School of monsters: Snow for Heti by Sally Rippin. Illus. by Chris Kennett

There are over 20 titles in the School of Monsters series now and they are a staple on school library and home shelves around the world. Sally Rippin has nailed a series that intentionally engages children with the sounds of words and with written language. Designed to start as shared reading material, they encourage children to first predict the simple rhyming word at the end of each page before moving to an understanding of the way those sounds are represented with letters. The words are mostly decodable and as children develop their phonics knowledge they will be able to read more and more of the story themselves. There are also a scattering of words which are not decodable but frequently taught as red/heart/tricky/surprising/non-decodable words. Large bold writing, as well as having the last word of each page in a different colour makes these approachable for young children but they are also chapter-book like so will also appeal to older reluctant readers or those facing reading challenges. 

In this instalment, Heti the Yeti tells her friends how she misses the snowy land she comes from. Her friends want to help her so Mary tries a few different spells. After a few failed attempts, one of the spells is a success and the friends enjoy some fresh, white snow. 

At the end of the book is the usual parent information about using the books as well as the much-loved 'how to draw' page that shows readers how to draw Heti. Fans new and old will love this new title. 

Themes: Beginner Reader, Decodables, Rhyming Book, Friendship.

Nicole Nelson