Beehive Reader 1 - A Review

Product: Beehive Reader 1

Price: $19.95

Author: Marie Rippel (with Renee LaTulippe)

Where to Purchase: AAS

Other Products Available:
All About Spelling
All About Homophones

Brief Overview:
A phonics-based Level 1 Reader written to correlate with the All About Spelling Level 1. This book, just released in 2009, has already won the MoonBeam Children's Book Award.

In-Depth Look:
When I opened the package, I was immediately in love with this book. It is a hardback, country-denim blue. Such nice quality. And when you open it up, it is so inviting. Just makes you want to sit down, curl up with a blanket and read it cover to cover. It is that charming.

The pages are a dull white, almost gray, for a non-glare effect. Making it easier on the eye. The words are underlined with light dots, helping young readers keep on track.

And the pictures...so cute! Every page has a picture to go along with the story. Adorable pictures that make the stories even more inviting. Kudos to the illustrators: Donna Goeddaeus and David LaTulippe. The illustrations are black and white (again easier on the eye), adding charm without being distracting.

I gave this book to my 7 year old daughter. She immediately "befriended it". It went everywhere with her: upstairs, downstairs, to dinner, in the car, to bed. She has read the book cover-to-cover. Her favorite story is "Ten Wishes". Ten kids wish a king well and in return each receive a wish. The wishes are quite far-fetched, which makes it all the more fun.

My 7yo wished the pictures were in color. But I appreciate the simpleness of the black and white. I think it adds a classic touch.

The book is 160 pages and has 10 stories. It correlates with All About Spelling Level 1, but can be used independently.

This book is far above most readers. This feels like a "real-book" and therefore, is more likely to hold a child's interest. Reading a "real-book" is a huge confidence booster for my daughter.

I will include some sample pages at the end.

To read other crew members' reviews, click here.

Disclaimer: I received this reader free of charge to review, as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.