them as well as the context of the rest of the identifiable words to make meaning of the unknown word, even if they can’t “read” it.

The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe

Hale, Shannon & Hale, Dean. The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe. illus. by LeUyen Pham. 96p. Candlewick. Oct. 2014. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9780763665104.

    The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe is an early chapter book/transitional reader. While the font is still big and there are still ample illustrations, there is more white space, and more text per page. This book presents as more dense than a level 1 or 2 book, however, it is made up of elements that are suited to new readers. While there is still familiar vocabulary and sight words, there are distinguished chapters that tell more of a narrative story than earlier readers. Due to this, this book offers a plot for readers to follow and engage with. 

Yasmin In Charge

Faruqi, Saadia. Yasmin In Charge. illus. by Hatem Aly. 96p. (Yasmin). Capstone. Mar. 2019. pap. $9.95. ISBN 9781515842729.

    Yasmin In Charge is a transitional book. This book utilizes a large type-face, and the 12 or less words per line structure. There is ample white space and while there are still illustrations, they do not accompany each page, so readers can not rely on them as heavily to help get meaning of unknown words. The book follows a narrative plot and is split into distinguished chapters, each a handful of pages in length. Each chapter of this book is its own stand alone story, following the Horning text guidance of readers at this stage having difficulty following changes in setting or time jumps. The situational nature of each chapter lends itself to providing clarity for readers.