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

Also got my pack on Friday. Two lift-the-flap noise-making books which on initial reads I think might be a bit babyish for my 2yo, and a repeat of the Colours and Opposites board books which we got before (and liked). I have kept the latter in their shrink wrap and kept the return label too.

Thanks Ann!

Got ours yesterday.
We also received a set that we were sent last time, and also the delivery note says we are 1 pack down because they are out of stock.
We did get a pack that we can review so will do that in the week.

I got the same pack as before and the same lift the flap books as Lexilicious for my 2 1/2 yr old. I feel these are babyish for him and have left them all in their wrapping.

My kids were really excited when we got our second pack delivered on Saturday. However we also got sent exactly the same books as last time so there is nothing new to review. Very disappointing...........

Got mine and same as everyone else - same pack as last time and also a new pack.

Hi, just thought I would be constructive and review the new-to-us pack of three Colour Young Puffin Titles we received last week - Fat Lawrence, The Robodog and Cosmo and the Pirates.

1.DD is nearly 6 but by no means a fluent reader yet, so these books are above her current level, although she is able to pick out words she knows. Says on the back of books 'just perfect for beginner readers' but would challenge that. However, would expect that by the end of Year 1 she should be able to cope with this level of book quite well.
However, they have gone down reassonably as bedtime reading stories for me to read to her (with a bit of cajoling...)

3.She was excited at the prospect of some new books to read and that they included colour pictures (it's one of her main bugbears about reading books for older children - not having any pictures and dense text!).

But she was disappointed with the titles - she said they looked like "boys' books". When she did settle down for bedtime stories though, she did actually quite enjoy Fat Lawrence but not the other two so much. Think that's because we have a cat and she could relate the story to real life!

Without wanting to sound sexist (although I probably will), I would never have chosen any of these titles from the library or a books shop because I would regard them as primarily for boys just by dint of their subject matter. DD likes Harry Potter etc so is not totally focused on frou-frou, girly, pink and fairy type things. At 2 - 4 years old she might have quite liked them but not at the age she is now.

Also, think because she has a much older sibling she is used to listening to much more grown-up stories as bedtime reads - the last book we completed was Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine just to give you an idea of what she is capable of listening to and understanding.

1. I would consider buying for boy or a tomboyish girl of DD's age if I thought they could use them with practising their emerging reading skills. As a bedtime story I think I would have to consider how mature the child was and what type of books they liked.

1. "Why didnt' they send me girls' books?"

1. Yes, depending on the child - more likely to recommend for parents' of boys than girls to be quite honest though.

1. Not sure that she would recommend them, but only because they are not really her type of books!

1. I would give them 4/5 for children in general but they just didn't really appeal to DD. However, I liked very much that they were in a grown-up book format but with colour pictures - a good transition phase book for 5 - 7 year olds...

PS Awaiting further instructions on what to do with repeat pack of books also received last week

Thanks all - I've been discussing this with Pearson and they are going to email you all directly...I've passed on your comments and your email address (we had your permission for this for this project) and it seemed easier for them to handle the issues directly. MN names have not been passed on. They will only email you about this problem and future emails will come from MNHQ.

I received my pack today. I received the purple pack which we already had and a gold pack

hi ann
i have also recieved a duplicate pack of the ones i had last time as well
we have the bug club gold set to try this time round, sports day snack attack,you CAN try this at home,sick as a parrot and going into space.

I can honestly say that dd has had to be bribed encouraged to read this pack as in her own words "these are boys books" she has had no trouble reading the text in them though it has taken her longer to read than the last set we recieved so i would say thay are age appropriate though not at all interesting to her.

Her favourite book out of the 4 was you CAN try this at home which had some interesting experiments she could try out much to her amusement and my kitchen took some cleaning after that !!!!!!!

without sounding ungreatful please please please on bended knees can we have some more "girly" books to try next time.

Hello, I have received duplicate books, plus a new set of three which my little boy is very impressed with. We'll post a review when he's read them through a couple of times.

Although we also received a pack of duplicates, we also received LOADS of lovely new ones!! getting through them and will review soon. Thank you!

As I said, Pearson will email you about this and I'd really like you to liaise with them....otherwise I am just passing on messages etc - they will be in touch shortly
A

Thanks for the update Ann, I'll watch out for an email from Pearson.

Hello

I got duplicate too - The Railway Children, Charlotte's Web and another one. Should I email them directly or something Annmumsnet? So you aren't a message runner?

As to the other set, we recieved Chocolate, a book about Mummies and a reading book. They are reading books banded as 'purple'. Dd1 has read the two non-fiction books and really enjoyed them, had no trouble with the actual reading and was very interested to learn new things. So I am happy with them, although they aren't 'challenging' as such.

