Pearson's Book Panel - Ages 1-7 - Review thread

[AnnMumsnet]

You may know Mumsnet have been working with Pearson to provide some special learning-related content for you. Linked to the site is a Pearson shop where you can buy educational books for children. We invited MNers with a child aged between 1 and 7 to review the books available and this thread is for the reviews. Panellists will be sent up to 5 packs of books and reviews will continue to be added each month until the end of the year. Pearson will link to this thread from the shop.

As a thank you for taking part there will be a monthly prize draw for reviewers for all those who have submitted a review in that month. The prize each month will be £50 of John Lewis vouchers - the first draw will take place on 31 August and will be for one prize of £100 of John Lewis vouchers.

Below are the questions Pearson would like you to answer - when posting your review please add in the age of your child and please include the question as well as your response.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

Many thanks
MNHQ

Hi, sorry if it's a bit late!!!

DS is 6 (april) and is going into Year 2.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We reviewed Year2/P3 books:
The Coldest Day in the Zoo
The Last Polar Bears
The Werepuppy

Reading together (I think?)

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

I would say they were on a par with his Stage 10 ORT books, apart from The Coldest Day in the Zoo which was easier.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

Yes definitely. He particularly enjoyed the Werepuppy as it was 'a bit scary!!' And the CDATZ was 'funny, but strange'. He enjoys reading most of the time, except when he's tired so it's good to have different books.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

I would say suitable for his level. Stories relating to animals always amuse both my children even if they are fantasy. The content was suitable and got him talking about what could have happened etc.
Also he would be able to read them by himself

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

He liked them. Funny, but strange. He knows the stories aren't true but is still interested to find out what happens.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Yes, probably. Generally good stories. Also good for gifts or party bags...

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

He might mention them but I doubt that's what he and his friends talk about!

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

4

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"? we got learning to read (I think) - Robodog, Fat Lawrence and Cosmo & the Pirates

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school? DD, age 5.75, is on ORT at school (just finished foundation) she is level 3/4 so these were longer and trickier than anything she has read herself

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not? She enjoyed having the books read to her but a bit too difficult / long for her to attempt on her own

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack? Good mix of writing and illustration but I think they are definitely more suited to being read by the child to being read out loud by the parent. Will keep them for DD to read when she is a bit better at it.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack? she loved the stories!

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not? yes if their child was a bit better at reading than mine is.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not? yes I think so.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent 4/5

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

DS received 'Woof' by Allen Ahlberg, 'The legend of the Worst Boy in the World' by Eoin Colfer and 'The Hundred Mile An Hour Dog' by Jeremy Strong. I am guessing that they were for reading together.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

DS's class use ORT but he is a strong reader so has been left to his own devices and I tend to provide his books myself. The books were similar to the level that he would feel confident reading himself (but only just, I would say that they were at the more challenging end).

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

DS absolutely loved all three of these books. His favourite was the Eoin Colfer one which he found hysterically funny (he had to keep re-reading bits!) All three were very entertaining and interesting for him to read.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

These were an absolutely great selection of books. They were not books I would have immediately grabbed off the shelf - two were about dogs and we are not a 'doggy' family but actually all three books were exciting, fast paced, interesting and my son could relate easily to the main character in each ( a boy in each case).

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

He says they are all really good. 'The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World' was his favourite due to the comedy value of an evil older brother trying to get rid of a cute younger sibling - something my son found highly amusing and could relate to easily as he has a younger brother himself. All three novels were fast paced and had plenty of narrative hooks to keep him going.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

I would absolutely recommend all three books. I would say that boys might find them more enjoyable than girls as they do seem to be written from a male perspective. Being a dog lover is not neccessary!

