“BOB Books” by Bobby Lynn Maslen & John R. Maslen
Sept 10-Oct 5
MotherTalk is thrilled to be touring our first project for Scholastic Books. BOB Books was developed as a step-by-step program to guide children gently through the early stages of reading. Each level addresses a single stage in a child’s reading development. This carcefully crafted, simple, and progressive approach to learning assures children success and confidence from their very earliest reading experience. Two million kids can’t be wrong!
Check back over the next four weeks to hear about the hands-on experiences of nearly 70 bloggers as they use BOB Books to help little ones discover the joy of reading!
Sept 10: Danigirl kicks off our tour with a confession: She didn’t read a single book. But her five-year-old son did! She says “The look in his eyes as he realized he was actually reading was truly a great moment in my parenting career.” Half-Changed World says “For a kid who is right on the verge of decoding, and who would enjoy the triumph of being able to read a whole book ‘all by myself,’ these books might be a real hit.” And Needs New Batteries says “These would be very fun, lighthearted books to tackle with a Kindergarten or Pre-K kid who really needed to jump start his or her reading so that school and the world we need to decode would make more sense, be more fun.”
Sept 11: Hamster Boy says “As my daughter is a pre-reader (she just started Kindergarten last week), these are the perfect books for her to try and start reading.” A Gaggle of Book Reviews says “I can’t recommend these books highly enough. They were our first official homeschooling purchase, and one I have never regretted. They are a wonderful addition to a home library, school library, or a homeschool library. I love the smiles on my daughters’ faces when they have succeeded in reading a book - that’s priceless!”
Sept 12: Imperfect Mommy says “[One] thing I liked was that many of the words and names were uncommon combinations of simple sounds (names like Jig and Mag and Mac) – these are words that [my daughter] doesn’t see or use much, so I could see the wheels turning as she really had to figure them out, rather than relying on memorization or sight. I would definitely give them a thumbs up.” And Freckles says “After seeing the joy on my daughter’s face when she was able to read on her own, I would definitely recommend this series and I would definitely pick up other Bob Books sets.”
Sept 13: Gotcha Baby says “Currently in my classroom, I have several children reading BOB books. They are all right around five years old, and they are having fun practicing with these books.” My Little Patch of Sunshine was shocked. She says “I didn’t expect [my son] to catch on so quickly, and I was once again amazed at the simplicity of these books. It was the perfect amount of learning for my very wiggly and easily distracted little boy.” And the Compulsive Reader says “For teaching children to read, this is exactly what you need – simple books with easy to read and consistent sounding words that are introduced gradually at the start of each book.”
Sept 14: Pinwheels says “I feel an overwhelming mama-gratitude to the good people at Scholastic, who have reissued the BOB Books. At our house, they have replaced the big yellow book that made everyone cry.” The Lilting House says “The Bob Books have been the bridge for all three of my girls, an easy, friendly bridge with funny, quaint pictures and silly storylines.” And Life With Heathens says “What I like about these books is the simplicity that goes back to the Dick and Jane books some of us use to read in school.”
Sept 17: Parenting Our Children says “[My children] did very well with the first book and were so proud of themselves.” And Toddler Planet says “I am just in love with these little books. The drawings are simple and engaging, the stories easy to understand, and the pedagogy that underlies their creation is sound.”
Sept 18: CPA Mom says “Forget Dick and Jane. Your beginning reader needs BOB Books to succeed.” MysticSpiral Studio didn’t have much success with her daughter, but says “I like the concept of the books, I like the approach and the execution.” Never That Easy says “BOB Books are certainly worth [using], especially for kids who head into information overload when there’s too much going on in a book — the lack of distractions here, the simple text and illustrations, will give them a better chance at grasping the necessary skills for reading.” And Life As Lou says “[My two kids] love the books because they come in a small carrying case and the books themselves are small, just right for pre-reader sized hands. We’ve already had one good fight break out over them, easily solved by the awesome fact that the set has ten whole books to share, so five each for my little bad tempered book hoarders.”
