The concept of a chapter books for kids usually refers to the first books with chapters that kids read once they start reading on their own. The idea is that they have been learning to read from picture books – perhaps Dr. Seuss books like Green Eggs and Ham. In these picture books there is usually a very literal one-t0-one match between the pictures and the words, and a very few number of words on any given page. These picture books are introducing children to individual words and to the individual sounds that letters and letter combinations make.
I used to think of picture books like the grocery store that the pioneers must have visited when they were stocking up their covered wagons. Your kids, who are learning to read, are in these picture books stocking up on everything they will need for a lifetime’s journey of reading. And once they leave this store, they better have it all, because there won’t be any picture-book grocery stores along the way to restock with.
Because historically chapter books have had no pictures to help kids figure out new words.
Oh the publishers of these books still include a picture here and there, but a chapter book by and large is a long journey where you are expected to have everything you need in the little covered wagon of your head.
I picked up my copy of The Mystery in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks this morning (part of the marvelous Indian in Cupboard series). As I paged through it, I saw some full-page artwork sprinkled throughout the book. It was black and white artwork, and what you would properly call illustration. As you get older you no longer get pictures in your books, I guess. They become illustrations – because they illustrate the ideas or the actions of the story.
And as I was flipping through the book, I had this memory of reading a long almost pictureless book when I was in second grade and reading chapter books. And I recalled a feeling that was similar to what a thirsty man must feel like in the desert when he comes up to a watering hole: absolute gratitude. And it wasn’t just gratitude that there was a picture there to help me with the words. I probably didn’t need it. But it was more like gratitude that I could have a little fun in the midst of all this very hard work I was doing.
Adults have this concept that they should be pushing, pushing, pushing their kids forward to learn more and more and more. I think this is reflected in the very idea of chapter books where they wean kids from pictures and they turn a fun experience into a less and less fun experience. Sure, eventually, if you are one of the lucky ones the part of your brain that is supposed to crack the code of language and help you picture the words you are reading…it just kicks in.
But if we looked at whether this actually happens, and to what degree it does happen across the entire population, I’m pretty sure it would coincide to some degree with the reading statistics that show that over 60% of fourth grade kids read below grade level.
I am heartened however by the advent of ebooks. eBooks remove the enormous cost of color printing from publishing. The lack of color pictures in chapter books for kids is in many ways just a function of the cost of color printing.
When we were pricing out the cost of printing the DaVinchy Chapter Series books on a traditional printing press, we would have had to spend over $60,000 just to break even on the cost of the books at a price point of $7.99. So we are very happy to be able to offer these chapter books for kids at the affordable price of 2 for $9.99. And as we publish more and more and can sell them through our children’s book club in volume, the prices will reduce even more.
I love the idea of kids having fun reading the DaVinchy chapter books - with lots of color pictures and a great action adventure story. Just reading for fun with a great big smile on their face – that’s what it’s supposed to be all about anyway.