Scholastic Branches Series for Early Readers

Tatiana loves to read. Ever since she was a baby we’ve read her bedtime stories almost every single night. Now, she’s at the age where she wants to read alone and that’s okay. She’s currently reading at a 3rd grade level which is amazing because technically she’s only supposed to be in the 1st grade.

Last year when we were searching for chapter books for her, we came across the Scholastic Branches Series early reader chapter books. It was hard to find a chapter book that she was interested in because most chapter books don’t have pictures. That’s why the Scholastic Branches Series books are so great! Every collection in the series has pictures to go along with the stories. Each collection in the series also comes with interactive downloadable activities and after-reading guides which makes the reading experience even more special. One of the things I love about the after-reading guides is that they provide me with questions so that I can tell if Tatiana is actually comprehending what is in the story or not. There’s even a classroom guide with after-reading activities for teachers if they plan on using the books in class.

We were first introduced to the series with the Owl Diaries collection during a trip to the library. We were both drawn to the book because of the colorful covers. I loved the books because these would be her first chapter books and they were a little easier for her to read. I don’t know about your kids but Tatiana is a fast reader. It takes her only a couple days to read a book. Once she cracks the book open she’s fully invested and she refuses to put it down until it’s finished. Once she finished the Owl Diaries, it was time to move on to the next one. That’s where Hilde Cracks the Case and The Last Firehawk came in.

Hilde Cracks The Case

Hilde Cracks the Case had always been on our reading list but we finally got the chance to dive into it when Scholastic sent us the book. The book is about a 9-year-old crime reporter, Hilde Lysiak, who’s always on the hunt for her next big story. The stories are inspired by Hilde herself who in real life is only 10 years old and is a reporter/publisher of the Orange Street News. How cool is that?!?

Tatiana has always wanted to be a writer so not only does she get to dive into a great book when reading but she gets to be inspired by one of her peers.

The Last Firehawk

The Last Firehawk is about a magical bird with special powers, such as being able to blast flames from her wings, on a quest to help Tag and Skyla locate the magical Ember Stone.

The Scholastic Branches Series is recommended for readers ages 5-8 and they are constantly coming out with new collections. Currently they have 19 different title collections. Our favorites so far have been Owl Diaries, Princess Pink and The Land of Fake-Believe, and The Notebook of Doom. We’re just getting started with Hilde Cracks the Case and The Last Firehawk but so far Tatiana is loving them.