Children’s books give new option

PINKY AND REX AND THE SCHOOL PLAY and PINKY AND REX AND THE PERFECT PUMPKIN, both written by James Howe and illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, both 1998, both 40 pages, hardcover, $15.

Last year my Katie, then in kindergarten, took off as a reader. Then school closed for the summer, leaving her stranded in that no-kids-land, between easy readers and books for older children. It took real detective work to find enough books at just the right level to satisfy her hunger for the written word.

Katie and I found the irresistible Pinky and Rex series a perfect fit for emergent readers. The books are highly readable without the stilted quality of stories built around controlled vocabularies. The chapters are satisfyingly short, yet convey the prestige of chapter books. Dialogue is authentic, and the characters are quite believable, with children confronting problems and experiencing emotions with which sons and daughters will be able to relate. Illustrations by Maine’s Melissa Sweet are rich in visual context clues.

In “Pinky and Rex and the School Play,” Rex agrees to accompany Pinky to an audition to keep him company and get out of spelling class. Though Rex hadn’t wanted to try out for a part because she was afraid she’d make a fool of herself on stage, she ends up with the lead that Pinky had been practicing for all week. Pinky, feeling betrayed, decides to never speak to his best friend again. Rex is hurt by the rejection.

In “Pinky and Rex and the Perfect Pumpkin,” Rex joins Pinky in a family tradition weekend trip. Pinky and his sister Amanda and cousin Abby have so much to talk about Rex feels left out, especially when Abby points out that she’s not one of the family. Smashing the pumpkin they’ve all carved together leaves Rex embarrassed and ashamed and everyone else sad or angry.

Sue Logan taught first grade for 20 years before becoming a literacy specialist. She finds series books with their familiar settings and characters to build confidence and be comfortable for young readers. She has some great suggestions for parents who want to keep up their children’s momentum and interest in reading in those critical early years.

Even a child who is learning to read independently will enjoy being read to or taking turns with a parent.

“You’ll have that one-on-one time, that cozy time, that relaxing time,” Logan said.

Many children, especially those with strong interests or collections, will find nonfiction fascinating. A parent can read a child a book on a topic of interest and then encourage him to write or dictate and illustrate a book on the subject. Logan said she thinks this helps strengthen the connection between the spoken and the written word.

Children love reading experiences with real-life relevance. Bake a cake from a recipe. Locate the directions to build a bird house. Find out what plants are best suited to your location and create a garden. Let your son or daughter help plan the best route to a vacation spot. Even a task as routine to an adult as creating and shopping from a grocery list can be an interesting literacy experience for a youngster.

Do you have out-of-town relatives? Let your children select special stationery and writing tools and dictate or write to his heart’s content. Those one-of-a-kind letters will be treasured by their lucky recipients. Is there a kid who wouldn’t leap to read real personal mail? Some children enjoy sending away for prizes or other trinkets. Your library may have a book listing free and inexpensive stuff your child can obtain through the mail.

And make sure your child sees you enjoying a good book.

“This is the best way to show him or her that reading is important to you,” Logan said.