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

He would recommend them - they were all really very good books.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

Definitely 5 out of 5. Thank you for them! And we will definitely be buying more books from each of the three writers as we enjoyed these so much.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

Year 1 - read together

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

DD is 5.3yrs using ORT, stage 9 at school. These books are much simpler and easier than she is used to.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

She enjoyed the Lego one - What we do all day. She's not particularly interested in lego but quite enjoyed the pictures. She rolled her eyes at the "Stop that noise" book and said "EASY", but when I asked her if she liked anything about it she said she liked the pictures. The cake sale goo appealed to her mainly because of the goo/slime! Again, she found it easy and flew through it in less than 5 minutes.
She somewhat enjoyed the books.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

Unfortunately my daughter is reading well ahead of this level so the books weren't really appropriate, however any book with goo/slime is a hit! The pictures in all 3 books were good, with the lego and slime ones holding her interest the most. We would have loved these books a year ago.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

"I like them, the slime is funny" She now says she's not interested in the Lego one, but I could see was interested when she first saw it. She probably wouldn't choose it again. She said "(Stop that noise) is for babies".

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Yes, they are interesting books and are less boring than the school books we get (ORT), but we have read 90 of those and only 3 of these! I would definitely recommend parents try them out if they were looking for such books.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

Not old enough to be discussing books with her friends! She might take to 'goo' book to her cousin's house to show him.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

1. As good as these types of books come.

Just marking my place with a quick note that we arrived back from holiday today to these great books. DD was delighted and insisted that she read one straight away.

Will be back later in the weekend to do a proper review, but going by the first book - all will be positive

I had an email to say I had been picked but no books have arrived. I emailled but haven't heard anything. Just wondering what is happening? Would hate to think theyd gone to the wrong place or something.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

It was the Year 2 'learning to read' pack.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

They use the ORT scheme at school but DS finished these in Y1 and has been reading books of his own choice as reading books for about 6 months.
The variety of the books was good compared to the ORT ones, the fact that there were non-fiction as well as fiction titles.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

He has enjoyed reading most of them, but has found them too easy and this meant his interest faded pretty quickly. He is a good reader for his age but certainly not the best in his class. (He is 7 in October)

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

We liked them in the main, but as I said above found the majority of them too easy and also too short. I am going to try them with my youngest son, who is starting Y1 in September - think they maybe more suitable.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

Quoting from him 'I like most of them, but thought some of them were a bit boring. I didn't like the 'How To Be A Jedi' book. My favourites were the Fang Family ones.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

I wouldn't recommend them to another Y2 parent - but possibly a Y1 parent.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

No, he wouldn't - he didn't enjoy them enough.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

3 stars

Hello!

Firstly a big thanks to Pearson and Mumsnet for the books we received! We also got the wrong pack first (though my younger DS is loving them!) so this review is a little later than it would have been.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

• I think reading together - we got Meg and Mog, Each Peach Pear Plum and Dear Zoo

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

• N/a

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

• My DD (3.5) enjoyed reading them but I think they are too short for a bedtime story, we are now reading books that are quite a lot longer. However, she is starting to try and recognise letters so these were good for that. We had read a few of the books a while ago, though she had forgotten them, but I think they were probably a bit too young for her to really enjoy now.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

• I was pleased to receive the books, but feel that my younger child (18mo) will probably get more from them in a few months time than my DD. However she did really enjoy Meg and Mog, we have now read that several times and she can 'read' it back to me now!

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

• "I really like them, especially Meg and Mog and finding all the people in the Each Peach one"

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

• I'd definitely recommend these as part of your book collection, though I'd probably read them to a 2yo not a 3yo.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

