Homeschool Friday - On the Job

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

The Berenstain Bears: On the Job

By: Stan & Jan Berenstain

Publication: October 12, 1987 by Random House Books for Young Readers

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Early Reader, Level-2, Picture Books

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--Illus. in full color. Brother and Sister meet Firebear Bob, Police Officer Marguerite, and others as they try to discover "What will I be when I grow up?".

I still have my original 1987 edition of On the Job from my childhood. This was one of my favorite books as a child because of the variety of the pictures and topics.My kids have all requested this book over and over through the years. AR Book Finder lists this book as a level 2.5. So when my son was reading level 2 books, I grabbed this one to put in our stack of level 2 books. 

On the Job is told in rhyming verse. There are varying rhyme patterns throughout the book, but mostly it follows an ABCB pattern. Brother and Sister Bear take a walk around Bear Country to check out different types of jobs available. Firefighter, police officer, bus driver, ambulance driver, truck driver, mechanic/fixer, teacher, doctor, store owner, banker, engineer, scientist, builder, wrecker, singer, news anchor, astronomer, astronaut, programmer, environmentalist, beekeeper, carpenter, farmer, or forester. And then the book ends with telling the kids that even if they don't know what they want to be yet, that's okay; what they want to be might not have been invented yet. And it encourages kids to pick a job that they enjoy. 

There's not much that I feel the need to say about this book, but anytime that my kids don't fight me on actually reading for themselves, I count that as a win. On the Job gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read The Berenstain Bears: On the Job? What did you think? Let me know!

*It looks like this book might have been re-released under the title Jobs Around Town which seems to be part of the Living Lights series with Biblical inclusion.

Homeschool Friday - Jake Plays Ball

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Jake Plays Ball

By: Crystal Bowman

Publication: June 10, 2007 by Zonderkidz

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Early Reader, Level-2, Picture Books

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--Jake’s friend Jason comes over to play with Jake and wants to play baseball. After Jason hits the ball several times, Jake wants a turn to bat. Jake keeps striking out, so Jason gets frustrated and goes home. Jake is discouraged at his inability to play baseball. Mother assures Jake that with patience, practice, and God’s help, he will learn to hit the ball too. Grandma comes over for a visit and Jake asks her to play baseball with him. Grandma has the time, patience, and encouragement Jake needs to learn how to hit the ball.

Jake Plays Ball is a Zonderkidz Level 2 reader. A friend gave us this book, and my son read it at 7 years old and in the 2nd grade. To be honest, I was a little distracted while he was reading it to me because my younger son was acting up. But I didn't notice him having any trouble with the words. It is 32 pages, which is the average page count for most level-1 and level-2 readers in my experience.

As for the content, I loved the story behind Jake Plays Ball. Jake's friend Dan comes over and wants to play baseball. Dan is good at baseball and hits the ball over Jake's head each time. When Jake takes a turn, he doesn't do well and misses the ball every time. I loved that Jake's mom tells him that God made him good at other things, and she names a few of those things. Then she goes on to tell Jake that he can be good at baseball, too, if he practices. Jake asks his grandma to play with him. She helps him, and he's able to hit the ball. I love that God is incorporated. These younger level readers don't have to be stories that are all fluff just because they are at an easier level. The stories can still incorporate God and morals. Working hard, praying for help, understanding that we are all different and have different talents given to us by God. All of those are great lessons that I want my children to learn.

Jake Plays Ball gets 5 Stars from me. If you can have a leveled reader that can help my child with reading fluency as well as present good morals, lessons, and include God then that book is a winner in my opinion. I'd recommend this book to any child reading at level-2. Have you or your child read Jake Plays Ball? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Jake's Brave Night

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Jake's Brave Night

By: Crystal Bowman

Publication: June 10, 2007 by Zonderkidz

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Early Reader, Level-2, Picture Books

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--Jake is excited about having his own bedroom, but when it comes time to go to sleep, he is afraid of the dark and afraid of being alone. Jake tries to conquer his fears by turning on the bedroom light. When that doesn’t work, he takes his animals to bed with him. Then he tries crawling under his bed. When none of these methods work, he crawls back into bed and finally falls asleep. The next morning, when Jake tells his parents what happened, they get him a night light and remind him that God is with him all night long. The next night Jake has no trouble falling asleep.

