Having parents who travel the world for work has its benefits. Twins, Tomas and Marisol, are able to tag along on many or their parents’ trips exploring new cultures, making new friends, and maybe a few adventures. Tomas and Marisol never thought such a beautiful place would be so dangerous. The twins are eager to see all the animals they can but they never considered poachers invading their camp, stampedes, or the hot savannah sun. Are Tomas and Marisol cut out for Kenya? What did the poachers want from a bunch of researchers? Will the Perez family make it out of the African savannah safely? Adventure books with longer, complex sentences, rich vocabulary, and minimal illustrations are perfect for fluent readers. Paired to the nonfiction title STEM Guides to Travel.
Tomi and Marisol’s lives aren’t like most 12 year olds. Having parents who are traveling researchers can make having a regular life tricky. The cool part is that they have friends all over the world and get to have amazing adventures! Puerto Rico does sound tempting especially when battling a cold, Chicago winter. Who wouldn’t enjoy swimming in the ocean and lounging on the beach? Except that’s not exactly how things work when you have a scientist and a historian for parents. The twins are packing their bags and traveling so their mom can study the Antillean crusted hummingbird in the rainforest. Tomi and Marisol like a good adventure, but sometimes end up where they shouldn’t!These adventure books are perfect for your fluent reader. They develop independent reading through longer, complex sentences, rich vocabulary, and minimal illustrations. Paired to the nonfiction title STEM Jobs with the Environment.
Country hopping is what these twins do best! Tomi and Marisol are homeschooled by their history professor dad and well-known biologist mom. Their classroom is the world as they travel deep into rainforest or out to remote islands. The twins are having adventures and making new friends along the way as they learn about new cultures and countries. The Perez family is out and about in South Korea! Tomi and Marisol are spending their summer vacation away from Chicago while their dad teaches at the local university. These expert travelers are ready to explore the palaces, temples, and volcanic park that South Korea offers. Along the way they rekindle an old flame of Aunt Bernadette’s, get on TV with a Korean K-Pop star, and find themselves in a river without a paddle! The twins and their aunt accidentally end up crossing the border into North Korea and are detained. Will they ever get out? Adventure books with longer, complex sentences, rich vocabulary, and minimal illustrations are perfect for fluent readers. Paired to the nonfiction title STEM Jobs in Music.
Twins, Anara and Samal, love to travel with their mom and little brother, Oliver. Having a mom that works for UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, means the family gets to travel to the coolest places. Sometimes their dad or their grandma from Finland, Vovo, are able to tag along and visit the most amazing places. India is totally better than spending all summer at camp. Traveling through busy citifies and India’s countryside, the Nylund’s experience rickshaws, spicy foods, and, Ollie’s favorite, history. Things get complicated when the kids encounter the many homeless children, mistreatment of Anara’s beloved elephants, and 13 hour “surprise” trip. Can the Nylunds survive India’s hot, humid weather? Will they make it through the mountains to the Valley of Flowers? Can they help all the homeless children wandering in India? These adventure books are perfect for your fluent reader. They develop independent reading through longer, complex sentences, rich vocabulary, and minimal illustrations. Paired to the nonfiction title A Listen to World Music. 3-5 Summer Playlist 2025
Even though Rocket is the fastest kid in third grade, his dyslexia makes him a slow reader. When he finds coded notes, Rocket knows he needs the help of his friends, the Gumshoe Gang. Together they try crack the secret messages but kind they are stuck. Can the Gumshoe gang crack this case? Is Mrs. Flores in danger? And is the new computer teacher really an alien? These mysteries are perfect for your early fluent reader. With longer sentences and fewer illustrations, these are suited to keep readers guessing as they solve for clues. Paired to the nonfiction title Wining by Working.
