Develop Your Reading Skills
Get Started
For kids starting to read on their own, we have our Early Reader Section. While these books are great for beginning readers, there are still a range of levels. Books with green stickers are great for readers just starting to read on their own.
They may contain…
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Simple vocabulary
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Rhyming words
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Repetition of words and sentence structure
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Fewer words on each page
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Larger type
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Shorter stories with familiar themes and ideas
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Predictable stories
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Picture clues including rebus format
Keep Going
Books with red stickers are great for readers who are almost ready to move over to the J Fiction section.
They may contain…
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Advanced vocabulary
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Multi-syllable and compound words
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Complex sentence structure
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Longer chapters
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Stories with multiple or complex plots
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Detailed and descriptive text
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Multiple developed characters
We also have an E Graphic Novel section for beginning readers who prefer a graphic novel format and an E nonfiction section for kids who love facts.
Crossing the Bridge
When readers are ready to move out of the Early Learner Section, there is the Bridge Section. These books are a great link from the Early Reader Section to the J Fiction Section.
Generally, books in these section contain…
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A larger font with larger margins
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Some illustrations, but not necessarily on every page
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A fast paced plot with engaging and relatable characters
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Under 150 pages
Move into Juvenile Fiction and Nonfiction
The J Fiction section is full of novels perfect for upper elementary and early middle school readers. There is also a full J Graphic Novel section. We also highlight Illinois Award Nominees each year for the Monarch, Bluestem and Rebecca Caudill Awards. We also have an extensive J nonfiction section available for both research and pleasure reading.