Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are a lot of so-called "early reader" books out there that are completely inappropriate for actual early readers: They are loaded with too many words that are not easily decodable. The Step Into Reading books with Disney characters on the front are a perfect example. The Bob Books are really written for the early reader. This series introduces three new sight words per book, and the words are repeated throughout the story. The remaining words are mostly consonant-vowel-consonant, CCVC or CVCC words that follow basic decoding rules. There are a few words here and there that are a little trickier but are easily inferred from context and pictures. The stories are short, there is not too much print on the pages, and stories are clever and engaging. The flash cards are a nice addition. These Bob books, along with Meet the Sight Words, the Biscuit Phonics Box Set and Nora Gaydos's Now I'm Reading, Playful Pals Level 1 are the best books to give to the child who has learned a few sight words and can decode CVC words and is ready to apply those skills to books.