Reading Rockets offers reading comprehension and language arts teaching strategies for kids, and is a free web site for parents and educators
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Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading fundamentals and comprehension skills development.

Featured books by

Christopher Paul Curtis

Christopher Paul Curtis writes books that linger in the minds and hearts of readers. He tackles tough topics with humor and verve, vividly presenting memorable characters in carefully crafted settings.
Bucking the Sarge
Bucking the Sarge
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Age Level: 0-3
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Fifteen-year-old Luther's mother, The Sarge, rules an empire of halfway houses and slums. Luther himself is a much more ordinary guy, though he is caught between being a typical teen and being the Sarge's son. Luther's peculiar problems are resolved in a way that is sure to satisfy readers.

Bud, Not Buddy
Bud, Not Buddy
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Young Bud runs away from the latest and worst foster home in search of his father. Though he doesn't find his father, Bud (not Buddy) does find family, music, and more on his long trek across Michigan during the Depression. In this Newbery-winning novel, both humor and Bud's naive voice make difficult issues accessible to younger readers.

Bud, Not Buddy (audio book)
Bud, Not Buddy (audio book)
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

In 1936, ten-year-old Bud sets out to find his jazz-playing father, but ends up learning a great deal about himself, music, and the Great Depression in this unforgettable reading of a Newbery Medal-winning book.

Elijah of Buxton
Elijah of Buxton
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Eleven-year-old Elijah was born in Buxton, a Canadian settlement that was the final stop on the Underground Railroad. The free child of slaves, Elijah reveals his growing awareness of the horrors of slavery on his journey to young adulthood. Vivid characters and a strong sense of place create both humor and horror in this moving novel.

Mr. Chickee's Funny Money
Mr. Chickee's Funny Money
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Could it be real? A quadrillion dollar bill? In this funny, fast-paced tall tale, nine-year-old Steven, helper and friend of his blind neighbor, Mr. Chickee, solves the mystery of this strange money.

Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission
Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

The Flint Future Detectives are back for another wacky adventure in which the dog owned by Steven's friend, Russell (first introduced in Mr. Chickee's Funny Money) inadvertently launches an out-of-this-world series of events. Readers will see the satire in this improbable, funny, and fast-reading novel.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963
The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Fourth-grader Kenny goes with his older brother Byron and his parents on a road trip from Flint, Michigan to the South, where Byron will be spending the summer with his grandparents, away from the temptations of city life. Curtis mixes humor with the volatility of the South in the summer of 1963.

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