The Phonics Formula

a research based approach for teaching anyone to read and spell

This page is designed to help parents determine the kind of books to read to their children at different skill levels. Here we have listed our own favorites for reading to children. We have not included books we like to have children read on their own. (We will be adding a page with that information in the near future.)

We hope that this page will get you started on your reading adventures. We further hope that you will use these books to narrow down the sorts of books you and your child enjoy reading together. Good Luck and happy reading!

Wordless Books

I will not go into these much, but they are good for kids who don't want to listen much, but would like to talk and look at pictures. Make up your own stories for the books, make them interesting. Once you've got their attention, you are ready to move on. Some ideas for wordless books are:

	Free Fall, by David Weigner
	Will's Mammoth, by Rafe Martin
	Carl's Birthday, by Alexandra Day
	The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs

Books for young children and pre-readers

This is a wide field. The books in this category range from alphabet books to story books to nursery rhymes. Have fun at this stage. Read a variety of each kind of book. Start with simple and move toward more interesting and longer stories. Some kids will not wish to sit through a whole book at first. This is the time to have fun with nursery rhymes! Play games with them, act them out. See who can remember the most rhymes. See who can recite them. Once you have exhausted the rhymes, your child will want to move onto more advanced books. Try these:

	The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and others by Eric Carle
	The Dinosaur Alphabet Book, and others by Jerry Pallotta
	Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and others by Bill Martin
	I Went Walking, by Sue Williams
	Quick as a cricket, by Don and Audrey Wood
	Piggies, by Don and Audrey Wood
	It's the Bear!, by Jez Alborough
	Silly Sally, by Audrey Wood
	Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault
	Shake My Sillies Out, by Raffi
	We're Going on a Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen
	Anything by Dr. Seuss
	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, by Simms Taback
	Over in the Meadow, by Olive Wadsworth
	If You Give a Moose a Muffin, by Laura Numeroff
	The Napping House, by Don and Audrey Wood
	Allison's Zinnia, by Anita Lobel
	Rude Giants, by Audrey Wood

Don't forget the fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, Rapunzel and others. These can be found with many variations and by many authors. It is nice to have a fairy tale book that covers many of the old stories. We have many in our house, including fairy tales from other countries.

Read poetry books, especially funny ones like those written by Jack Prelutsky and clever ones like those written by A. A. Milne.

Longer Picture Books

Gradually, you will be able to move to this category. By this time, your child is interested in reading and looks forward to your daily time together. He is able to sit for 20 minutes or more. This will allow you to finish longer picture books. Here are just a few to get you started.

	Many Moons, by James Thurber
	The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, by Arthur Ransome
	Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and others by William Steig
	The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, by Paul Goble
	Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Tathmann
	Last Tales of Uncle Remus, by Julius Lester
	Madeline, by Ludwig Benelmans
	Johnny Appleseed, and others by Steven Kellogg
	Babushka Baba Yaga, and others by Patricia Polacco
	A Million Fish.... More or Less, by Patricia C. McKissack
	Double Trouble in Walla Walla, by Andrew Clements
	Hog-Eye, by Susan Meddaugh
	The Story of Jumping Mouse, by John Steptoe
	Anatole and the Cat, by Eve Titus
	I Wonder if I'll See a Whale, by Frances Ward Weller
	The Five-Dog Night, by Eileen Christelow
	The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
	Martha Blah Blah, and others in the Martha series by Susan Meddaugh
	Favorite Medieval Tales, by Mary Pope Osborne and Troy Howell
	Cat, You Better Come Home, by Garrison Keillor
	The Remarkable Farkle McBride, by John Lithgow

Books for Beginning Readers

At this point, your child is just beginning to read short books herself. She is enjoying reading time and always asks for more. It is time to try some short chapter books. Leave out the books you expect her to read herself soon. By this I mean books like the Magic Tree House series and The Secrets of Droon series among others. These are books that your child will enjoy reading by himself.

	A Mouse Called Wolf, and other short chapter books by Dick King Smith
	Nora and Mrs. Mind-Your-Own-Business, by Johanna Hurwitz
	Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and others by Betty MacDonald
	Freddy the Detective, and others by Walter R. Brooks
	Bunnicula, and others by Deborah and James Howe
	The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man, by Lloyd Alexander
	The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl
	The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, and other short books by Roald Dahl
	Charlotte's Web, and others by E.B.White
	The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
	Stories from the Stars: Greek Myths of the Zodiac, compiled by Juliet Sharman Burke
	Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children, edited by E. Nesbitt

Again, don't forget short stories and fairy tales. Some of the longer fairy tales and tales from other countries might be appropriate here. You'll have to trust your youngster to let you know. Don't be afraid to try something new!

Books for more advanced readers

Now your child is well on his or her way to becoming a good reader. He is interested in reading and enjoys this time together. He may want to do more reading on his own, but chances are that if you are choosing the right books, he'll still want to read together as well. Don't miss this opportunity to open new worlds to him. Here are just a few suggestions.

	Emily's Runaway Imagination, and others by Beverly Cleary
	The Secret of Platform 13, and others by Eva Ibbotson
	The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
	Witches, and others by Roald Dahl
	Ace, the Very Important Pig, and others by Dick King Smith
	Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie
	Holes, by Louis Sachar
	The Wizard of OZ, by L. Frank Baum
	The Landry News, by Andrew Clements
	The Book of Three, and others by Lloyd Alexander
	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and others by C. S. Lewis
	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and others by J. K. Rowling
	Redwall, and others by Brian Jacques
	The Dark is Rising, and others by Susan Cooper
	The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
	Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
	Pinocchio, by C. Collodi
	The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories, edited by William J. Bennett

Don't forget to read non-fiction books as well - there are many worthy selections to choose from.

This is an active list and will by updated with new finds or old favorites from time to time. Return to it often if you are looking for ideas to keep you going. So keep coming back!

We would like to compile a list of volumes suggested by you. If you have any ideas for great read-alouds that we have missed, please email us at info@thephonicsformula.com - we'd love to hear from you.