This is the second installment of Sheila Welch’s books. She’s written and illustrated 15 books for children of all ages. This time she provides us with some tips on how to find the right books for our older readers (grade 4 and 5) and introduces a couple of her own books for that age-range.
We’re also really pleased to announce that Sheila will be writing for us more regularly – providing book reviews and recommendations for our K5 readers. Welcome aboard Sheila, we’re really glad to have you join us.
By Sheila Kelly Welch
Reading Enrichment Through Leisure Reading
Structured school and after school programs are of obvious worth, but leisure reading can provide the extra practice that children need to become competent and confident readers.
By the time students are in 4th and 5th grade, they’ve begun to form definite reading tastes. For example, when my daughter was that age, she decided never again to open a book in which a dog character died.
Making Informed Suggestions
So, if you want to make book suggestions for a child of this age, keep in mind three simple questions.
- Is the content age appropriate?
- Will it interest my child?
- Is the text at a comfortable reading level for my child?
But there are so many books! How can you make informed suggestions?
- Learn about your child’s interests.
- Read children’s books yourself.
- Ask teachers, librarians, and bookstore personnel for recommendations.
- Check out review publications and blogs on the Internet.
- Become acquainted with authors and illustrators.
Meeting the Author
Actually meeting an author or illustrator can ignite a child’s interest in reading and writing. When I was six years old, my big sister was a fan of Walter Farley, author of the famous Black Stallion series, and he invited us to meet him at his home – a visit that I still remember vividly. Today’s technology provides numerous paths for connections, allowing readers to virtually meet authors and illustrators through blogs, websites, e-mail and Skype.
You already “met” me through my previous post, and now I’ll introduce you to a couple of my books for 4th and 5th graders. Both books are appropriate for independent readers and for reading aloud to listeners of almost any school age.
Two Book Suggestions
A Horse for All Seasons is my most popular book for middle-grade readers. Published by Boyds Mills Press (a division of Highlights), it contains twelve stories, one for each month of the year. Boy and girl characters – along with their equine friends – are faced with realistic but challenging situations.
Land of Another Sun is a fantasy novel that I wrote when my children were young. A boy who loves to read, a gum-chewing girl, and a cat with an attitude go on an amazing, out-of- this world adventure. Children who aren’t quite ready to read the Harry Potter series will find this imaginative tale a lot of fun.
I’ll Be back
Starting in mid-December, I’ll be posting every two months to talk about books that are great leisure reading for K5 kids. “See” you then!
If you are an author and would like to write about your books for children - be they fiction or non-fiction - on the K5 Learning Blog, please contact asa (at) k5learning (dot) com.
