Lynne Benton Boeken

Part of the First Reading series, this title is based on a traditional Japanese folktale. It is aimed at children who are beginning to read.

Amazing Archie is an exciting story for wildlife fans and budding environmentalists who are beginning to read independently. It is perfect for children aged 4+ who are reading at book band blue 4. Archie the bat loves to do tricks. The other bats think he is silly. But Archie's dare-devil flying performances might just save their home! The Froglets series is perfect for children aged 5-7 who are reading on their own, with fun stories of no more than 200 words. A reading game at the end of each book encourages retelling the story and boosting vocabulary. Compiled in consultation with Catherine Glavina, Early Years Course Leader, The Centre for Professional Education, University of Warwick.

The award winning Usborne First Reading series has been developed to offer the best possible support for teaching children to read, both in schools and at home. The series is based on the principles of synthetic phonics but also provides effective support for non-phonics-based programs. Inspired rhyming stories on themes children love, including ships and sailors, magic and mix-ups, exploration and adventure, not to mention animals and pets (some distinctly spooky ones!). Superb artwork by world-class illustrators in a brilliant range of styles. First Reading Level 1 titles are designed to be the first real books a beginner reader will tackle, with very light support from an adult. Each book has a single story with six pages of reading-related puzzles.