The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds, is a charming book about Jerome, a boy who loves words. It was a really fun read with both E5 and E8, and each of them were able to connect with the book at their own level. At the 5-year-old level, the story is a charming read about a boy who loves words, and finds a way to share them with the world. The way the story is told, it invites the reader to test the sounds out loud.
The 8-year-old enjoyed being able to read the (more complicated) “collected” words out loud–but as part of the illustration, had they been beyond his reading comfort level, he would not have been left feeling he couldn’t read the book, too.
The words Jerome collects throughout the book are fun to think about, and the way they are worked into the illustrations is inviting. The 8-year old loved the humor of “infinitesimal” being next to “star” and “silent” sitting next to “orchestra”.
I think the target audience may be closer to the 5-year-old-range, but it was a great one to read all together–both kids ask for a 2nd or 3rd reading each time it comes out.
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