Scholastic Branches: Leaping from Early Reader to Chapter Books + Giveaway #ScholasticBranches

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Scholastic who provided samples and prizing. The opinions and text are all mine. You can read my full disclosure policy here. 

We are avid readers in this house. I’ve been reading to my kids since they were babies and thankfully it stuck! They’ve always got a book with them. This week happens to be Book Fair week at our school and so we once again are adding to our library with Scholastic.

Here’s my son Leo at the Scholastic Book Fair, shopping for some new reads! He’s at a tricky age and stage to find the right books. He’s in first grade and a great little reader, so the Early Readers are not really challenging enough for him, and chapter books are a bit too much text for him.

Thankfully Scholastic has realized there’s a need to bridge this gap from picture book to chapter book for our young learners around the ages of 5-8, and they have an awesome new set of books, Scholastic BRANCHES.

BRANCHES are specifically designed to move newly independent readers from picture books to chapter books while keeping them engaged and entertained. We were sent the first book in each of 14 series and my son is eating these up! You can find a complete list of each of the series, the books in each series, and info on word count, reading level, and more right here.

There’s just the right balance of pictures and large-print text that make them easy to read on his own. I also love that there’s something for EVERY kid, a great variety of books that will appeal to all readers. And each is a series, so once they find one that they like, they can keep reading and enjoying their favorite characters!

Branches books help your child get a head-start on his or her reading career! Each book includes: easy-to-read text, simple plot lines, plenty of context cues, cliffhanger chapter endings, and purposeful illustrations (on every page!) that aid in reading comprehension.  Feeling like a successful reader will bolster your child’s self-confidence, which will lead to an increased interest in reading.

• The Branches line is solely made up of series. Young readers love to return to their favorite characters again and again—because that is how they build reading stamina and confidence!

• There is a Branches book for every kid! According the Kids and Parents Reading Report™: Fifth Edition 73% of kids believe that they would read more if they could find more books that they like. With 14 different series and counting Branches delivers on providing kids with plenty of choices, so every reader can find the perfect book for them.  Does your kid love to laugh? Perfect! There is the zany and hilarious Kung Pow Chicken. Does your reader love a fantastical adventure? Dragon Masters has it all: Dragons, a Dragon Stone, a king, a wizard, and magic! How about a spooky story? Eerie Elementary will have your young readers on the edge of their seats!

Each Branches book is chock-full of loveable, relatable characters! And all of the books explore relevant themes for readers ages 5-8 like friends, school, magic, and adventure—ensuring that each book will grab your young readers’ attention!

Leo has already read a couple of these books and so far the favorite is The Notebook of Doom. I had him read to me a bit and I really got a kick out of this book too! They definitely grab kids and keep them wanting more. When he finishes a book we check out this Scholastic After-Reading Guide to answer some fun questions about what he read. He loves to be ‘quizzed’!

You can learn more about this awesome new set of books on the Scholastic BRANCHES website. Be sure to follow Scholastic on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram to stay up to speed with their latest news.

Scholastic is generously offering one of my readers a prize pack of Scholastic BRANCHES, too! There are 4 titles included in the prize. Here’s some more info about each of them:

OWL DIARIES: Eva’s Treetop Festival

Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she decides to create a Bloomtastic Festival at school. Even with her best friend Lucy’s help, there is no way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled? This owl-dorable series will appeal to girls who love stories about animals and friendship!

KUNG POW CHICKEN: Let’s Get Cracking!

Gordon Blue was just an ordinary second grader—until he became the SUPERHERO known as Kung Pow Chicken. Now Gordon must put his SUPERPOWERS to the test…. He is having a blast at the Fowl Festival, but then POOF! Feathers fill the air and naked chickens fill the streets. Is the EVIL Granny Goosebumps up to no good? Kung Pow Chicken is about to find out!

EERIE ELEMENTARY: The School is Alive!

Sam Graves discovers that his elementary school is ALIVE! Sam finds this out on his first day as the school hall monitor. Sam must defend himself and his fellow students against the evil school! Is Sam up to the challenge? He’ll find out soon enough: the class play is just around the corner. Sam teams up with friends Lucy and Antonio to stop this scary school before it’s too late!

DRAGON MASTERS: Rise of the Earth Dragon

Eight-year-old Drake is snatched up by King Roland’s soldier and taken to the castle. He learns that he is to be trained as a Dragon Master. At the castle, he is joined by three other young Dragon Masters-in-training: Ana, Rori, and Bo. The Dragon Masters must learn how to connect with and train their dragons—and they must also uncover their dragons’ special powers. Does Drake have what it takes to be a Dragon Master? What is his dragon’s special power?

These books are so fun, and there’s something here for every interest. This giveaway is open to US residents ages 18+ only and will end at 11:59pm ET on October 27, 2015.

Good luck!