How to Choose a Just Right Book

We've been talking about choosing "just right" books when we are shopping for books to read in the classroom and at the library.  Just right books are:

not too easy and not too hard

looks interesting

I can understand it

use the 5 finger rule (if I find 5 or more words on a page I don't know it is too hard)

Here are some visuals we used to help us.

(too small shirt)

This book is too easy.

I know all the words

and can read it very easily.

I may have read it

LOTS of times already.

I won't challenge myself

as a reader much with

this book.

(fits just right shirt)

This book is "just right"!

I know most of the words.

I may stumble on a few as

I read but I understand

what the book is about.

I am interested in this book!

(too big shirt)

This book is too hard.

I might be interested

in it, but it is too big and has

several words I do not

know (5 or more on a page)

I am not sure I

understood what the

author was telling me

when I got to the bottom

of a page.