Choosing Just Right Books

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 4, 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 (4 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.