In a fun game of soccer, Ed is cautioned to be careful when he goes into a mud puddle to retrieve the soccer ball. Ed ignores the warning and kicks the ball while standing on a rock. He loses his balance and falls, banging his arm. This precautionary tale includes opportunities to discuss safety tips. Crisp illustrations in bright primary colors and lively dialogue keep children turning the pages in this energetic advanced easy reader.

A pleasant family fishing trip at the lake incorporates words with basic phonic sounds and introduces a word that begins with the rarely seen letter Q. Ken and his sister, Jen, both catch large redfish and Dad happily scoops them up with a large net. Similar phonic word sounds promote word recognition, and slightly longer sentences build reading skills in the advanced reader.

Nell makes and flies a paper airplane, setting off a series of unexpected events in a hilarious story that reminds children of their experiences with accidents. In this advanced easy reader, the well-illustrated expressions on the red hen’s face leave no doubt she is upset. The events open opportunities to teach children to build a paper airplane and discussion points about accidents and ways to make pets feel better when scared.

This spirited story introduces the concept of teamwork, an important skill for children to learn. With similar sounding names, friends gather supplies to play soccer, divide into teams, and then play in the park. The colorful illustrations appeal to a child’s playfulness and encourage interest in word mastery and reading success. The emotional faces of the winners and losers foster discussions of teamwork and appropriate game behavior.