Jake's Brave Night is a ZonderKidz Level-2 reader. Jake is used to sleeping in the room with his sister, but now that he's growing up, he has his own bed and bedroom. He does his bedtime routine which includes brushing his teeth, puting on his pajamas, his father reads him a Bible story, and his mother prays for him before bed. But Jake has trouble sleeping. First he's scared of the dark so he turns on the light. Then his stuffed animals have scary shadows so he turns the light back off. Then he feels lonely so he grabs his stuffed animals to sleep with but there's no room. He puts them back up, but tries to sleep under the bed instead. But now the floor is hard and cold. He finally goes to sleep, but he is so tired the next day. His parents talk to him about not being alone in his bed at night because God is always with him, and God never sleeps. The next night Jake is able to sleep peacefully.

It's funny that my son chose to read this when he did. He's going through a phase of waking up scared and lonely during the night for about a month now. I love that Jake's Brave Night incorporates God, prayer, and peace. This story could have easily been fluff. So many of our level-2 readers are just mindnumbingly boring stories. But having a story that encourages faith in God and His protection over us in this way is exactly what children need to be reading.

Jake's Brave Night gets 5 Stars. Have you or your child read Jake's Brave Night? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Facts About Frogs and Snakes

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Facts About Frogs and Snakes

By: Sue Stuever

Publication: January 1, 2020 by The Good and the Beautiful

62 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-2, Early Readers

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | The Good and the Beautiful )

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Goodreads description--I can read it all by myself! Young readers will be excited to learn about two of their favorite animals in this fun, fact-filled book. Close-up photographs of real frogs and snakes will fascinate young readers as they keep reading to learn about the behaviors, diets, habits, and more of these interesting animals. Facts About Frogs & Snakes is just right for children reading at Level 2. Five challenge words will help them stretch their skills.

The Good and the Beautiful ranks Facts About Frogs & Snakes as a Level-2A. Level 2 starts to get into some longer books, but 62 pages is still longer than a lot of the other level-2 books that we own. I think stretching the child to longer books is a good idea. So I like that this isn't a 30-page book like the level-1s and early level-2 books we own.

As the name suggests, this book is all about various facts concerning frogs and snakes. What they eat, their physical bodies, where they live, and more are facts that are presented in this book. If your child is reading, why not enjoy some books that will teach them some fun topics. Frogs and snakes both freak me out a little but learning more about how God created them takes a little of the fear out.

Facts About Frogs and Snakes is a great addition to your level-2 library or reading list. The information is factual. The photographs are beautiful--if you can stand looking at pictures of snakes and frogs. It's a win-win to work on reading fluency and learn about some of God's amazing creatures at the same time. Facts About Frogs and Snakes gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Facts About Frogs & Snakes? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - The Spooky Sound

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

The Spooky Sound (Disney/Pixar Cars)

By: Melissa Lagonegro

Illustrated By: Ron Cohee

Publication: July 13, 2010 by RH/Disney

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-2, Early Readers

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--CAfter Mater and Lightning McQueen hear a mysterious sound one night, they decide to investigate. But when they can't figure out where it's coming from, Radiator Springs suddenly becomes very spooky!

Disney•Pixar's Cars fans will love this all-new Step 2 reader featuring all of their favorite characters.

The Spooky Sound is one of our Level-2 readers. This one was given to us and not one that I bought. Lightning McQueen and Mater like telling scary stories. But they aren't scared. Yet they are. They see a variety of spooky shadows and shapes on their way home. But then each of these scary things is revealed to be something not scary at all. I liked the play on how often the things we get worked up and scared about, especially as a kid, all have unscary truths behind them. However, sometimes just telling scary stories can get us scared over nothing. The yo-yo of not scared, scared, not scared, scared was actually funny for my level-2 reader.

