CCBC-Net Archives

[CCBC-Net] Formula Series

From: Robin Smith <smithr>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 09:17:26 -0600

Ah, series fiction-- I fear the tastes of my second grade students sometimes mirror mine: silly and goofy and utterly predictable. Series fiction is an obsession with this aged child. They will read series in order, and become horribly vexed if #4 is missing. They can neither read on nor switch to another series until they exhaust the current one. I think series fiction for this age is comfort reading, and the kind of reading that builds confidence and love of reading, even when it drives their parents crazy! Familiar characters, predictable plot, and comfortable settings all make these books favorites in my classroom library. I never pooh-pooh series fiction--one of the pivotal moments in my childhood was reading all the Nancy Drew books (in order, of course) with a friend. It was the Olympics of reading and I am sure I drove the librarian crazy looking for the next one.
  I read aloud some series fiction to my class because I know they many will fall in love with the story and want to read all of them for themselves. (I usually read Rip-Roaring Russell and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Sometimes I read the first Judy Moody and often I read opening chapters of many of the books listed below.)
  Here are the series that have caught this class's fancy: The Weird School Series by Dan Gutman http://www.dangutman.com/pages/missdaisy.html
     These start with Miss Daisy is Crazy and are definitely for the 6-8 year old reader. Silly titles and even sillier situations have swept through my classroom. The Magic Schoolbus Series by Mary Pope Osborne
      Still popular, though the newer titles are being released in hardback, much to my children's dismay. They just don't like the hardcovers. At all. The A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy http://www.ronroy.com/atoz/books.php Captain Underpants and Ricky Ricotta by Dav Pilkey The Sidekicks series by Dan Banko and Tom Mason http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=5458&si=124
     This book has reduced a few of my stronger second grade readers to tears--of laughter. Just yesterday, a boy was reading with me and he started laughing in that fabulous way that made the rest of my class look up, watch and start giggling along too. They are especially funny for those readers who know a thing or two about superheroes and their sidekicks. They love Pumpkin Man (Boy? can't remember) whose superhero feat is rolling. Fast. Hilarious. Cobblestone Cousins by Cynthia Rylant Russell and Elisa books (The Riverside Kids) by Johanna Hurwitz http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064421554/002-0951014-5133644?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance Marvin Redpost by Louis Sachar Judy Moody by Meg MacDonald Scholastic Junior Classics Dragon Slayer's Academy Secrets of Droon My America series from Scholastic
  Robin Smith
Received on Wed 23 Nov 2005 09:17:26 AM CST