• She's not really old enough

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

• 4*

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
There was no labelling, but I suppose it was for reading together. "The Secret Garden", "The Railway Children", and "Charlotte's Web". For a 6-7 year old. Golly. Many thanks to Pearson for the lovely mouse mat, though. We took the books on holiday and read some of them together.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
The school uses RWI (Read Write Inc), though is now coming to the end of the stages I think (end of Year2). The books sent were significantly more advanced than both the RWI course and the free readers from which dd is encouraged to choose in her classroom 'library'.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
Charlotte's Web went down a complete storm. She liked the copious illustrations, could read it herself with generally good understanding, and the chapters were just the right length for a bedtime reading. The olde worlde feel to it and USA vocabulary provoked some interesting discussions (and googling - middlings, anyone???). We both cried at the end. .
The Railway Children also worked well - fewer illustrations, so it seemed heavier going, and I couldn't convince dd to read it on her own, but it breaks up well into episodes, and she's looking forward to watching the film.
The Secret garden - well, I can't do a Yorkshire accent, and it dragged. We gave up in the end, to be honest. I think I read it when I was a bit older, so I'll put it away for a couple of years. I noticed it's 100 years old this year. Some bits don't chime too well with modern life, though I remember it fondly. Sorry we didn't get on better with this one.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
I like all the books. They are all books that, in my opinion, need to be read with a parent if tackled by a Y2/3 child, and the Secret Garden and the Railway Children take up a lot of time, too. All classics, but a bit of a 'worthy' selection - more what you'd expect to find on a Best Kids' Books Ever list than your child's wish list...

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
Charlotte's Web was very popular (and with ds aged 4, interestingly), as the different animal characters appealed. "Wilbur is really sweet and I wish I had a pig like him to look after too... it was interesting to learn about spiders too, but I still don't like them." As we've been holidaying on a farm, she really got into it. She liked the Railway Children, "because it's nice to listen to" - it seemed to put her to sleep, though! The Secret Garden was vetoed after a few readings.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Yes. All classics, but maybe to be read in more time than two weeks.... Nice editions, with appealing covers and decent sized font.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
Only one of the three, I suspect. I may update when she's back at school!

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
3/4 for a 6 year old, to be honest. Lovely books, that have stood the test of time, but a bit much as a bunch.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We were given 'my first word' and 'numbers'. Reading together as my daughter is only 14 months old

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school? N/a

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

My daughter was absolutely delighted with them, she loved looking at the pictures and kept going back to them. She especially liked the pictures of the dogs and other animals. She also enjoyed looking at things like hats and socks... She can relate to these items and points to her head and feet when she sees them.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

I was very impressed, they were bright and hard wearing. Dd managed to get weetabix on one page but it wiped clean very easily. The pictures of the animals particularly grabbed her attention and she kept returning to these pages over and over again. She was less impressed by things like shells and presents. Se doesn't really understand these objects and they are just not interesting to her. We enjoyed reading the books together although the counting sections were a bit pointless since she is so young, she was only interested in the pictures. I would have preferred 2 separate books, one for basic numbers for very young children and one for counting for the older ones.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack? N/a

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

They are good books but nothing hugely special that makes them different from any others on the Market. I think they are slightly expensive for what they are (if I were to buy them :)). I would probably recommend them.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not? Na
Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

4 - definitely good books that we really enjoyed, however, too many uninteresting pictures for my 14 month old and parts that were too complex for her (counting).

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We received the year 2 packs (dd has just finished year 1) and I guess they are ?Learning to read? although we read them together (well, dd read them to me )
We have finished the first pack ? Flips and Spins, Adventure Kids Chase in New York, Casper?s Scare School and Fun Festivals.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

Dd?s school use the Read, Write Inc program; they use a variety of books from different reading schemes (although lots of Biff and Kipper) but they categorise them according to the RWI program.
Dd has been slow to pick up reading and at the beginning of year one had little confidence, but she has really come on in the last few months and read this first set with no difficulty at all. Looking at some of the later packs ? she will find these a challenge, but as she is not yet in year two I think this is only to be expected.

We both loved the fact that the books are very different to the ones she brings home from school.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

Dd loved reading these books. She was aware that this was a year two pack, and so was proud that she managed to read them so well. (I won?t tell her that many of the previous reviewers thought that they were too easy )
She said that she liked the Flips and Spins book best ? but this is not a surprise as she loves gymnastics.
She has enjoyed both the fiction and non-fiction books and has been keen to read them again.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

This is a really engaging pack that has boosted my dd?s confidence ? she is raring to go with the other books (we are limiting to one book a day to try and eek out the packs to last until she starts back at school).

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

Dd says that she wants to take the books into her new class teacher in September to show him that ?school books can be fun and interesting you know!?

