I Can Read! Reviews of Children s books and ideas for early literacy skills
Join us for this monthly meme that celebrates children s books that help kids take those first steps to becoming confident, independent readers. Our MEME focuses on readers ages 4 to 9. We share ideas for teaching kids to read, and children s books known as easy readers and illustrated chapter books.
Around the middle of each month, we collect reviews of easy readers and/or short chapter books (also called illustrated chapter books and early chapter books). The goal is to help parents, librarians, and teachers find tried-and-true tools and children s books that support elementary readers and help them with early literacy skills.
How it works: Each host picks a 3- to 5-day window where visitors leave links to favorite easy readers and illustrated chapter books, offer tips or ideas about reading with new readers, or personal stories with memories or experiences with the kids in your life. If you have children s books in other formats … such as eBooks or Apps whose purpose is to guide emerging readers, we’d love to have those, too.
Don’t have a post that fits those criteria this month? Not a problem, use a review or tip-related post from the previous year. So in January 2012, feel free to pull a post going back to January 2011! To learn more about Easy Readers and Early Chapter books, click this link.
Once a Carnival has gone LIVE, we add the direct link … makes it easy to find the archive!
On hiatus for 2013
2012 Hosts
January – Terry Doherty @ Family Bookshelf (17 to 21 Jan)
February – Katie @ Secrets and Sharing Soda (20-24 Feb)
March – Terry Doherty @ Share a Story (13-15 Mar)
April – Terry Doherty @ Family Bookshelf (17-19 Apr)
May – Terry Doherty @ Share a Story (16 to 18 May)
June – Jen @ Perogies & Gyoza (13=15 Jun)
July – summer hiatus
August – summer hiatus
September – open
October – open
November – open
December – open
2011 Hosts
January – Anastasia Suen @ 5 Great Books (19 to 21 Jan)
February – Terry Doherty @ Scrub-a-Dub-Tub
March – Janelle @ Brimful Curiosities
April – Jennifer Wharton @ Jean Little Library
May – Zoe Toft @ Playing by the Book
June – Katie @ Secrets and Sharing Soda
July – Catherine @ The Cath in the Hat
August -Jennifer Wharton @ Jean Little Library
September – Anastasia Suen @ Picture Book of the Day (13-15 September)
October - taking a break!
November – Anastasia Suen @ Chapter Book of the Day (15-17 November)
December – Dawn Little @ Literacy Toolbox
2010 Hosts
January – Terry @ theReading Tub
February – Anastasia Suen @ 5 Great Books
March – Lynn Hazen @ the Imaginary Blog
April – Jennifer Wharton@ the Jean Little Library
May – Mary Ann Scheuer @ Great Kids Books
June – Hillary Homzie
July – Sarah Neal @ In Need of Chocolate
August – Julie Rebboah @ Lightning Bug Press blog
September – Susan Stephenson @ Book Chook blog
October – Gwen @ A Novel Read
November – Cathy Miller @ Parents & Kids Reading Together
December – Zoe Toft @ Playing by the Book
One of my grandsons (age 6 years 8 months) has never been keen on reading. He is in the top reading group at school so it isn’t a matter of not being able to read, but of finding other activities more interesting. I have found that books engage him when they include problems and puzzles, for example, Graeme Base’s ‘The Legend of the Golden Snail’ (Viking Penguin, 2010). This book has the added attraction of being linked to the author’s website which offers the opportunity to make the snail come to life – fascinating! My grandson’s interest in puzzles extends to jokes and riddles so Duncan Ball’s ‘Selby’s Joke Book’ (Angus & Robertson, 2000) and other books featuring the animal proclaimed by the author to be Australia’s only talking dog, are current favourites.
What a lucky grandson! Thank you for such a wonderful example of how we can draw kids in with things they like to DO not just like to learn about!
This is a very amazing thing you guys do. How can I get involved?
Hi Brian – We would LOVE for the Children’s Bookstore to host our MEME one month! Just send me an email and we can set it up. We have a number of openings this year. Here is where you can learn more: http://family-bookshelf.org/i-can-read-a-carnival-for-new-readers/
So after searching a bit I’m still somewhat confused as to the responsibilities of the Hoster. Could you send me some more information?
Hi Brian, Sorry about that. Essentially, you create a blog post that announces you are hosting and collecting links with ideas and/or reviews of books for new readers (K to 3). People can leave them in the comments or send you an email and then you update the post.
Wow, I just found out about this and spent the morning reading all the old ones! Could I volunteer to host June, please?
Hi Jen, I am so glad you found us … and that you’d love to be part of the “feast.” I was just at Perogies & Gyoza and loved YOUR Carnival of Bilingualism!! I have you all set for June! ~ Terry
Sorry, I just realized I need to pick a date! How about June 13-15?
Perfect! I’ll get it listed on the Meme calendar page!
Hey, Terry. I’d be happy to host in February!
You got it, Katie!!! Thanks for all your support year in, year out!
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Are you still looking for hosts? I’d be happy to host this carnival in June!
Hi Katie – You’ve made my day! We are definitely still looking for hosts!! I will email to confirm but wanted to say THANKS here, too!
Hi Terry,
I’d be glad to host. March or any of the later months work with me.
Janelle
Yeah!! Thanks Janelle, I’ve inked you in for March!
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