Saturday, April 26, 2014

Early Chapter Books--Mommy's Bad List

Early chapter books (usually 3-5 chapters of 3-10 pages each) are easy to review in the library, but what if you want to buy a book or receive one as a gift?  I wrote an earlier post on our recommended early chapter books.  Now it is time for a post on early chapter books I do NOT recommend.  I hate to be negative, but there are so many really good books out there that it seems a shame to waste your time on books that probably aren't worth your time.

Junie B. Jones series--Well known for rude language and poor grammar (not just incomplete sentences, but also non-words and poor structure).  DD did not find the story interesting either.

Thomas the Tank Engine early readers--Although the character seems like he's innocent enough, and the merchandise is cute, the books are for older children.   The stories often deal with trains in mild peril.  Almost every easy reader we have gotten from the library has been scary enough to give DS nightmares at age 2-4.  If your child is Thomas crazy and not overly sensitive, they probably will be fine, but sensitive kiddies may have problems.  Of note, we do own several Thomas books that are not early readers and they are fine, not scary at all.

Magic Tree House--Some kids really like these but I think there are better ways to get a kid into history than this.  The books are not only full of poor and partial sentences, but they often glorify witchcraft and magic.  Some parents may also find their evolutionary content offensive.    The Magic Schoolbus is much more benign.  For history, there are many picture books which are much more interesting.



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