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Yes - I have already agreed to loan the packs, as dd finishes them to one of her friends who is at a similar reading ability.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

Dd has been raving about the Flips and Spins book and read it to her friend who came over to play on Sunday

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

5 out of 5, without a doubt ? looking forward to reading the next sets!

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
Year two/p3 books. "Cars, Cars, Cars", "Rainforest Adventure", "Yun and the Ice Spirit", "Can you do this". These were learning to read books I think.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
At school, the Oxford Reading Tree books Biff and Chip which ds enjoys. These Pearson books were also good. The books were interesting and enjoyable.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
My son was able to read about 65% of the book by himself. My older son 8 enjoyed reading them as well.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
We really enjoyed the books thank you.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
My boys enjoyed the books. The Can you was great hit as they tried to do the tasks.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Yes, I would. Lovely books

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
He would probably, but I'm not sure how much boys talk about books with their friends ;)

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

5 out of 5.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We reviewed the pre-school pack which included three good sized picture books: Dear Zoo, Each Peach Pear Plum, and Meg & Mog. Im assuming we are in the "reading together" panel, as DD is 2.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
N/A

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

DD already has "Each Peach Pear Plum" and "Dear Zoo" in board book version, (presents for her 1st birthday), so she is well familiar with them. I have noticed while previously reading EPPP together, she was not as interested in the book as it has a white background with quite subtle illustrations, wheras many other childrens books tend to have coloured backgrounds with bright pictures. However, when she realised that it was ryhming, and that you could find the characters hidden in the pictures, she developed a real interest in the book. "Dear Zoo" is one of her favourite books as she loves animals and the different sounds they make. She also loves tearing lifting the flaps to see whats underneath. Meg & Mog was encountered for the first time. She did sit the whole way through it and listened, and when asked, did appear to know roughly what was happening in the story (eg meg falling, cooking spiders in the pot). I have noticed though, that she hasn't picked it up to have a look by herself, wheras Dear Zoo was instant love/want to read this with mummy/daddy/grandma/over and over again. Some books are slow-growers on DD though, such as some helen cooper books she had and now loves to bits, so Meg & Mog is yet to be rated by her I think.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

Overall, (and if we didnt already have two of the books), I would be thrilled at how much DD enjoys them - I still am, but of course the thrill of the first two has worn thin now that I've read them 600 times each . At the cost of sounding ungrateful, I was quite surprised that EPPP and Dear Zoo were included in a send out for review, as I would have thought these books were childrens classics and were sure-fire hits with both children and parents.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

*Loves Dear Zoo alone and together and EPPP is quite high up there with a read together book. Meg & Mog was enjoyed reading together, but not alone yet. A friend read Meg and Mog to her son (also 2) who LOVED it.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to anther parent? Why/why not?

Yes, without hesitation, as they have been the reason of many happy moments together/alone for DD.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

DD is only 2, but if she could I'm sure she'd reccomend Dear Zoo

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

5

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We got the Yellow and blue bug club pack, Year 1 learning to read.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

Ds reads ORT at school. The books are on a par content wise, they have just the right amount of words per page so not to scare him but the content was much better, he was interested in the content and was actually interested.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

Ds loved reading them as he could relate to the content, lego, dinosaurs etc

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

loved them, a good variety of topics

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

"i liked the dinosaur and lego book"

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

I would, I got sent the year 2 books by accident and my dd who is 8 and a terrible reader has actually picked up a book from the year 2 set and has enjoyed reading them, her confidence has came on leaps and bounds and i think its because they are exciting and not boring and mundane.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

I have had a few of ds friends in playing as its the (very wet) summer holidays and the books have been kept in the lounge and his friends have actually picked them up and read some of them to me.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

5 star, particulary the year 2 books sent by accident that have helped dd!

OK, DS has now read all the books, and we finally had time to have a proper chat about them, so can finally give some feedback!

