This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
What do you do with the young readers in your life who are over Frog and Toad but not quite ready to take on Charlie and his adventures in the chocolate factory? Especially now that it's summer and you want to keep those emerging readers both a) emerging and b) reading?
One solution is to supply them with "transitional" chapter books — novels written for children who are still building their reading skills. The best-known example of these books is the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. These incredibly popular stories follow the time-traveling exploits of siblings Annie and Jack, who tangle with everything (and everyone) from dinosaurs, mummies and pirates to historical figures such as George Washington to wizards along the way. The books feature action-packed plots, user-friendly vocabulary and simple sentence and paragraph structure — all of which help to build a young reader's confidence.
There are, however, more choices available to children than just the Magic Tree House books. Some of them, like the wonderful Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo, are just slightly more challenging than the typical Easy Reader like the Frog and Toad adventures by the late Arnold Lobel. Others, like the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis, which features fictionalized accounts of history's great disasters, ranging from Pompeii to Hurricane Katrina, are more complex and text-heavy. Most transitional chapter books feature illustrations — some full-color, others with line drawings that help move along the story's action and provide readers with plenty of white space on the pages.
Bottom line, there are a nice range of choices, giving children an opportunity to choose a title that matches their abilities. Furthermore, transitional chapter books are most often published in a series format so that young readers can comfortably re-enter a world peopled with characters with whom they are already familiar.
Here are a few titles to consider:
• Utah's own Shannon and Dean Hale hit New York Times best-selling gold with their charming Princess in Black series, which follows the exploits of a secret superhero princess who trades in her ball gown for a ninja outfit whenever trouble arises. The latest installment, "The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde," features the same high humor and cartoonlike illustrations that have made the other books so popular. And while many of the series' fans are young girls, boys have enjoyed it as well.
• The Bad Kitty series by Nick Bruel starring the awful — and awfully funny — Kitty will make you happy you do or don't have a cat in your life, depending upon your perspective. In the newest Bad Kitty adventure, "Bad Kitty Goes to the Vet," Kitty is sick, which means a trip to the animal doctor is in order. Will Kitty survive? Will the vet? Good times are had by all.
• Remember the Fonz? TV star Henry Winkler is enjoying a second act as the co-author of the Here's Hank series. His protagonist, Hank Zipper, tells the reader he isn't very good at spelling (or math) (or reading), but he always tries his hardest anyway. The latest title in the series is "You Can't Drink a Meatball Through a Straw," which features Hank's misguided efforts to participate in a cooking competition.
• There are a number of transitional series that are particularly girl-friendly, including those that feature Judy Moody (by Megan McDonald), Ivy and Her Friend Bean (by Annie Barrows) and Clementine (by Sara Pennypacker). The Princess Posey: First-Grader series by Stephanie Greene belongs in the same genre. Progressive parents who are alarmed by the word "princess" may choose to pass over these titles, which is a shame, because the stories feature an ordinary little girl who confronts and deals with ordinary challenges. The newest title, "Princess Posey and the Crazy, Lazy Vacation," tracks Posey as she first worries that her spring vacation will be boring but soon discovers there's plenty to do — even when you just stay home.
• The Whatever After series by Sarah Mlynowski follows the adventures of Abby and her brother, Jonah, who step into a magic mirror and find themselves in the middle of fractured fairy tales ranging from "Snow White" to "Cinderella" to "The Frog Prince." In the newest book, "Genie in a Bottle," the siblings are transported into Aladdin land, where the resident genie proves to be less than helpful as they escape from an enchanted cave and search for buckets of jewels.
• Ursula Vernon is another author who writes particularly well for young children on the verge of reading middle-grade chapter books. (A middle-grade novel is defined as one written for children ranging in age from 7 to 12.) Vernon's Dragonbreath series starring a young dragon named Danny is consistently entertaining, laced with humor that children and their parents can enjoy. Danny's latest adventure, "The Frozen Menace," begins when he can no longer breathe fire, which sends him and his pals scurrying to the ends of the Earth in search of a cure.
Vernon has also launched the new Hamster Princess series, because why should only the humans get to be princesses? The series's debut title is called "Harriet the Invincible." Harriet herself is a quail-riding, sword-wielding, monster-slaying royal rodent princess who is busy living life to the fullest before an evil rat fairy's curse kicks in on her 12th birthday. Although not a graphic novel, "Harriet the Invincible" has the feel of one, thanks to Vernon's comic-book-style illustrations. Like the Danny Dragonbreath novels, "Harriet the Invincible" is also more text-heavy than some of the previously mentioned titles.
There is a growing demand for transitional novels, and publishers are stepping up to meet it. Don't hesitate to ask your local children's librarian or booksellers for further recommendations.