From: Deborah Hopkinson <HOPKINDA>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 14:08:49 -0800

I agree with Kathleen about grade levels not being on books (I also don't like age ranges being on picture books, for that matter!). That's one reason why CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS was such a hit at our house.

My 11 yr old son spoke Russian for the first 6 years of his life, and reading has been a struggle for him. He's just started this fall being able to read chapter books at the 2-4 grade level, series like Magic Tree House and David Adler's Houdini Magic books. I'm delighted to get these recommendations of other titles.

Deborah Hopkinson hopkinda at whitman.edu



Since Steven Englefried and Jane Botham have both sung the praises of
"Ant Plays Bear" by Betsy Byars, I'd like to take this opportunity to point out something we've noticed about the 1997 publishing year. There seem to be more easy readers and transitional fiction (2nd grade chapter books) this year than we ever recall seeing in the past.

Earlier this week someone mentioned another easy reader, "Marvin's Best Christmas Present Ever" by Katherine Paterson, as an outstanding book of the year. Has anyone else read any other newly published easy readers they'd like to recommend?

A lot of the teachers we work with highly commend books in the Hyperion Chapters series, such as "Alison's Wings" and "Alison's Puppy" by Marion Dane Bauer. Recently one of them commented, however, that she wished the publisher would not splash the words "2nd grade" all over the cover because third and fourth graders reading at the second grade level won't touch them, even though they'd be perfect books for them.

Kathleen Horning Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wisconsin
Received on Wed 10 Dec 1997 04:08:49 PM CST