Many thanks once again to Pearson: DS loved being 'chosen' to give feedback on the books and is really looking forward to future packs arriving over the coming months

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We received the whole set of Bug Club Year 2 books ...for which many many thanks, and hence the slight delay in providing full feedback as DS was determined to read all 24 and discuss properly before I was allowed to respond! The books are "learning to read".

DS (currently age 5, turns 6 next week) is going into Yr 2 in September, so I wasn't sure what to expect. He read all 24 books completely on his own :)

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

DS' school use a mixture of schemes. The Orange/Turquise and Purple packs all seemed a bit simpler/easier than the books DS has been reading at school at the end of Year 1. Each book took about 5 minutes, which is a bit short. The Gold/White and Lime packs were a bit more challenging but still too short.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

He very much enjoyed almost all the books. He thought the subject matter of the non-fiction books was well chose and interesting, even the ones that he commented were 'too easy' such as 'Fun Festivals' and the books about animals and the environment.

DS hugely enjoyed most of the fiction books with the exception of 'Caspar'. I think there is a general issue with basing reading books on television characters in that a) not all children will be aquainted with the characters and b) it suggests tv watching is somehow necessary and c) in my experience books based on television series are frequently less well structured and more infantile than non-franchise fiction.

The exception to this would be the Jedi book; although DS had no idea what or who a Jedi was, the book was very well structured and clearly conceived - even though he won't be watching the Star Wars films for some time...

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

Great subject matter, but the actual books were too simple/easy. Fantastic mix of fiction/non fiction and impressively non-gender specific.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack

He loved almost all the books but thought they were 'too easy'. He would have liked most of the books to go on for longer and to go into more detail.

The exception was the 'chase in...' series - he loved the first one (Chase in NY) but pointed out that the plot of the second (Chase in the Rainforest) was almost identical (ie there's a 'twist' at the end in both) and he was disappointed as he had been looking forward to the second book.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

I think they would make great Year 1 reading.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

Mostly not, although most of ds' friends would also love the subject content. Having said that, DS has donated quite a few to a collection I made for families made homeless by the recent London riots as he thought they might help cheer up those children who had lost all their toys etc

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent.

3/5 : subject matter was fantastic, but the actual reading level was too low.

We're looking forward to the next pack!

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review?
We received Year 1/ P2 Panel books

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
My son has just finished Reception and they use the Ginn and Biff & Chips reading scheme. I found these books had a very similar amount of words however my son enjoyed the Pearson non fiction books much more as the pictures are excellent and my son especially liked the Lego and Shaun the Sheep books.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
Yes, he liked the familiar characters like Shaun the Sheep and Lego. He is picking up the books and reading them to himself which he doesn't with his reading books from school. Also he is asking to read them together.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
I think it is a fantastic book pack with a wide variety of subjects that appeal to children. I especially like the notes at the front and back of the book and found them really helpful.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
My son loves the books as they are fun to read and loves looking at the pictures

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Certainly, they are a great resource for teaching children to read and are fun and interesting. There is a good variety of different books to choose from and would appeal to both girls and boys

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
Yes because he is really enjoying reading them

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
5 stars as we are really enjoying reading the books.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We got 'reading together' with Fat Lawrence, Cosmo and the Pirates and Robodog

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

N/A - not learning to read. They use ORT, and I think these were slightly better in some ways.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

She enjoyed two of them very much but (as a 'girly' girl!) she felt Robodog was 'for boys'. She only liked 'Cosmo..' as they had just done a pirate project at school!

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

I thought it was lovely - well presented, good mix of words and pictures, ideal for 5-7 year olds.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

she says' I liked the stories but not Robodog. I know nearly all of the words. The pictures are very colourful'

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

I think I would, because they are distinctive and the right length for bedtime/to stop boredom creeping in.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

I don;t think she is quite old enough to think about that

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

I would say 4

Olivesandfeta - sorry for not picking this up sooner - Pearson are on the case and will re-send you a pack.

Can I just add that £6.99 isnt bad value at all for the pack we tested (read alone 5-6), given that its 3 books. I would love to co-ordinate grandparents to chip and and order lots at xmas, for both kids. I would actually have bought another pack based on how much we liked this one, if it wasnt for the p+p!