I probably would buy more books along these lines, I liked the idea of dd reading for knowledge, and she enjoys that way more than reading for a story. I'd be tempted to move up a band or maybe two, I'd have to see them. She is yr 2, I have no idea how the banding compares to the generic standardised banding.

So impressed with the reading pack, and my comments on the duplicate have already been made. One extra comment - why on earth are two of the books one size and style, then Charlotte's Web is larger and a different colour? Seems a bit odd.

So, the email says we can do what we like with the duplicates; does anyone want to swop? Our duplicate pack is Shaun the Sheep/ Zip and Zap/ Dinosaur - which went down very well last time with a 5.5 yr old! Happy to swop for anything aimed at this age or older

I seem to have been lucky enough to get the right books this time around! I got Colours and Opposites last time, this time I got Words and Numbers.

There was also a note in my pack that some Phonic books were out of stock and would be delivered later... Please don't! DD is only 15 months old! A bit young for phonics.

Reviewing the Words and Numbers books...

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: My First Words and My First Numbers.

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 seemed to enjoy them. They're bright, colourful and about the right size for her to handle. She found the (card) pages a bit sticky at first, but once we'd loosened them all up she was turning them ok.

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

I was reasonably impressed by the two books. They're good quality and seem robust enough to stand up to a toddler that's just learnt to tear paper and still likes to gnaw on things.

For the most part the content was good. I had a few things to comment on that I shall try and recall from memory, since I haven't currently got the books with me to reference.

For the Numbers book, it skipped the teens but had a page for twenty. Either include the teens or omit the twenty, it currently just makes it feel like numbers are missing! My DH (an accountant) did appreciate the early introduction to simple mathmatics later in the book.

For the Words book, there seemed to be an awful lot of things on every page, I think DD was a bit confused by the sheer quantity. The pictures for Television and Vacuum Cleaner seemed very out dated, and for the bathroom page why was there no Sink but a Razor?? I know which one my DD is more likely to be using!

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

Given the fact that we had to take one with us to the supermarket as she wouldn't put it down, I'm guessing she likes them!

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

I probably would, but I might point out their flaws and suggest checking for any alternatives.

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

DD isn't 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

We'll go for a 4 this time around. They were good, but not quite as good as the Colours/Opposites 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 received the Fun with Phonics set, which includes 3 book and DVD sets: Letters and Sounds, Handwriting and Reading. This is a learning to read pack.

DD1 has just turned 5 but I am also using them with DD2 who is almost 3.

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 DVDs are good and feature Pui from CBeebies fame, which is great for the girls as they are fans. The books that come with the reading set are good and are a similar level to the beginners learning to read books. DD1 is reading at a higher level than this now but she enjoyed looking at them. DD2 is very interested and has been learning her phonics with the Letters and Sounds DVD, which comes with a poster with all the letter characters. I can see that DD2 will get a lot of use out of these as she learns more phonics and works towards reading.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
The DVDs were enjoyed by both DDs. DD1 particularly liked the Handwriting pack as there was a good practice book which she has used. The phonics pack also came with an activity book which DD1 enjoyed completing.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
I think this set would be excellent for pre-schoolers learning phonics (the Letters and Sounds one) and for pre-schoolers or reception children learning to read and write (all 3). It would be good if this could be tied in with the Alphablocks series on CBeebies as both DDs love watching this too.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
Both DDs enjoyed the DVDs and activity books. The poster has allowed DD1 to play being a teacher and teach DD2 her letters!

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Yes, as above.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
DD1 would recommend them to her friends, and she must have done already as one parent has already asked me about the phonics DVD!

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*

We've received three Colour Young Puffin Titles - Fat Lawrence, The Robodog and Cosmo and the Pirates.

So far we are reading the Dick King Smith book as he was a favourite author of mine, so I liked to see these books still going strong for my children and would definitely love to see more of this in other books available.

At 5.9 he is an above average reader who has just gone into Year One. These books are suiting him much better than the previous ones. He reads them aloud to me, is encouraged to try words he doesn't recognise, and then I will tell him the word if he still doesn't get it. There are a few words in each chapter that are challenging him: though, receive, accustomed, roughly, seldom, previous, heave and hoist in the first chapter for example. A few he managed to work out himself and others I had to help with, we have highlighted them now so he knows he has to learn them, and I will sit with him and get the definitions of them to encourage understanding as well as repetition.

