Bridging the Gap VIII: More Beginning Chapter Books

No list of beginning chapter books would be complete without Patricia Reilly Giff's venerable and kid-pleasing Kids of the Polk Street Schoolseries, delightfully illustrated by Blanche Sims. The series begins with the main boy character, Richard Best, reluctantly showing up in Ms. Rooney's second-grade class after being "retained" in second grade. Fearful of the kids' learning his secret and self-conscious about being bigger than the first-time second graders, Richard is quickly accepted and pridefully accepts his nickname "The Beast" right away. The series goes through the second grade year, hitting all the big events--Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's resolutions, first snow, and picture day--right up to the last days of school. In the later books girl characters share top billing with Richard, as in Emily Arrow Promises to Do Better This Year and All about Stacy. Although the tone is light and humorous, Giff deals realistically and sympathetically with what matters to second graders as they grow through the year.

The kids' stories continue in The New Kids of the Polk Street Schoolseries, featuring other classmates as leading characters and venturing outside the school on field trips. Another sub-series is The Polk Street Specials in which the kids organize a pet show, ride the swan boats in Boston, see the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and tour all the sights in Look Out, Washington, D. C.

For beginning mystery readers Giff has also written the The Polka Dot Private Eyes series, which takes the kids out into the community for some sleuthing adventures. For example, in Garbage Juice for Breakfast Polk Street kids Dawn Bosco and Lizzie Lee have to face up to their fears on a treasure hunt at summer camp.

While Patricia Reilly Giff has surely earned her credentials for her award-winning books for older readers (see Newbery Honor book Lily's Crossing for example), it's probably more difficult to sustain a popular early chapter series through a couple of dozen titles. The Polk Street series has led millions of kids into the joy of reading while maintaining a vocabulary firmly within second-grade level. Now that's writing!