What makes a book right for
first-time readers?

Why Brand New Readers work
How Brand New Readers work
Using Brand New Readers
Try a Brand New Reader!
About the creators of the series


What makes a book right for first-time readers?

We know that your mission is to help your young patrons achieve state and national standards in reading by providing high-quality books that they can actually read.

Research shows that the lack of appropriate and appealing reading materials can have a profound effect on children’s progress toward becoming fluent readers. Providing the right book at the right time, however, can be equally powerful in encouraging children to become eager and confident readers.

We believe that Brand New Readers are the right books for emerging readers and that they can help you meet your goal -- and ours -- of opening the door to reading and books for as many children as possible.

What makes a book just right for the child who is just beginning to read? Here's what reading experts know and what we’ve learned:

  • New readers should be able to read a book successfully the first time they try. That means short, simple stories written and illustrated so clearly that new readers can’t help but succeed.
  • At the heart of every good book is a good story. Rereading familiar books is an important early reader activity. More than anything, children should want to read a book -- again and again.
Find out why Brand New Readers work
What makes a book right for
first-time readers?

Why Brand New Readers work
How Brand New Readers work
Using Brand New Readers
Try a Brand New Reader!
About the creators of the series


Why Brand New Readers work

  • Brand New Readers have real stories with beginnings and endings -- written by acclaimed authors like Phyllis Root (the Aunt Nancy books).
  • They feature lovable, mischievous, multicultural characters kids will want to follow from book to book.
  • The action takes place in simple, one-line-per-page, eight-page stories that are short enough to give children the satisfaction of reading a whole book in one sitting.
  • To make reading success even more certain, we’ve included a brief but clear introduction to the story inside the front cover of every book. You can read this aloud to your young patrons, then look through the book together to prepare them for reading independently.
  • You’ll find further simple suggestions for making reading easy and fun for children in the back of each book.
We’ve also considered the needs of librarians:

Each sturdy hardcover edition features all four stories bound together for easy shelving and circulation -- just $12.99!

Also available: eight paperbacks in two attractive cardboard slipcases -- just $5.99!

Click here to find out how Brand New Readers work
What makes a book right for
first-time readers?

Why Brand New Readers work
How Brand New Readers work
Using Brand New Readers
Try a Brand New Reader!
About the creators of the series


Click to view larger image
Click for larger image

How Brand New Readers work

Brand New Readers help kids become eager and confident readers with:

  • appealing characters and funny stories
  • pictures so clear that children can guess what the words say just by looking at the pictures
  • short, patterned sentences that help first-time readers easily predict new words and recognize familiar ones
  • language that flows naturally, letting children draw on their already expert use of spoken language to interpret the written word
  • consistent placement of print that, like repetitive or rhythmic language, helps a first-time reader predict new words
  • a clear design so that a child can easily tell where to stop and start reading and can follow each sentence to its end without interruption
  • advice to help you guide and support brand-new readers!

Click here to find out how to use Brand New Readers

What makes a book right for
first-time readers?

Why Brand New Readers work
How Brand New Readers work
Using Brand New Readers
Try a Brand New Reader!
About the creators of the series


Using Brand New Readers in your library

Create reading excitement

If you already have a section of your library devoted to books for emergent readers, Brand New Readers, whether in the slipcase or hardcover editions, will fit right in.

Be sure to display and shelve Brand New Readers in all areas of your library where emerging readers will find them. Children may want to read Brand New Readers at widely different times in their development. Some kids will enter school able to read them. Some will find them just right near the end of first grade or even the beginning of second grade. Children will return to Brand New Readers again and again as they cement their skills and take pleasure in reading easily and comfortably before moving on.

Brand New Readers are also a wonderful choice for families in which parents may have low literacy skills or for families from homes in which English is not the primary language. They are easy and fun to read for the whole family!

Events and activities

With Brand New Readers you can launch many activities that will encourage your patrons to visit your library. Here are some ideas:

  • Read Brand New Readers aloud and ask children to help with words they know or can guess by following the pictures. Often you will find that -- by design -- when children describe what they see in a picture in a Brand New Reader, they have also spoken aloud the text! Point this out and watch amazement and pride light up their faces. Suddenly, reading doesn’t seem so hard. In fact, they’re already readers!
  • Organize a “readers’ theater” and encourage children to act out the stories in the books. Because Brand New Readers feature short and memorable stories, children can -- with little preparation or practice -- transform these stories into their own little plays. Kids may also want to make up plays that put the characters from the series into imagined situations.
  • Create flannel-board stories based on stories in the series.
  • Encourage children to extend the stories with their own writing and drawing. Ask them what might happen to the character after the story ends.
  • Encourage children to read Brand New Readers aloud to younger siblings, parents, and grandparents to show off their emerging reading skills.
  • Suggest that children look for other books in the library with similarities to their favorite Brand New Readers. After reading the Winnie stories or the Tabby Cat stories, for example, kids may turn to your easy nonfiction section for books about dogs or cats. After reading the monkey stories, they may set off in search of your humor section.

How else can Brand New Readers create excitement about reading in your library? We can’t wait to hear your ideas!

Click here to TRY A BRAND NEW READER!