There is a much better amount of text to the pages in each book and I am glad to be able to introduce the idea of chapters in books to his reading, it means he doesn't read it all in one sitting and is being challenged to think and understand more whilst he reads, so definitely using more concentration and getting more involved in the story. The pictures are all lovely and interesting, they definitely add to the experience of the book.

Will answer the rest of the questions when we're done.

I have passed the Yr 1 reading pack to a friend to review so I am reviewing three Puffin books we received.

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

Puffin books - The Hundred Mile An Hour Dog, Woof! and The legend of the worst boy in the world. I don't know what the intended use is but for us they are definately read together as they are way beyond capability of ds who is 5.11 and just starting year 1.

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?

He was a little perturbed when he saw the lack of colourful pictures but I think the more complex, interesting stories soon meant he didn't care.

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

I normally read picture story books to ds at bedtime (The little red train etc) so thoroughly enjoyed reading something more entertaining and interesting.

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

Ds absolutely loved The Hundred Mile An Hour Dog with a passion. He says it is the best book he has ever heard and did great big belly laughs at certain parts. He has asked for it a second time but I am trying to get through the others first.
We are currently reading Woof! Ds says it is ok but not as good as the other one. I think he preferred the humour in the first book, this is slower paced. He has outright refused to read The legend of the worst boy in the world. I think it could be the title that has put him off. Horrid Henry upsets him, he hates anything where he thinks people will be naughty and get told off. I will try and encourage him as it looks good.

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

Yes. The H. M. A. H. Dog one in particular was the perfect funny introduction into chapter story books.

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

He has already told me he would. He wants all his friends to read his favourite new story though I don't think Woof! is as big a success.

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 H. M. A. H. Dog 5 stars as it has been a runaway hit. Woof! maybe 3 as it has not grabbed him in the same way. If he ever reads book number three I will let you know!

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
Young puffins 5-7s chapter books. Worst boy in the world, Woof and Hundred Mile an Hour Dog. Reading together.

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

DS was pleased he could read the titles. He chose to start with "Worst Boy" as he liked the cover picture and it was shortest. "Woof" looks very long. After 1 chapter of WB he wanted a second straight away. He has been scared while we were reading it as he empathised with the lead character in danger.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
nice chapter books, good for reading aloud at bedtime. It remains to be seen if Woof really is too long and we lose interest half way through 21 chapters. They seem a long way off for DS to be reading these independently , but maybe in a year he will be. They look like a "boy" pack. all lead characters are boys. I'm fine with this, DS is also a boy.

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 or 4

I have just received a new pack which contains the books I have already received and reviewed. There is a set of new ones too. Shall I just review the new ones? Should I send the repeated ones back or rehouse them?

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

Read at Home Purple Pack. Books in this pack were "All about Mummies", "Chocolate", "Ben 10"and "Pete's Peculiar Petshop".

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 books were a bit harder that those DD is currently reading at school. She has just started P2 (equivalent of Year1) and although she understood at lot of the words and could sound out most that she didn't know, there were too many words that needed sounded out to make it comfortable for her to read alone. She uses ORT at school.

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

The books were a big hit with both DD and her younger brother (3). They really enjoyed the non fiction books and find it interesting to learn new things. The mummies book was especially appreciated as they have a playmobil pyramid and this book made things more real to them and inspired their imaginations in their play.

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

Both myself and DD enjoyed these books. We would not normally have chosen Ben 10 as it is not something that she ever watches but it went down well and we would read more like this. It is nice to get interesting non fiction books at an appropriate level. The least interesting was the Pet shop book although the pictures were funny.

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

In my daughters words!! "Brilliant books but a bit too hard for me to read on my own"

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

Yes I would recommend them, particularly the non fiction titles.

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

Yes. DD states that her pal at school would love the Ben 10 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

4 out of 5. Books were great but not quite at the correct level for P2.

I didn't receive the new pack (or the accidental repeats) yet. Should I worry?

review by child aged 5

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
Books: The Cake Sale Goo, Basil Brush, Lego City. Learning to read, 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?
We use ort at school. I dont like ort particularly, although my kids do like the repetition of familiar characters. The Pearson books are much more varied, and with more eyecatching pictures.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
I think not as much as the last pack; he was a bit put off as the words are slightly too tricky for him. Of the three, the cake sale goo appealed to him most.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
I think they are all appealing, but much harder than the last set. We ended up using them as a read -to-child set, rather than him reading to me. The lego one was particularly hard for him, because of all the 'bits' to read rather than a straight narrative.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
'Cake sale goo is good; I like sniffer. Lego is rubbish, it's just he does this he does that.'

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
I think I would, because i like their appearance, and because the last set went down so well.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
I really dont know; he's not really at the recommending stage yet! I think he would tell friends that the cake one was good?

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