My son read this book with a little less reluctance than some other books. I don't think there were any words he struggled with. He wanted to see what each of the spooky things Lightning and Mater were afraid of actually were. The Spooky Sound gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read The Spooky Sound? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - The Great Toy Escape

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

The Great Toy Escape

By: Kitty Richards

Publication: May 4, 2010 by RH/Disney

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-2

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--Sunnyside Daycare appears to be a toy's dream come true. But when Buzz, Woody, and the rest of Andy's toys arrive, they discover that it's actually a toy's nightmare. Now they have to escape—and it's up to Woody to lead the way!

So lately my Homeschool Friday posts have been featuring books with high moral character and lessons to be learned. Those are all well and good. As matter of fact, I love those types of books, and I especially love when that content can be implemented into lower level readers. However, sometimes you just need to read a book for fun. My son needed a break from a level-2 chapter book we were reading, and he chose this one for his daily reading.

The Great Toy Escape isn't going to win any awards. It was good. It was fine. The story was similar to the movie, of course, he did point out where things were different. But he enjoyed that he already knew the basics of the story since he's seen the Disney movie. The words weren't challenging for him in that he didn't stumble on any of them, yet you can tell this is a step up from Level-1 readers.

The Great Toy Escape gets 3 Stars. There's nothing wrong with it. The story and difficulty level was what he needed at the time. Sometimes you just need a quick win under your belt, a fast read that you can enjoy for entertainment purposes only. Have you or your child read The Great Toy Escape? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Seth and Beth

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Seth and Beth

By: Jenny Phillips

Illustrated By: Alessia Ray

Publication: January 1, 2019 by The Good and the Beautiful

91 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Christian, Level-2

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | The Good and the Beautiful )

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Goodreads description--Seth and Beth are the best of friends. They love to spend time together, going on adventures in the woods. However, trouble seems to follow them everywhere they go. Become a part of their tales of fun and mishap as they find out that as long as they have each other and God, they can get through anything.

Seth and Beth is a Level-2 reader from The Good and the Beautiful. It is 91 pages long, broken into three "books" with three chapters each. Each book begins with a list of challenging words included in that book. I like this because you can go over the more difficult words with your child beforehand, and hopefully, they will recognize them as they come upon them in the story.

Seth and Beth are friends who live next door to each other. In the first book, they ride their bikes to the pond, but Beth gets hurt on the way home. Seth has to go home without her to bring help back. Seth prays to God for help. Book 2 is about Seth's family's bake shop catching on fire. Seth and Beth devise a plan to pick and sell apples from Beth's apple tree to help pay for the repairs to the bakery. In the last book, Seth and Beth build a raft. They come back the next day to find a boy has commandeered their raft. They decide to behave like Jesus and treat the boy with kindness. All three kids end up as friends and play with the raft together.

This is exactly what I love about books from The Good and the Beautiful. All of these stories carry wonderful messages and morals. The first focuses on relying on God for help. The second shows that we can all step in to help out in times of trouble. And the third shows that by treating others with kindness, we can all win. Early level readers don't have to be pointless just because they use smaller, easier-to-read words. They can still have a moral and a message.

Seth and Beth gets 5 Stars from me for the messages and morals included in each story. My son read this without arguining or freaking out. And I love how these readers are slowly introducing my son to chapters and longer books so he can see that it's possible for him to read longer books. Have you or your child read Seth and Beth? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Curious George: Dog Show

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Curious George the Dog Show

By: HA Rey

Publication: January 22, 2006 by Clarion Books

24 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-1

Source: Personal Library

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*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Description--In this early reader based on the Curious George TV, show George learns about counting and grouping at a dog show.

Curious George discovers surprises (and mischief) at his first dog show--and even brings the contestants home with him! When George becomes curious about how many dogs are in his apartment, he devises a clever way to find out. This simple story is perfect for children who are learning to sound out words and use visual clues to read stories. The animated series Curious George is available to watch on Peacock, NBC Universal’s streaming platform.

