I Can Read About Fall! The 3 Easiest Practice Readers

Here are the three easiest Fall-themed books I could locate. For something different there is one book that focuses on Math! The others feature cute little animals preparing for cold weather.

Notes:
(star ratings quoted as of 10.28.2011)
(AR numbers come from outside sources and are subject to errors. Look at the text samples to make up you own mind as to appropriateness.)


The Busy Little Squirrel
by Nancy Tafuri

In this pre-primer, you'll find a story about Squirrel who needs to get ready for winter. Being a busy little fellow he has no time to hop or run with frogs, dogs, and mice. No, he must get ready for when temperatures drop and the snow falls!

Leaves were falling.
The air was getting cold.

It was time for Squirrel
to get ready for winter.

"Squeak, squeak," said Mouse.
"Will you nibble a pumpkin with us?"

But Squirrel couldn't...
He was so busy!

"He was so busy!" is the common refrain, and it's repeated throughout the book until the very end when Squirrel can't participate because he is 'fast asleep!'

Warm, cheerful drawings by one of our favorite author-artists makes it easy for me to recommend this book. [Click on the picture below and most browsers will make it larger.]

Average Ratings:
GoodReads -- 98 reviewers, 3.78
Amazon -- 3 reviewers, 5.0

Reading Information:
Word Count: 128
Hardcover: 32 pages
Accelerated Reading level: 0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 118900

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
  
• ISBN-10: 0689873417
• amazon (look inside available)
  

Zero is The Leaves On The Tree
by Betsy Franco, Shino Arihara (Illus.)

**STARRED Review** Kirkus

This little 'concept' book focuses on that magic number, Zero. It ties in with our Fall motif because several of the pages deal with cool weather themes like zero leaves on the trees.

One project Teachers and Parents might want to try is to have a count down from 10-to-0 using a felt tree with fall colored leaves that can be removed.

"Zero is...
the ducks on the pond when
the air says winter is coming.

0 ducks

Average Ratings:
GoodReads -- 57 reviewers, 3.77
Amazon -- 5 reviewers, 5.0

Reading Information:
Reading Level:generic 1
Hardcover: 30 pages

• Publisher: Tricycle Press
• ISBN-10: 1582462496
• amazon (look inside available)

Mouse's First Fall
by Lauren Thompson
Buket Erdogan (illus.)

Mouse's First Fall is a cute book that has large font and short sentences. Some of the most difficult words include: tumbling, twirling, around, orange, shape, pointy, smooth, skinny, skipped, swished, kicked, through, peeked, poked, peered and popped.

Text from a sample page follows, and there's also an excerpt (below) that shows more text and some of Erdogan's attractive artwork:

Mouse ran and skipped
and kicked and swished
through all the leaves.
Fun!

All-in-all, this is a book that evokes the season of fall, and Mouse and Minka (a larger rodent) point out all the colors leaves come in -- red, yellow, orange, and brown -- as well as the fact that leaves come in different shapes.

Average Ratings:
GoodReads -- 68 reviewers, 3.68
Amazon -- 4 reviewers, 5.0

Reading Information:
Reading Level: generic 1
Hardcover: 32 pages

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
  
• ISBN-10: 068985837X
• amazon

compiled by Pam


You might also like:

• Fall and The Science of Fall Leaves!

One Fall project we particularly liked was making a 'leaf journal'. This project is simple and consists of pasting fall leaves of different colors and shapes on the paper of choice. You can also do leaf rubbings and add sparkles for that special touch.