Klaude is the class clown. He likes to make people laugh but not everyone finds him funny. The Golden Spoon Award is given to students who display proper lunchroom behavior and Klaude is one of the winners! He’s never won anything in his life! But not everyone is excited and they are showing it. During the special luncheon someone sabotages his spaghetti, takes a bite out of his cake, and breaks his first trophy ever. Who would be so mean to him? Why is someone so mad at Klaude for winning the Golden Spoon Award? More importantly, will he get a new slice of cake? These mysteries are perfect for your early fluent reader. With longer sentences and fewer illustrations, these are suited to keep readers guessing as they solve for clues. Paired to the nonfiction title STEM Guides to Food and Nutrition.
What do glitter snowflakes, aliens, and singing have in common? Join the Gumshoe Gang at Watson Elementary as they solve the latest mystery. Lyra is so excited for the Christmas concert that she has a hard time focusing on anything else. That is until someone starts sabotaging the decorations needed for the concert. Who would want to get the concert canceled? Why are the teachers acting so strangely? Paired to the nonfiction title Skills for Social Success.
Queeneka loves fashion, and a good mystery. So when there were missing kickball at Watson Elementary she was on the case! Who would take the kickballs? Why is Mr. Hambrick giving her the evil eye? And why are fourth graders so mean? Making a new friend along the way, Queeneka and Keely question suspects, encounter giant fourth graders, and learn that everyone is embarrassed about something. These mysteries are perfectly suited to keep readers guessing as they solve for clues. With longer sentences and fewer illustrations, they are just the right fit for your early fluent reader. Paired to the nonfiction title Everyone Goes to School.
Experts know that sometimes the best way to teach a child what something is is to teach him what it isn't. Running through the alphabet, beginning readers are given a letter and then told what the letter topic isn't. A isn't for box; it isn't for fox. A is for ants that crawl over your socks.
Does your family have a favorite holiday meal? What are your birthday traditions? Do the older people in your family tell stories about their childhood and what life was like when they were young? All these are parts of family folklore. Tell Me a Story will help you better understand: what family is; the ways the generations are linked together; how families relate to each other; and how families pass along a heritage for the future. We get strength from our family's past, and this sort of folklore also gives us hope for the future.
A high-interest inquiry into the possible existence of Scotland’s water-dwelling Loch Ness Monster, emphasizing reported sightings and stories as well as scientific investigations.
A high-interest inquiry into the possible existence of magical fairies, emphasizing reported sightings and stories as well as investigations into fairy rings.
Among the millions of stories ever told, the tales of the legendary explorer Marco Polo are the most renowned. Listen as an old-time scribe tells his curious young neighbor about stories that are worth remembering.
In this gentle riddle of a tale, a well-loved horse recounts its adventures and various riders throughout the long years of its curiously restricted yet imaginatively rich life.
An illustrated guide to the punctuation mark known as the commas, including descriptions and examples of how to properly use them.
An illustrated guide to the punctuation marks known as parentheses and ellipses, including descriptions and examples of how to properly use them
An illustrated guide to the punctuation marks known as hyphens and dashes, including descriptions and examples of how to properly use them
An illustrated guide to the punctuation marks found at the end of all sentences, including descriptions and examples of how to properly use statements, exclamations, and questions.
An illustrated guide to the punctuation marks known as colons and semicolons, including descriptions and examples of how to properly use them in lists and in relation to independent clauses.
An illustrated guide to the punctuation marks known as quotation marks and apostrophes, including descriptions and examples of how to properly use them
Jane Yolen’s poetic and sensory ramble through the four seasons highlights the cyclical passage of time as artist Lisel Jane Ashlock portrays a changing natural environment.
An elementary exploration of rhyme and rhythm in poetry, introducing syllables, rhyme schemes, and sonnets as well as poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Includes a writing exercise.
An elementary exploration of the forms and themes of poetry, introducing famous poets William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and Pablo Neruda. Includes a writing exercise.
An elementary exploration of word play and attitude in poetry, introducing puns, stanzas, and limericks as well as poets such as Edward Lear. Includes a writing exercise.
An elementary exploration of images and personification in poetry, introducing similes, metaphors, and haiku as well as poets such as William Carlos Williams. Includes a writing exercise.