We're going through our collection of Step-1 or Level-1 readers with my now 7-year-old. He could probably advance to level-2 at this point, but I want to finish up the Level-1/Step-1 books that we have. He picked Curious George: The Dog Show out of our stack.

Curious George: The Dog Show is about George visiting a dog show for the first time. He watches the dogs stand around, but he expected them to do tricks. He loved visiting with the dogs after the show so much that he decided to take them home with him. Once home, he realized having all the dogs together was a little much and he decided to separate them. He separates them by big, small, and hairy. Then he counts each one. Ultimately the Man With the Yellow Hat and the dog owners show up.

Curious George: The Dog Show gets 4 Stars. It follows typical Curious George, getting into mischief and misunderstandings, but I liked how this book also had categorizing and adding included. These are both concepts that need to be developed by the same time or before being able to read Step-1 readers. Have you or your child read Curious George: The Dog Show? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Calling All Cars & Tell Time with Thomas

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Calling All Cars!

By: Sonia Sander

Publication: February 28, 2017 by Scholastic Inc.

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Level-1, Early Reader

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Description--Explore the world of LEGO City!

Sound the alarm! The bank is being robbed! Will the police solve the crime or will the bank robbers get away?

We're going through our collection of Step-1 or Level-1 readers with my now 7-year-old. He could probably advance to level-2 at this point, but I want to finish up the Level-1/Step-1 books that we have. He picked up Lego City: Calling All Cars. He played a Lego City game on the Switch so this book was right up his alley.

Lego City: Calling All Cars starts out with a bank robbery. The police are called and must solve the crime. Ultimately, they find the crooks but they still have to stop them. The good guys win in the end.

Lego City: Calling All Cars gets 3 Stars. It's fine. It's good. I liked the action aspect which is appealing to young boys. And Lego City being the setting when my son plays a Lego City game helps him to be interested in reading the book. Have you or your child read Lego City: Calling All Cars? What did you think? Let me know!

Tell the Time with Thomas

By: Christopher Awdry

Publication: July 25, 2006 by Random House Books for Young Readers

24 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Book, Learning

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads )

Description--The day passes quickly as Thomas, James, and all of the Really Useful Engines keep right on schedule. This book includes a large clock with movable hands. It is the perfect way to help all of Thomas’ friends stay right on time!

My son surprised me when he pulled out Tell the Time with Thomas for his book of the day. I haven't been able to find an AR level or reading level for this book, but my 7-year-old was able to read this with a little help from me on a couple of words. We've also been working on the clock in his math so being able to find the clock while reading is an added fun activity that helps the child relate the clock to real-life activities. Only hours were used in this book, but it does address the quarters of the clock at the beginning and ending if you want to go over those with your child as well.

I can't say that my son has been particularly into Thomas the Train at any point, but he has pulled different Thomas books the last two times he chose a book to read. And I like he enjoyed learning the names of the different engines and cars.

Tell the Time with Thomas is a fun activity book that can be used for your child's reading once they start. My son is still reading level-1 books, but he's starting to advance towards level-2. We both recommend Tell the Time with Thomas and give it 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Tell the Time with Thomas? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Bears

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Bears

By: Dona Herweck Rice

Publication: December 2, 2024 by Shell Education Pub

20 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-1 Readers, Step-1 Readers, My First Reader

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

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Amazon Description--You can tell a bear by what it has. You can tell a bear by what it does, too! Bears teaches young learners all about these majestic, furry creatures.

With full-page photographs and simple text, this engaging nonfiction book is sure to capture readers’ attention and spark their curiosity about the animal kingdom.

Bears is a Step-1/Level-1, early reader book. Each page opening has one sentence, each of very simple words. The sentences focus on the attributes of bears, including their eyes, claws, teeth, tails, and more. Each page has a zoomed-out picture and a zoomed-in picture of the topic of that page. Various bear types are used, from the commonly known polar, brown, and panda, but also some of the less commonly known bears, such as the sloth, are included.

