It seems that no matter how many books I have, it just isn't enough to keep 25 3rd graders engaged every day. There always seems to be a gap. A few kids seemed to be in a rut and I realized they needed some early chapter books and they'd read most of the series we had that interested them.
Katie DiCesare mentioned the Branches books and although I had a few (I love the Boris series), I didn't realize that there were so many others. So I bought a few of the series I didn't know and have been reading a few. Two that I read this week were:
Monkey Me and the Pet Show. This is a silly series about a boy who turns into a monkey when he gets excited. In this book, he ruins picture day and he also enters a pet show as the monkey. This is just goofy silly and I think some 3rd graders will love it. The thing I like about this is that when Clyde is a boy, the text is written in linear, chapter book form. But when he is a monkey, it switches to graphic novel/comic form. I'm wondering if kids will notice that on their own right away. It looks like there are at least 4 books in this series so enough to keep kids reading for a bit.
The Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons is another with a goofy
sense of humor. Alexander moves to a new house and a new school and finds a notebook filled with monster drawings. It seems that some balloon monsters are after him. This is a funny book that will make kids laugh. It is a bit longer and more difficult than Monkey Me but definitely perfect for 3rd graders.
I hope to read more of these Branches books over the next few days. Series that I have on my stack are Dragon Masters, Looniverse, Eerie Elementary, Owl Diaries and Lotus Lane. I love these Branches books and am glad to have discovered more of them!
Katie DiCesare mentioned the Branches books and although I had a few (I love the Boris series), I didn't realize that there were so many others. So I bought a few of the series I didn't know and have been reading a few. Two that I read this week were:
Monkey Me and the Pet Show. This is a silly series about a boy who turns into a monkey when he gets excited. In this book, he ruins picture day and he also enters a pet show as the monkey. This is just goofy silly and I think some 3rd graders will love it. The thing I like about this is that when Clyde is a boy, the text is written in linear, chapter book form. But when he is a monkey, it switches to graphic novel/comic form. I'm wondering if kids will notice that on their own right away. It looks like there are at least 4 books in this series so enough to keep kids reading for a bit.
The Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons is another with a goofy
I hope to read more of these Branches books over the next few days. Series that I have on my stack are Dragon Masters, Looniverse, Eerie Elementary, Owl Diaries and Lotus Lane. I love these Branches books and am glad to have discovered more of them!
My students love the Branches series. Their favorite by far is The Notebook of Doom. I have also had many girls read the Lotus Lane series.
ReplyDeleteI have every book in the Branches series. They look so much like more grown up books, but have simpler language. My 2nd graders adore these books.
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