Kid Lit Mondays: Early Reader Series

If any primary teacher comes into my library looking for a good series book for their readers I point them to Cynthia Rylant. She has written quite a few excellent series for young readers. They are good for the higher kindergarten reader, for the strong first grade reader and for the weaker second and third grade readers. My favorite is Henry & Mudge, a good friend of mine prefers Mr. Putter and Tabby, but I also love the Mark Teague illustrations in the Poppleton books. You just cannot go wrong with any of these books for a young reader.

Henry & Mudge is a series about a boy and his dog Mudge. It brings to mind any number of books that celebrates the relationship between a boy and a dog and the friendship that grows there. The off-shoot set from Henry & Mudge is the Annie & Snowball books about Henry's cousin Annie and her kitty Snowball.

Mr. Putter & Tabby is about an older man and the simple adventures he has with his cat Tabby. I recently read the first one to a group of first graders and they loved it. The illusrations are fantastic and they are just sweet stories. A much nicer pace for some kids.

Poppleton is about a pig and his friends. I love Mark Teague illustrations so I always smile when I open up a Poppleton book.

Cynthis Rylant has also written a series of stand alone books, my favorite being The Relatives Came. I re-read this every summer before we have relatives visit so that I can remember to cherish their visit rather than dread it. She also wrote the Newbery Award winning chapter book Missing May.

Anyway, I just feel that matter how jaded the kid may be, they can still find something to like in one of these series of books!