If your child has any interest in bears, then this is the early reader book for them. I love finding books that fit my children's interests and reading level. It makes getting them to read easier and is more enjoyable for everyone.

Bears is a 4-Star Level-1 reader. There shouldn't be any words that your early reader would stumble over. There are repeated words as each sentence takes on the same pattern: A bear has... Have you or your child read Bears? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Let's Go for a Drive

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Let's Go for a Drive (Elephant & Piggie, # 18)

By: Mo Willems

Publication: October 2, 2012 by Hyperion Books for Children

64 pages

Genre: Children's, Level 1, Humor,

Source: Own/Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Description--Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In Let's Go for a Drive Gerald and Piggie want to hit the road. But the best-laid plans of pigs and elephants often go awry.

Let's Go for a Drive is the fourth Elephant and Piggie story included in Biggie 1 even though Goodreads lists it as # 18 in the series. Elephant and Piggie books are books that my seven-year-old wants to read. They are lengthy books (64 pages) for this reading level. I love this. Most pages only have a sentence or two at most, so my son doesn't feel overwhelmed and can read through the books quickly. These are all AR Level 1 (a couple of them are 0.5 and 0.6) so the words aren't complex or difficult.

Gerald gets the great idea to go on a drive and asks Piggie to go also. The realize they need a plan and a map. Then they need sunglasses. Piggie is great at getting the things they will need for their drive. Planning ahead means they may need umbrellas. The realize they have a lot to take with them, so they need bags to carry their stuff. Ultimately, they realize they don't have a car.

The illustrations for Let's Go for a Drive make the series and bring the words to life. Any book that can get my son to enjoy any part of the reading process is a win for me. Let's Go for a Drive gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Let's Go for a Drive? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Watch Me Throw the Ball

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Watch Me Throw the Ball (Elephant & Piggie, # 8)

By: Mo Willems

Publication:March 17, 2009 by Hyperion Books for Children

64 pages

Genre: Children's, Level 1, Humor,

Source: Own/Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Description--Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In Watch Me Throw the Ball! , Gerald is determined to teach Piggie that ball-throwing is serious business... but Piggie is just as determined to have serious fun.

Watch Me Throw the Ball is the second Elephant and Piggie story included in Biggie 1 even though Goodreads lists it as # 8 in the series. Elephant and Piggie books are books that my seven-year-old wants to read. They are lengthy books (64 pages) for this reading level. I love this. Most pages only have a sentence or two at most, so my son doesn't feel overwhelmed and can read through the books quickly. These are all AR Level 1 (a couple of them are 0.5 and 0.6) so the words aren't complex or difficult.

Piggie stumbles upon a ball. He's excited and Gerald tells him that Piggie found his ball. Gerald asks if Piggie knows the secret to throwing, and Pigge declares to have fun. Gerald is incensed. Gerald being matter-of-fact as he is tries to tell Piggie that it is hard work. Piggie's throw is terrible but Piggie is ever the optimistic and sees things his own way. Gerald tries to point out that Piggie didn't throw the ball very far at all, but Piggie doesn't mind because he had fun. Gerald gives the fun thing a try. In essence, a nice moral to the story to boot.

The illustrations for Watch Me Throw the Ball make the series and bring the words to life. Any book that can get my son to enjoy any part of the reading process is a win for me. Watch Me Throw the Ball gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Watch Me Throw the Ball? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Brent's Bot

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Brent's Bot

By: Tessa Greene

Publication: November 1, 2021 by The Good and the Beautiful

61 pages

Genre: Children's, Level 1, Early Reader

Source: Own

( Goodreads )

Description--What would you do if you were stuck inside on a rainy day? If you were Brent, you would make a robot pal! Join Brent and Bot as they learn how to play, take turns, and have fun.

Brent's Bot is published by The Good and the Beautiful which is the company we get a lot of our homeschool curriculum from. This book isn't a part of their curriculum, but I did purchase it as an extra reader for my kids. It is 61 pages long which is about twice the length of level-1 or step-1 reader from companies like Scholastic, Penguin, Random House, etc. The Good and the Beautiful lists Brent's Bot as a Level 1B reader for readers halfway through the level-1 language arts curriculum.

