Beginner Books - Exodus Books

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It was 1957 when scrappy underdog The Cat in the Hat danced into the early reader arena. Look-say champion Dick and Jane had held children's primers in its steely grip for more than three decades, but was beginning to take some hits as more and more critics stepped forward to question the country's flagging literacy rate.

At the suggestion of Random House, children's author Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel threw together a story made of two hundred and thirty six essential first grade vocabulary words, most of which were one syllable. His goal was to write a book that first graders "couldn't put down" unlike the tedious repetition of Dick and Jane. Giesel's cat threw his hat in the ring, and within three years the sight-reading giant had been toppled, freeing children everywhere from the tyranny of "see Spot go."

Yes, Beginner Books is the infamous series that knocked Dick and Jane out of the early reader spotlight. The rest of the Beginner Books follow this formula. They take easy-to-read words and string them together into a story that's fun and a little wacky. Children as young as three all the way to second grade can enjoy the early readers. With stories by Dr. Seuss, P.D. Eastman, the Berenstains, and even one by Walter Farley, these books have fun prose, fun illustrations, and are fun to read aloud, a fact for which we can thank Theodore Geisel and, yes, The Cat in the Hat.

Review by Lauren Shearer
Lauren Shearer writes words for fun and profit. She also makes films, but everyone knows you can't make a profit doing that. Her other hobby is consistently volunteering way too much of her time. You can read more of her reviews here.

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Beginner Books

Beginner Books

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2nd grade (Ages 7-8)

	And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss from Random House Rhyming Fantasy for 1st-4th grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
	Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman from Random House Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Bennett Cerf's Book of Animal Riddles by Bennett Cerf First Edition from Random House Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
	Best Nest by P.D. Eastman from Random House Books for Young Readers for 1st-3rd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Big Ball of String by Marion Holland from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool- 3rd Grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $3.60 (2 in stock)
	Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss from Random House for 1st-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss from Random House for Nursery-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Digging-est Dog by Al Perkins from Random House for Kindergarten-3rd Grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Do You Know What I'm Going to Do Next Saturday? by Helen Palmer, photographs by Lynn Fayman Book Club from Random House for 1st-3rd grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC) $6.40 (1 in stock)
	Dr. Seuss's 123 by Dr. Seuss from Random House Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
	Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss from Random House Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49 $2.40 (1 in stock)
	Fly Went By by Mike McClintock from Random House Rhyming Books for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Foot Book Bright & Early Books by Dr. Seuss from Random House for Nursery-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49 $2.40 (1 in stock)
	Foot Book Bright & Early Books by Dr. Seuss from Random House for Nursery-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $2.40 (2 in stock)
	Foot Book Bright & Early Books by Dr. Seuss from Random House for Nursery-2nd grade in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
	Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss from Random House for 2nd-3rd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $3.20 (4 in stock)
	Go, Dog, Go! by P. D. Eastman from Random House Animal Fantasy/Rhyming Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Go, Dog, Go! by P. D. Eastman Kohls Cares For Kids from Random House Animal Fantasy/Rhyming Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
	Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss from Random House Fantasy for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss from Random House Fantasy for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $2.40 (1 in stock)
	I Am NOT Going to Get Up Today! by Dr. Seuss from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	I Can Read With My Eyes Shut by Dr. Seuss from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Ian Fleming's Story of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! The Magical Car by Ian Fleming (original story), adapted by Al Perkins, illustrated by B. Tobey from Random House Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
	It's Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler from Random House Books for Young Readers for Nursery-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
	New Tricks I Can Do! by Robert Lopshire from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
	Off to the Races by Fred. Phleger, M. Phleger from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Oh Say Can You Say Di-no-saur? All About Dinosaurs by Bonnie Worth, illustrated by Steve Haefele from Random House Books for Young Readers for 2nd-4th grade in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT) $3.60 (1 in stock)
	Oh Say Can You Say? by Dr. Seuss from Random House for 1st-4th grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! by Dr. Seuss from Random House Books for Young Readers for Nursery-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Old Hat New Hat Bright & Early Books by Jan Berenstain, Stan Berenstain from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Once Upon a Mastodon All About Prehistoric Mammals by Bonnie Worth from Random House Books for Young Readers for 2nd-4th grade in Cat in the Hat's Learning Library (Location: EAR-CAT) $8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss from Random House for Nursery-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
	One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss from Random House for Nursery-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire from Random House for 1st-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Snow by Philip.D. Eastman, Roy Mc Kie from Random House Books for Young Readers for Preschool-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $2.80 (1 in stock)
	Some of Us Walk, Some Fly, Some Swim 246 Animals Every Beginner Should Meet I Can Read It All By Myself by Michael Frith from Random House for Preschool-2nd grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss from Random House Books for Young Readers for Nursery-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	You Will Go to the Moon by Mae & Ira Freeman, illustrated by Robert Patterson from Random House for 1st-3rd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)

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