Children's Fiction: Early Readers

Early/Easy readers are a subset of books in the children's department that are intended to aid in the development of early literacy skills through the use of intext supports. These titles are meant to act as a transitional period for children from picture to chapter books during their journey of learning to read. Common text supports used in early readers include repetition of sight words/phrases, larger font size, extra distance between words, short, simple sentences, and the number of sentences per page. 

Early readers in the Children's department can have one of two call numbers depending on whether they are a hardcover or paperback edition. 

Example: "Pete the Cat Saves Up," (hardcover)       vs.       "Pete the Cat's Family Road Trip," (paperback)

                                 E                                                                              JPB

                               DEA                                                                           DEA

                              EASY                                                                         EASY

The image below provides an example of the various supports that authors of early readers use that are specifically designed to help a child learn to read complex text. 

One of the most recognizable parts of an early reader is the inclusion of a numerical level found on the front and back cover of the book. Most often the levels range from pre-level 1 through 3, with the text/plot becoming more complex as you progress. Sometimes, you may run into level 4 or even level 5 readers, which are both levels that indicate that the reader is ready to move on to chapter books. If you are unsure what level your child is at feel free to take a moment to look through our extensive early reader collection or ask on of the children's librarians for recommendations!