I like that this book is longer than an average level-1 reader. My son needs to get used to reading longer books. Although, I did let him break this book into 2 sessions/days. It has a list of "challenging words" at the beginning so you can go over these words with your child before coming upon them in the story. This helps the child to be somewhat familiar with them and hopefully won't have to break the flow of the story to stumble over a difficult word. These words weren't ones that my son struggled with though.

The story is basically that Brent is sad because it's raining outside and he has no one to play with. A lot of the activities he'd like to do require a second player. His mom acknowledges his sadness and asks him if there's something they can think of to do in order to have fun. Brent comes up with the idea of making his own robot. Brent worked on building his robot for three days. Eventually, Brent shows his mom his creation and takes the robot to play all of the activities that Brent couldn't do alone.

I love that there are multiple lessons we can learn from this short story. We can learn empathy with how Brent's mom handles his sadness. We can learn to use our imagination and create something new out of something old (recycling). We can see that hard work is necessary to achieve Brent's goal. And then we can see the satisfaction of hard work paying off. We can also learn about problem-solving. Brent could have whined about not being able to do all the fun things he wanted to do, but he chose to solve his problem instead.

If you can get all that (and probably more) from a 61-page level 1B reader.... Man! That sounds like a 5 Star book to me. Not to mention that my son actually enjoyed reading this book. He really liked studying the pictures and seeing how the robot was made. Have you read Brent's Bot? What did you think? Let me know!

P. S. You don't have to buy homeschool curriculum from The Good and the Beautiful in order to shop their bookstore. I have been pleased with all of our purchases so far. Check out their website if you're looking for stories with a moral for young readers.

Homeschool Friday - I See Love

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

I See Love

By: David Wiseman

Publication: January 1, 2022 by The Good and the Beautiful Library

57 pages

Genre: Children's Literature, Early Readers, Level 1 Readers

( Goodreads )

Goodreads description--From the highest mountain range to the tiniest ant, the wonders of God’s creations surround us. As you look up and down, you will see beauty and love all around.

Most of the Level-1 readers we have are from publishers like Random House and Scholastics. But we use a homeschool curriculum company called The Good and the Beautiful for a lot of our curriculum. The Good and the Beautiful has its own books written by several authors. Jenny Phillips, the company's creator, writes many of the books herself. And the company emphasizes good and beautiful literature that has strong moral values. I cannot appreciate this more. Most of the "normal" level-1 reader books are about 32 pages long with one or two short sentences per page or opening. I See Love is a good bit longer with 57 pages and usually, one or two sentences per opening. I will say that this book is not currently listed on the site's bookshop. I don't know if they discontinued it or if it is just out of stock. But they have other books to check out as well.

I See Love begins with a challenging words page that includes 4 words used in the book that might be a little beyond the child's reading level, but I like that this is included at the beginning of the book so that you can go over these words with your child before they come to them in the book. This way maybe they will already recognize the words and be able to read them from memory already. Or if they get to one of these words while reading and can't sound it out phonetically or remember it, they will at least not be surprised and feel discouraged for not being able to read a challenging word.

I See Love encourages the reader to see the beauty in the world all around them. There's beauty up high and down low. The book does rhyme, and it also has repetitive words and phrases to build vocabulary and mastery. But most of all, it is filled with wonderful messages about the world around us, beauty, and love. You can take level-1 readers and make them more than just recognizing words. There can be a moral and something to learn even from the very short and very "easy" words. 

