"It is a map." Let me tell you, that humble sentence is an exciting one. It's exciting because my son read it all by himself! As a confirmed book addict, I have been waiting, waiting for the day my kids can read because I know how empowering it is to lose yourself in a story. And, thanks to the First Reading Library, that day is on the horizon!

The Usborne My First Reading Library is a collection of 50 - yes, 50! - leveled books that will lay the foundation for literacy with your kids. The first 22 books are leveled very intentionally. They start with "dual reader" books with some text on the page for you to read and a very simple phrase or sentence for your young reader to practice. From there, you progress over 15 levels to books your kids can practice reading independently, still with simple sentence structure and vocabulary.

"Who's going to get ready for bed first tonight?"
"Micah!" (says Josh)

If you have kids, I'm sure you've seen this kind of exchange many times over. That classic volunteer-anybody-but-me tactic. Well, Take Ted Instead, a Kane Miller book written by Cassandra Webb and illustrated by Amanda Francey, addresses this sometimes frustrating tactic in a sweet, funny way that reminds you why, ultimately, you do still love your kids. ;)

The premise of this story is quite simple: it's bedtime, and a little boy is resisting, despite his mother's repeated statement, "it's time for bed, sleepyhead." Each time his mom says this line, the boy gives an excuse - "No, no, take Red instead." "No no, take Seb instead." "No, no, take Zed instead." And each time the boy's mom says her line, she finds this little boy somewhere new - inside a cupboard, under the dining room table, behind the curtains.

Eventually, the little boy tells his mom to take Ted, his giant teddy bear, instead. And here, the rhythm of the story breaks: "But Ted will be lonely, in a bed all on his own," says mom. This makes the little boy ponder until he finally dashes after his mom and Ted. 

This book is pretty great not only because it pokes fun at the daily struggles of getting a kid to bed, but because it works on so many levels... there's potential for engaging reader's theater as you mix up the intonations of both mom and kid repeating the same lines, there's clever non-verbal humor as you see the little boy (or just his hands or feet) poking out from his various hiding places, and there is strong reading development built in with the repetition of lines and rhyming words for everything the little boy suggests his mom "take instead". You'll love it, your kids will love it... and you might just get them to bed!

It's that book that pokes fun at the toddler quirks that seem so hard in the moment but are just one more reason you love that kid.

Book benefits:

• It's a timeless situation any parent (and kid!) can relate to
• The illustrations are sweet and detailed - great for making observations, counting, identifying common objects
• Illustrations offer non-verbal humor that adds a fun layer to the written story
• Repetitive phrasing and rhyming words make this book perfect for your beginning readers

​Buy Take Ted Instead here! (hardcover, $11.99)

Book benefits:

• Small paperback books are easy for small hands to hold
• Stories and illustrations are playful and creative - they doesn't feel like school work :) 
• Each of the 20 books in the boxed set has a different topic, engaging readers with varying interests
• Each book in the series focuses on a few different phonemes (sounds of letters)
• The books include a page at the back with tips for helping read intentionally with your child

The six books illustrated by Stephen Cartwright in the set also include fold-out flaps on some pages, adding an extra dimension of interest:

Books in the Phonics Readers series can be purchased individually or as the boxed set:

• Check out the individual books (paperback, $6.99 each)
• Buy the complete set of 20 books here and save 50%! (paperback books in heavy-duty cardboard case, $69.99)

And did you know? Usborne actually has a whole collection of resources available to help young kids start to read:

• There's a whole website devoted to their reading program, including resources for parents and teachers: Very First Reading
• Teach Your Monster to Read, a free program with games designed to help kids at different levels of the reading process (free to play on the computer, but also available as an app for phone and tablets)
• Phonics books like the boxed collection described in this post
• The "my first reading" library that includes 50 books from Usborne's early reading program
• A "very first reading" set that includes 15 books for young readers
• A smaller "starting to read" pack that includes eight Very First Reading books, activity book with stickers, and a poster
• On the Usborne website, you can also sort books based on reading level - beginning reader, Accelerated Reader, and Lexile