Sept 19: Nixy agrees strongly with the approach of learning letter sounds before learning to sight read. And Blooming in Nihon says “To me [the books] seem so basic with their simple line drawings and short sentences. But to the five year old emerging reader they represent something much more - a book that he can read, really read all by himself. That’s fantastic.”
Sept 20: My Two Cents says “I have used BOB books for years for my students who … have made it through the lower elementary grades but have somehow not mastered the basics of reading and phonetic awareness. BOB books are fun, non-threatening, and easy to finish. These three things make them perfect for those students who may have turned off to reading.” And Jody Mace says “They’re written in such a systematic way that kids can experience success reading. Even before they even know all their alphabet sounds they can read a whole book.”
Sept 21: Goddess Musings says “These cute and super short books introduce children to letter sounds with ease and repetition.” And Wandering Mamma says “The BOB Books are amazing … These books provided me my first opportunity to see my son read successfully, on his own, and watch his excitement build as he realized, by the third word, that he was, in fact, reading.” Domestic Diva says “[My son] will even sit on the floor and pretend to sound out the words like I have been teaching him to do. I was very surprised in what a huge interest my son had in these books.” And Chaos Theory says “[My daughter] is fascinated by words and wants to learn to read so badly. The Bob Books are perfect for getting there … Once [she] started learning a few words she was more willing to try to sound out something new, even if she was wrong.”
Sept 24: Mom Reviews says “I wish I had known about these books when my boys were younger. Although I read age-appropriate books to them, we never had books that broke down the vowels sounds this way, or that started with just a few words and built from there.” Unassigned reading says “When my five-year-old daughter was not laughing at the goofiness of a story that ends with Mat sitting on Sam or Mag the dog and Jig the pig playing a game of tag, she was enthralled by the simple pictures that let her imagination run free.” And The Opinionated Parent says “These are exactly the kind of books I will be recommending to the parents of my kindergarten students when they inevitably ask me what they should buy for home reading books to help their child get started on decoding and independent reading.”
Sept 25: Whatever Blows My Skirt says “To say [my son] loved [BOB Books] is a complete understatement. He immediately took to them, questioning me on eaach word. We sounded them out, and because they were so short he immediately picked up on it.” And Sticking to the Point says “BOB books are a fantastic introduction to reading for wee ones … 12 books contained in a slim box, easy for travel and little fingers, the BOB books would be a great stocking stuffer.”
Sept 26: All Rileyed Up says “Enthusiastic thumbs up for the little kids! And a few snickers for Mommy and Daddy too.” Secret Burning says “I’ve always liked Bob Books for their lack of pretension. They don’t come across as desperate or fake the way that the books my children use in school do. There is something reassuring about the black lines and limited color in the illustrations.” And I Once was HP says “Are the BOB books useful? Definitely for the early reader playing around with sounds and for whom completing an entire book is a major accomplishment.”
Sept 27: Wit’s End says “The packaging of these books is great. Small square books, multiple volumes in a set and all packaged in a nice little box. Throw it in your purse for trips to the Dr.’s office or while waiting for the kids’ meals to come at your favorite family restaurant. Keep them in your car for short trips and let the kids ‘read’ to you.” Jumping Monkeys‘ daughter isn’t quite ready to learn to read. And Shannon Hamner says “I was surprised to find that my son remembered the sounds and was able to identify some of the words in the story after reading it just one time.”
And food for thought says “[My son] opened the box, pulled out a book, and started to read. Then he started to crack up. Then he started reading to his little brother. [He] started laughing, too. So let me say this about the BOB books: I love them.”