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We got a reading together pack - I assume. We got 3 hefty paperbacks. Charlotte's Web, The Secret Garden, The The littlest Prince.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

Yes, although they are very challenging. She is 6 so Charlotte's web has taken weeks. We have done some reading to her and she has read it to herself.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

It's very nice, the books look good and they are fine. Can't honestly say they were hugely impressive, classic paperbacks are pretty well covered I guess.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

DD1 liked the book, she liked the sketched pictures.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Sure, although they may find cheaper in a bargain type bookshop.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

She would, she really enjoyed the story and the very grown up book.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

1. I'd probably give more when dd is older. These were not great for actually 'teaching' or learning to read, but obviously rich in story and story time value. We were able to do some interesting guided reading and expansion activities, but there were no actual prompts to do this. So these are straight paperbacks rather than a purpose designed tool.

oooh, can we have treedeliverys books next time please?! DS would love reading those (although I agree would need some help) and would make a nice change for the next set!

Umm. Sorry. Didn't mean to presume. Very grateful and all that...

Ooo actually we got The Railway Chldren not The Littlest Prince.

Actually having looked at them again they are pretty good looking books. They are £7.99 each though, which is a fair bit imo.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

Y1 Learning to Read as DS is 5.7 and going into Year One in September. A nice number of books, seventeen in total, hence the delay in reviewing. We had to go over them a few times and be thorough.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

These books are mostly lovely stories, really bright and colourful and very diverse subjects, but perhaps a bit simple in comparison to what he reads at school. One difference is the inclusion of character stories with popular TV show characters, and even a book about toys on the market, namely Lego.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

As discussed with my little boy this morning, he said he knew all the words and that they were a bit too easy for him. I do agree, but he is quite an advanced reader for his age, so it is more than likely that another child of a similar age would not only find these books entertaining, but also educational.

Particularly enjoyed for their subject matter were the Dinosaur book and the Under the Sea book, it would appear DS preferred the non-fiction to the stories, so it is good that there is a selection.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

The books have been lovely to have, my five year old read them alone at bedtimes and my three year old, always eager to join in, had them read to her, they were a perfect length for a short bedtime story and also as an introduction to reading books.

I was not fond of the Lego book as it provoked nagging for me to go out and buy products and felt that the text didn't flow particularly well.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

As aforementioned, he said that the books were a little bit too easy and his favourites were about creatures. He would have liked some more words in them, and maybe some harder words too.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Definitely. It's really useful to be able to get hold of low cost reading books to support their learning and encourage enjoyment of books. I have shown some other mums these books already, and had extended use out of them with both of my children.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

I think he would, he definitely enjoyed them.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

I would give a four star. Whilst we enjoyed the character books, with Shaun the Sheep and Wallace and Grommit, I really didn't enjoy the whinging session when I didn't immediately go out and bring home Lego toys, and this did diminish some of my enjoyment of the books (and caused a tantrum).

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

Reading together. We had 'Woof' by Allen Ahlberg, 'The legend of the Worst Boy in the World' by Eoin Colfer and 'The Hundred Mile An Hour Dog' by Jeremy Strong.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

N/A

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

Yes, although they are more complex than the books I would usually read to him. He particularly enjoyed The Worst Boy in the World - I think it was because he is one of three brothers and could associate with the characters. He is still used to reading picture story books so I struggled to keep his attention for Woof and he was keen to turn the pages to look for the next pictures.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

I really liked the selection, particularly Woof as we have read and enjoyed his books for younger readers such as Burglar Bill, Cops and Robbers and Funnybones so it was nice to 'go up a gear' so to speak. They were a nice middle ground between traditional/classics and the fantasy/sci fi books.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

My five year old has enjoyed the books but at the moment would still rather read a book with lots of illustrations.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

I would recommend them but I think they would be more suited to a 6/7 year old.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

N/A

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

I would give the pack 4 stars, they are lovely group of stories.