I See Love is a 5-Star level-1 book for sure. (The Good and the Beautiful technically rates this book as a level 1B.) I love the repetitive words and phrases, but most of all, I love the morals and messages included in this book. We need more companies that focus on the messages we're sending to young kids. I also like that this is longer than a typical level-1 reader so that my son can get accustomed to reading longer books even though there aren't as many words on one page. Have you or your child read I See Love? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Look for the Lorax

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Look for the Lorax

By: Tish Rabe

Publication: January 10, 2012 by Random House Books for Young Readers

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Level-1 Readers, Early Reading, Step Into Reading

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--Look out for the Lorax! Dr. Seuss's lovable grump makes his Step into Reading debut in this wonderland adventure through hills of green where the Truffula trees sway. Through easy words and simple sentences, the youngest readers will discover the Lorax's paradise, from singing Swomee-Swans to playful Bar-ba-loots.

We're going through our collection of Step-1 or Level-1 readers with my now 7-year-old. He could probably advance to level-2 at this point, but I want to finish up the Level-1/Step-1 books that we have. He picked Look for the LORAX thinking there would be a hide-and-seek element to the book. There's not. Don't be confused. The Lorax isn't hiding at all. The "story" mentions some things that the Lorax sees.

Look for the LORAX is written in a style reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, meaning there is a rhyming scheme. I like that it repeats phonetic principles so that the child can see how changing just a few letters here or there makes a similar but different word. And I like that the Step-1 readers we have are a mix of repetitive words and phrases as well as repetitive phonics principles.

Look for the LORAX gets 3 Stars. It's fine. It's good. The title is a little confusing. And there's nothing wrong with it. But I wasn't overly impressed with anything. Have you or your child read Look for the LORAX? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Go Away Spot

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Go Away, Spot

By: Scott Foresman

Publication: September 15, 2003 by Penguin Young Readers

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Level-2 Readers, Early Reading

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--Millions of Americans remember Dick and Jane (and Sally and Spot, too!). Now Dick and Jane and all their pals are back with revised editions of these classic readers for a whole new generation of readers to enjoy!

Go Away Spot

Dick said, "Down, Spot. I cannot play. Down, Spot, down. Go away, little Spot. Go away and play."

I've mentioned before that many Step-1 or Level-1 readers are published by Scholastic or Random House. Although, Penguin obviously publishes early readers also. They typically consist of 32 pages with one or two short sentences per page or opening. Go Away, Spot is a Read with Dick and Jane book originally published in 1951. And well, things have changed a good bit since then. This book is 32 pages, but each page is filled with multiple sentences--sometimes up to 7 sentences per page. While this isn't an abundance, my now 7-year-old gets quickly overwhelmed when he sees paragraphs or what is to him many words on one page. He intended to read this book in parts, like half now and half another day. But I kind of tricked him into reading the entire thing in one sitting--which he is completely capable of.

Go Away, Spot is a deceiving title. Only half of the book involves Spot at all. This book is full of repetitive words and phrases. The stories don't rhyme necessarily, but they do promote mastery. You can tell by the words used in the book as well as the illustrations that this was written many years ago. But I don't think newer is always better. If this is the level-1 readers of 1951, our 32 pages with 2 sentences a page seems a little piddly.

Go Away, Spot gets 4 Stars. I liked that many of the same words and phrases were used throughout the book to promote mastery. And I also liked that this book was a bit more of a challenge to my son who gets easily overwhelmed. It wasn't the words themselves that were challenging, but simply seeing so many words on one page was the challenge. Have you or your child read Go Away, Spot? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Go, Go, Go

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Go, Go, Go

By: Marjorie Blain Parker

Publication: September 1, 2004 by Spotlight

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Level-1 Readers, Early Reading

Source: Personal Library

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*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A collection of reissued stories with simple vocabulary featuring Dick, Jane, and other familiar characters.

I've mentioned before that many of the Step-1 or Level-1 readers we have are published by Scholastic or Random House. They typically consist of 32 pages with one or two short sentences per page or opening. Go, Go, Go is a Read with Dick and Jane book originally published in 1956s. And well, things have changed a good bit since then. This book is 32 pages, but each page is filled with multiple sentences--sometimes up to 7 sentences per page. And while this isn't an abundance, my now 7-year-old gets quickly overwhelmed when he sees paragraphs or what is to him many words on one page. He intended to read this book in parts, like half now and half another day. But I kind of tricked him into reading the entire thing in one sitting--which he is completely capable of.

