Product Review: Scholastic Reader Level 1: BOB Books (1st Grade +)

Product Review: Scholastic Reader Level 1: BOB Books (1st Grade +)

More than three million happy kids say, “I read the whole book!”

Can you come full circle with a blog’s mission in less than 3 months? I consciously started my public blog, Momma’s Bacon, with the Bob Beginning Reader Book Set as a 2012 New Year’s resolution to embark on a one-year-long adventure to champion empowering and educational products for kids. I wanted to share positive products I would spend hours of research to find for Brooke with others outside my circle who may be looking for similar products, without having to do all the research themselves. It is no coincidence I chose the Bob Books for their literacy empowerment quality as first reader books for kids and contacted Lynn Maslen Kertell directly to tell her I wanted to do a review of the Bob set for a new blog. {Side note: It is a funny coincidence that BOB is also my daughter’s initials, which I thought made that first review that much more special} No one was more surprised than I when Lynn was excited to help a ‘nobody’ (my words) new blogger with NO public reviews under her belt who categorizes herself as a hopeless bookworm. Fast forward to last month when I was contacted to review the first two books of the new Bob Early Reader Books through Scholastic, The New Puppy and Cupcake Surprise! I immediately jumped up and down and said, “Yes, yes and definitely yes”! I was very touched that this time I was getting the outreach for a Bob Book review instead of the opposite just a few short months ago. It is funny how these things happen in life, but I am not one to question this good fortune.

The New Scholastic Reader Level 1: BOB Books set is a six set series featuring an updated and more advanced version of the classic Bob Books. I was fortunate to be able to review the first two books of the new series and the other four books are scheduled for release later in 2012. This series is Level 1 (1st Grade; 50-250 words) stories with 32 pages filled with complete yet short sentences, easy to sound out words and no unusual spellings. The simple and colorful illustrations are classic Bob Books with an updated twist. The New Puppy is the first book of the series about siblings Jack and Anna. The book focuses on the work it takes to own a puppy through lessons learned by the pair. Cupcake Surprise! is the second book with Jack and Anna making a surprise batch of cupcakes for their dad. The real surprise ends up being ingredients accidentally added to their recipe and a questionable batch of cupcakes. The last two pages of each book have a set of flashcards included with them. The flashcards have a sentence and image from the book on one side and a highlighted word from the sentence on the other side. Those familiar with the original BOB Books will be thrilled with these updated readers and those new to the series will be pleased to see another great set of books that a child age 6 and above can read all by themselves. Great job, Lynn!

I have a wonderful surprise for my blog readers because author and daughter of the original Bob Books, Lynn Maslen Kertell, was kind enough to answer a few questions for my Momma’s Bacon readers.

For my readers who are not familiar with the Bob Books, what makes this product different from other early literacy programs?

Bob Books are unique because they address a very special moment in a child’s life. When your child knows letters and a few words, but has not read a book, he (or she) is filled with hope and optimism. It is the beginning of a wonderful adventure! Yet, there could be bumps along the way. Can they do it? Bob Books were specially written to ease a child gently into reading his first simple, manageable, real book. The stories are short, the words can be sounded out. There are no tricky spellings. Everything about Bob Books is designed to make a young reader successful right from the start.

Our tag line, which was coined by one of our readers, is, “I read the whole book!”® The pride a child feels upon reading that first book is amazing. That is the magic of Bob Books.

I love the focus of family in the new series with the main sibling characters, Jack and Anna. Could you tell me what inspired you to add these two siblings into the BOB cast of characters?

Kids get attached to the characters they read about – they become friends. The reader participates in adventures with them. I wanted Jack and Anna to feel like neighbors or playmates. Your child could have the adventures Jack and Anna have; the settings could be your street, your school, your back yard. So when youngsters read about Jack and Anna, they feel like it could happen to them.

Bob Books also have a strong message of optimism, caring, strength and responsibility. Jack and Anna might not always like the same things, but they are kind and help each other. Mom and Dad are loving protectors. Even when there’s drama, Bob Books always have a happy, satisfying ending.

BOB is a family business and I read that your daughter learned how to read through the Bob books. Could you tell me a little about your dedication to continuing your parents’ legacy in helping children learn and love to read?

It took having a daughter of my own to understand how great Bob Books are. When I was growing up, I thought of them as “Mom’s Project.” Now that I have watched my own daughter, and many other children, learn to read with Bob Books, I get it. They are fantastic.

Bob Books present beginning reading in a way that makes it uniquely easy for children to grasp. I have gotten emails from parents of many, many children learning to read, as well as parents of autistic kids, struggling readers, even a challenged 13-year-old, who learned to read with Bob Books. They were all so excited. I never get tired of hearing these success stories. (We have published several on our Reviews page http://www.bobbooks.com/reviews.php.)

I love hearing kids say, with pride in their eyes, “I read the whole book!”® It’s great!