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Bear and Bird: A Favorite New Series for Transitional Readers

I’ve always been interested in finding the best books for transitional readers—readers who have learned to read and who are becoming more sophisticated readers. They often are new to chapter books, so finding books that support them as readers is important as they build skills and agency as readers.

I discovered the Bear and Bird series by Jarvis this summer. I love so much about this series and one thing I especially like is that the humor in the books appeal to a wide age-range of readers (maybe 3rd graders who are just starting chapter books). 

The first Bear and Bird book I read with a child was “The Stick and Other Stories”. We both laughed aloud on the first page and we were both hooked. The first page made us laugh out loud and fall in love with one of the main characters at the same time.

Since that first book, I’ve enjoyed all of the Bear and Bird books and they have become one of my favorite new series for transitional readers. (I think there are 6 total books in the series now.) The latest book in the series is Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories. 

I love so much about this series. Most of all, while reading these books, I have the same feeling I had when I read Frog and Toad and Henry and Mudge books. Great stories about two friends -stories filled with humor and lessons in friendship. 

These books are part of Candlewick’s “Sparks for New Readers” collection and as I have read these with children, I see the way that these books support transitional readers.

  • Each book has several stories within. The stories may be connected but they stand alone. This is important for readers new to chapter books as they learn to hold onto a story over time.
  • The characters are lovable and predictable. The more you read, the more you come to know the characters and the more you have expectations as readers. Getting to know characters with depth is important for transitional readers and each story allows us to get to know these characters through their relationship with each other.
  • The text and visuals are balanced. The illustrations match the text which I think is an important feature for this stage of reading. The illustrations also include some unique visuals (lists, signs, etc.)
  • The text is accessible to readers while also having features such as dialogue, parentheses and ellipsis that might be new to readers. 
  • The themes in each story are very accessible to young readers and are common themes in friendship stories.

This is a great series for readers who are new to chapter books and who like great characters and a little humor! They make great read alouds for younger readers, too! Try one and if you love it, read the whole series!

Read Aloud and Text Complexity

Read Aloud is one of the most important parts of the school day. For one, it is joyful-there is nothing like sharing a story as a community. Secondly, it is a time in the school day that supports growing readers in so many ways. For readers in Grades 2-5, read aloud can do so much to support growing readers in understanding the complexities in text. 

When we wrote In Community With Readers: Transforming Reading Instruction with Read Alouds and Minilessons, we identified several skill that are important as children move from picture books that you can read in one sitting to chapter books. This list is in no way comprehensive, but it does help us think about the experiences children need with text as they become more independent with complex texts.

So, I am always reading with an eye toward read aloud, asking myself, “How can this book support readers, especially those who are new or semi-new to longer chapter books?” When I am reading with this lens, I know I want some features that may be new to readers, but I don’t want a read aloud that is so complex that I have to do the thinking for readers. I’m always looking for a book that can become a really good scaffold for growth and with many access points for the variety of readers in a classroom. This summer I found a book that I think is a perfect read aloud for grades 3 and 4—Growing Home by Beth Ferry, with art from The Fan Brothers.

I picked the book up because I love everything I’ve read by The Fan Brothers. But I had no idea what to expect. This book is the perfect illustrated chapter book and I found so many reasons it would make a great read aloud as I read. It has:

  • a plot that is accessible to young readers
  • an accessible theme
  • strong characters
  • endpapers worth talking about
  • a dedication that adds meaning
  • a Prologue, which might be a new feature for middle grade readers
  • Back Matter: “Letters from Toasty”, which adds a bit to understanding the character
  • Foreshadowing that is accessible

I like that the book is an accessible fantasy. So many middle grade readers love fantasy adn this one is anchored in realism so the setting (a home) is not one they have to imagine. 

I like the dedication page for several reasons. Readers often skip these, but when we teach kids that the author often gives clues about the theme, etc. in the dedication, it adds some depth to the reading. These dedications will definitely give readers some angles to think about through the story.

I also love what the author does with foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is such a common literacy technique but often young readers miss the foreshadowing. Luckily, in this book, the author adds a bit to make the foreshadowing a bit accessible. She adds a sentence after the foreshadowing in case readers missed it. She writes, “We’re coming to that shortly. Just be patient.”

I think Growing Home is a book middle grade readers will LOVE and one that will help them grow as readers. The characters are fabulous, the theme is accessible and there is so much to talk about as you read. And for readers who don’t know this author or these illustrators, this book is a great introduction that might inspire them to read more of their work. Enjoy!

Reading Aloud More Nonfiction

*My posts and reviews focus on books for the classroom and library. I am passionate about sharing books that invite natural conversations and learning and choosing the books we share with intention. I am always looking for books that kids will love AND that will support their growth as readers and writers.

I am definitely one that reads aloud and shares more fiction with students than nonfiction. And I always try to balance that better. I know that kids LOVE nonfiction so building in more time for nonfiction read aloud is important. We know nonfiction builds background knowldge and vocabulary. Plus, the skills for reading nonfiction are a bit different from those needed to read and understand fiction. So I have been looking for informational books that also make great read alouds and are short enough for minilesson work.

I found 3 new picture books that are perfect for elementary readers. I’m not sure these would be categorized as nonfiction but each is based on a true story, information is embedded and each one has backmatter that is nonfiction and tells more of the true story behind the picture book. 

I used to ignore the author’s notes and back matter, but not anymore. When reading aloud and sharing these stories with readers, I’d definitely make time to read the back matter as it is fascinating information and I don’t think the books are complete without it. Geting young readers in the habit of reading the author’s note and back matter helps them read with more depth and understanding.

The Escape Artist: A True Story of Octopus Adventure by Thor Hanson and Galia Bernstein tells the story of Inky, the octopus who escaped from a New Zealand aquarium. The story is told in a way that predicts what Inky might have been thinking and doing. It tells the reader what investigators know and what they wonder. Readers learn not only about Inky but there is a lot of octopus information throughout. 

The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle by Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson is the story of Fire Chief, a snapping turtle. The story includes information on baby turtles and how they grow and then focuses on the accident that injured Fire Chief and of the Turtle Rescue League that helped in his recovery. Readers can see the real Fire Chief in photo in the backmatter. They can also learn more about snapping turtles. 

Not a Spot to Spot: The True Story of Kipekee, the Giraffe Born without Spots by Elizabeth Weiss Verdick and Zoe Waring is the story about a rare giraffe born without any spots. One thing that is unique to this story is that the backmatter touches on which parts of the story are true and which were changed a bit, as this is a book “inspired by” the true story. 

All three of these books are perfect for elementary readers, whether as read alouds or to read independently. Each may also ignite an interest in a topic they want to read more about.