Go, Go, Go is filled with repetitive words and phrases. The stories don't rhyme necessarily, but they do promote mastery. You can tell by the words used in the book as well as the illustrations that this was written many years ago. But I don't think newer is always better. If this is the level-1 readers of 1956, our 32 pages with 2 sentences a page seems a little piddly.

Go, Go, Go gets 4 Stars. I liked that many of the same words and phrases were used throughout the book to promote mastery. And I also liked that this book was a bit more of a challenge to my son who gets easily overwhelmed. It wasn't the words themselves that were challenging, but simply seeing so many words on one page was the challenge. Have you or your child read Go, Go, Go? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Ice Cream Everywhere!

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Ice Cream Everywhere!

By: Marjorie Blain Parker

Publication: January 1, 2002 by Scholastic

? pages

Genre: Children's, Level-1 Readers, Early Reading

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--Rhyming text describes different ways of eating ice cream and how to clean up afterwards.

This is a Rhyme Time Readers book from Scholastic. And as that category suggests, Ice Cream Everywhere! is a rhyming book about ice cream. It follows an ABAB rhyming sequence. Ice cream is always fun (unless you're allergic) so my son picked this one up without hesitation. Because it is a rhyming book, it focuses on repetitive words and phonetic principles. Good luck reading it without wanting ice cream when you're finished.

Ice Cream Everwhere! is basically a poem about ice cream presented in book style. I bet your child will be able to recognize ice cream out in the wild after finishing this book. I give Ice Cream Everywhere! 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Ice Cream Everywhere!? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words (Step Into Reading, Level 1)

By: Kathryn Heling & Deborah Hembrook

Publication: May 27, 2003 by Random House Books for Young Readers

32 pages

Genre: Children's, My First Reader, Early Reading, Level 1 Readers

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--Mouse makes word play fun!Readers will delight in finding small word hidden within bigger words; for example, when Mouse trips, his pants rip! Silly Mouse! A Step 1 book.

Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words is a fun rhyming book. Anytime you can add in a little game to the reading process, it helps liven the spirits of my reluctant readers. However, I do wish the words were a little more actually hidden on the page so my son could actually search for them. They were way too obvious to be considered real hide-and-seek, and I think that bummed him out alittle. In the beginning, he read the sentences and then re-read the words that were "hidden." But by the end of Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words he'd given up on re-reading the "hidden" words. He thought a couple of the illustrations and sentences were funny. Even though most pages only included one short sentence, it still felt like it took us forever to get through this book. That isn't a reflection of the book or my son's reading level. It's a reflection of him being easily distracted.

Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words uses rhyming words to build phonetic fluency and mastery. The concept of hide-and-seek made my son more excited to read as he loves to conquer a game. However, the game was entirely too easy as the words aren't actually hidden at all. Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Say Cheese!

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Say Cheese!

By: Nancy Smiler Levinson

Publication: March 17, 2000 by Random House Books for Young Readers

32 pages

Genre: Children's, My First Reader, Early Reading, Level 1 Readers

Source: Personal Library

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*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A monkey keeps trying to take a photograph of a giraffe couple, but the other animals insist on pushing their way into the picture.

Me Too, Woody! is one that my son picked out from our stack of level-1 readers. In some ways the phonics principles in this book had a few that we haven't covered yet, like "ies." On the other hand, the sentences were really short in this book. I believe 2- word or 3-word sentences. My son, of course, liked that this was a shorter book. He didn't even stumble on any of the words I was worried about. Me Too, Woody! had some sneaky-E practice which my son needed.

Me Too, Woody! has repetitive words which helps build fluency, but I'm not sure if it is sinking in long term or if my son just noted them at the moment as being the same word. This book isn't a rhyming book which I can take or leave. I love being able to use characters he's familiar with in level-1 readers like this to reinforce that learning and reading can be fun. Me Too, Woody! gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Me Too, Woody!? What did you think? Let me know!