Finding great book series that form a bridge between picture books and chapter books can be surprisingly hard.
Admittedly, creating these bridge books is a tall order! The books must contain plenty of white space; few and carefully crafted words on the page; a believable plot; relatable characters; great illustrations…and all this while matching the advancing cognitive needs of a child who is still at a very basic level of reading.
It’s not surprising that there are few, really good books in this genre. And, finding good bridge books is make-or-break. Kids work hard to master basic reading skills, and when the next leap seems too far or the available books are too boring, some early readers lose interest. Advancing becomes an unpleasant tussle.
For my boys, The Bob Books were critical bridge books at the very basic level. These books helped them transition between the phonemes they had mastered in school, to basic stories told through very simple words on a page and tiny chapters in a book. The Bob Books built each of my boys’ confidence as readers at a crucial time in the reading journey.
But finding the next set of bridge books was hard. It’s a long way between The Bob Books and The Magic Tree House series, for instance. We managed (relying heavily on Henry and Mudge) but I wish we’d had other options like Boris too.
Created by Australian author and illustrator Andrew Joyner, the Boris series revolves around a lovable kid who also happens to be a hog. Boris lives in a trailer home with his parents, and is restless for grand adventure. His attempts to pep-up a humdrum existence in Hog Bay often get him into scrapes. Joyner’s illustrations are simple but full of color, fun, and movement. Each story is amusing, combines text with comic-book speech bubbles, and ends with an idea for a related hands-on activity. If you’re stuck for a good bridge to independent reading, check whether Boris forms a logical next-step for your child.
There are just 4 books published in the U.S. (6 in other parts of the world). We need more Boris, Mr. Joyner!
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