Sept 28: The House at My Corner says “Together [my son and I] sounded out the words through the simple eight-page booklet. As soon as we were done, he wanted to read it again. And again.” Mama(e) in Translation says “This is not your typical boring beginner reader story — these simple tales are really humorous and fun to read.” Baggage and Bug says “These definitely aren’t books you would read for their fascinating plot lines, but in terms of helping children learn simple words and learn how to read, the BOB books are a great choice. As a bonus, the little illustrations are really cute too.” And Actual Unretouched Photo says “I love these books! And my daughter did, too, though she wanted to go outside and play (read: bug her brothers) rather than read. I know that we’ll be reading them frequently over the next year as my daughter learns to read.”
Oct 1: A wrung sponge says “[BOB Books] are much more clever than many beginning readers, leaving space for the reader’s creative leap of comprehension between simple text and minimalist line drawings. Much of the interest and humor come from the child’s understanding of, for example, what a dog is likely to do with a lady’s hat.” Mombian says “Mat, Sam, Dot, and all of their human and animal friends dance and smile across the pages. Anyone who thinks children’s books need to beep, flash, or sing to hold children’s attention need only try these to learn otherwise.” 24/7 Moms says “These are AMAZING books for beginning readers … My 5 year old loves them. They are full of Fun, Silly, Creative simple stories … the illustrations are also well done and captivating to young readers.” And Gloria’s Place says “Simple and short, I doubted that these little books could help my daughter learn to read, but I was pleasantly surprised. Reading and pointing to each word as I read it I could hear [her] repeating and sounding out the words I read to her.”
Oct 2: MUBAR asked her four year old what she thinks. The verdict? “It’s cute. The funny faces are funny.” Hobson’s Choice says “[My daughter was immediately enchanted, and once she picked up the concept of sounding out words, she was successfully reading a book. She was thrilled, and so was I." Against All Heresies says "You will like these little books and most importantly your children will like them. They would make a great Christmas gift for your grandchildren, they are essential for homeschoolers or anyone who is teaching a young child to read."
Oct 3: InkSphinx says "Only a week or so after we received the box set, I was thrilled to hear him reading on his own, carefully sounding out the words and talking to himself about what was happening in the story. I will always remember Bob Books as the true first step into reading for my son." Ranting, Raving, and Changing Diapers says "[My three-year-old son] enjoyed following along while I read, and commented on the action in the illustrations. He had me read each book twice. I think we read the first five books before he decided he was finished.”
Oct 4: Mommy Writer Blog asked her four year old son to review BOB Books. He says “I like that the books are small. And red. And did you know that Mat, the man in the book, that is like my Dad.” Mommy Writer says “When The Kiddo saw he had read an entire book by himself, he was proud. And wanted to read more books. And then another.” WAH! Mommie says “It’s packaged in a wonderful way . . . very similar to the ‘Weekly Reader’ I knew from grade school, inviting the instructor and young reader to master each level with an assortment of stories and simple cartoons to facilitate easy learning.” Sisyphean Deeds says “It really was fun for [my daughter] to read each book all on her own and for me to discover how much more she was reading than I previously realized. I think we enjoyed them both enough we will happily jump into the second set of 12 as soon as I can get them!” And Sugar Mommy says “These books have spare, simple stories with fun, minimalist drawings. Enough to help a young reader along in his/her reading but not so much as to distract.”
Oct 5: Suburban Turmoil says “I read the first book to my 3-year-old. She asked me to read it to her again. And again. And then … SHE READ IT TO ME.” Stirrup Queens says “Two thumbs up from the drooling, brilliant, Harvard-bound beta babies.” The Wait and the Wonder says “The best part about the BOB books for my girls was that they are simple enough that [my older daugher] could take over the role of teaching [my younger daughter] to read, even though [the older one's] not much of a reader herself yet.” And Making Things Up says “[My son] loves them. He especially loves that there is a whole box full of them. And [my 7-year-old daughter] loves reading them to him, which is always a plus as far as I’m concerned.”
Oct 10: Chicka Nuts says “I really like that they put a sturdy recipe-sized card guide in there of 11 Hints for Teaching Your Child to Read.”
