An enjoyable family trip to picnic and swim includes a rousing water tag game with Ed, Nell, and their parents. Ed and Nell put on their swim fins and have lots of fun jumping into the water from dad’s shoulders and then playing water tag. This charming, advanced easy reader promotes literacy success through simple words, short sentences, and lots of child-inspired dialogue depicted in gaily illustrated pages.

Nell makes and flies a paper airplane, setting off a series of unexpected events in a hilarious story that reminds children of their experiences with accidents. In this advanced easy reader, the well-illustrated expressions on the red hen’s face leave no doubt she is upset. The events open opportunities to teach children to build a paper airplane and discussion points about accidents and ways to make pets feel better when scared.

A timeless story about teamwork in sports, winners, and losers introduces the advanced early reader to words with similar sounds, words with more than one syllable, and words that begin with the rarely seen letter Z. This little book is packed with excellent situations that are beautifully illustrated and spark discussion about feelings and appropriate behavior whether one loses or wins.

In a fun game of soccer, Ed is cautioned to be careful when he goes into a mud puddle to retrieve the soccer ball. Ed ignores the warning and kicks the ball while standing on a rock. He loses his balance and falls, banging his arm. This precautionary tale includes opportunities to discuss safety tips. Crisp illustrations in bright primary colors and lively dialogue keep children turning the pages in this energetic advanced easy reader.