Know It All Readers

These books are easy readers with interesting non-fictional topics: natural disasters, mummies, and mysterious creatures. Because these subjects are so fascinating to many adults, students who have never done any previous reading in science will likely wish to read these books. They are rewarded with fairly large print and many wonderful, full-coloured illustrations and photographs to provide both interest and contextual clues to the accompanying text. In addition, there is an enriched vocabulary list in each reader, with easy, short explanations.

Volcanoes and Other Natural Disasters discusses famous and not-so-famous earthquakes, avalanches, bushfires, erupting volcanoes, tidal waves, flash floods, and hurricanes. The book is organized with short articles that tell about a particular natural disaster that has occurred in history: for example, it includes the story of Pompeii, the San Francisco earthquake, and the 1887 flooding of China’s Great Plain.

Beastly Tales details the folklore and fact surrounding some of the world’s most famous mysterious creatures: the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman; Bigfoot; and the Loch Ness Monster. Secrets of the Mummies goes into detail about Egyptian, Incan, and Sicilian mummies, and modern examples of mummification are discussed.

The reading levels of the Know It All Readers are given as Grades 1 to 4; unfortunately for adult readers, these levels are printed right on the front cover of each book. However, I found that my students didn’t appear to notice or be bothered by this, and other instructors recommend that one could easily cover these reading levels with stickers.

I liked these books for their high-interest value and their ease of reading. Adult students who are struggling readers will find that the pictures and the fascinating details keep them reading to the end. I also believe that these books are appropriate for a wide range of reading abilities because they don’t look like “easy readers.” Because of the factual nature of the material, and the maturity of the illustrations, even more advanced readers will find the material appealing, interesting, and appropriate.