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I Like to Read

3, 2, 1, Go!

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Fly into fun with a determined girl engineer named Min who finds a clever way to join her big sister's games. This Level G book is perfect for young readers building their vocabulary and skills!

Big Sister Ann and her friend Bess are playing school—and Min wants to join in. But Ann tells Min she's not ready for school. "Here is the line." says Ann, "You may not step over it."

Min doesn't give up so easily, though—she finds a rock and a board, some rope and a tube, and builds herself a catapult and rocket. Launching herself into the air and over the line, Min ends up in the middle of the playdate without stepping over the line.

Beginning readers will cheer underdog Min's triumphant landing in this easy-to-read book that celebrates ingenuity and perseverance. Detailed watercolor illustrations by Caldecott medalist Emily Arnold McCully showcase the budding engineer's brilliant plan. They'll all play rocket scientists instead!

The award-winning I Like to Read® series focuses on guided reading levels A through G, based upon Fountas and Pinnell standards. Acclaimed author-illustrators--including winners of Caldecott, Theodor Seuss Geisel, and Coretta Scott King honors—create original, high quality illustrations that support comprehension of simple text and are fun for kids to read with parents, teachers, or on their own!

For early-to-mid first grade readers, Level G books feature more complex storylines than prior levels, and a wider variety of structure and punctuation. Illustrations offer support for decoding the more challenging vocabulary words introduced.

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

2 people are currently reading
28 people want to read

About the author

Emily Arnold McCully

191 books74 followers
Emily Arnold McCully received the Caldecott Medal for Mirette on the High Wire. The illustrator of more than 40 books for young readers, she divides her time between Chatham, New York, and New York City.

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5 stars
14 (10%)
4 stars
39 (28%)
3 stars
62 (44%)
2 stars
21 (15%)
1 star
3 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Turrean.
910 reviews20 followers
February 23, 2015
A clever story about some young friends playing school. They've excluded a younger child, who proceeds to invent a creative way to circumvent their rules. The story has a cute Max & Ruby vibe that readers will enjoy.

While the older kids drill math facts and how to spell, the younger child builds and creates. That makes this the perfect story to share with education "reformers," too ;-)
48 reviews
September 9, 2018
In this counting book it starts off with a story of an elephants names Ann and Bess. Ann and Bess were playing school and Ann was the teacher, Bess was the student. Another elephant Min came along and wanted to play but the other elephants said she couldn't play. While Ann and Bess were playing school and practicing counting, Min built a cannon to shoot herself over the other elephants. Min was in the cannon and counted down from ten before flying over the other elephants. I did not really care for this book but if a student enjoys elephants and cannons this would be a great book for them. However I did like how the book practiced counting down from ten. This book would be appropriate for kindergarten.
Profile Image for Cam.
1,212 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2018
Not really a beginners book ... I would say perfect for a 1st or 2nd grader!
Profile Image for Joy Lane.
823 reviews9 followers
January 28, 2019
AR 0.9 & 0.5 pts
it's hard to write an engaging story for this level. I also loved the cleverness of Min.
9 reviews13 followers
April 25, 2022
I kind of dig this book about Min who really crosses the line at school! But it went waaayyyy over Aya's head.
Profile Image for Molly.
3,218 reviews
July 15, 2023
This was surprisingly cute, and managed to bring in STEM elements without that being what it was about. Subtly done and effective. And elephants are cute.
Profile Image for Teresa Bateman.
Author 39 books54 followers
February 14, 2015
Part of the "I Like to Read" series, this easy-reader picture book by Caldecott winner Emily Arnold McCully is a simple and amusing story about childhood dynamics. Ann and Bess are young elephants on the savannah, but anthropomorphized. They want to play school. When little Min wants to join in they draw a line and tell her she cannot step over it. Min, however, is inventive. She figures out a way to cross the line that gives everyone a new game to play. Fun watercolor illustrations are filled with bright colors. Very simple text will make this a winner with the beginning reader set. It has a Babar-esque quality.
Profile Image for Joan.
2,438 reviews
May 13, 2015
I had a review copy and took a look since it was on a list I was working on. Two older kids are playing school. Min comes along, the younger sister to one of the kids (the bossy one). Min is told she is too young and can't step over this line. So she gets a variety of things and solves her problem! All three kids end up playing a different game. Min's creativity and problem solving is wonderful. This is really a reader but will be shelved with the picture books in my system. We simply don't have shelves big enough in the reader section for picture book size books. Probably more of a 3.5 than a real 4 star title.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Christine Turner.
3,560 reviews51 followers
Read
May 23, 2016
Ann is playing school with her friend Bess. "Oh, no. Here comes Min!" Ann says. "This is a school zone, Min. School is hard. You are not ready. Here is the line. You may not step over it."
Min is clever and resourceful. She gets a board, a tube, a rope, and a rock and builds and launches a rocket that catapults her right into the middle of her big sister's playdate without stepping over the line! Beginning readers will cheer underdog Min's triumphant landing in this easy-to-read book that celebrates ingenuity and perseverance.
Profile Image for Samantha.
4,985 reviews60 followers
August 19, 2015
When her big sister excludes her from playing school, Min devises a genius plan to outwit her sister's rule that she not step over the line she has created to keep her away.

This book is a shining example of a beginning reader text that offers a truly clever, high interest story. Great for reading aloud or for building reading skills and confidence with PreK-2.

Pen and ink and watercolor artwork.
Profile Image for Jillian.
2,525 reviews32 followers
March 18, 2015
I'm really torn about this book. On the one hand, I want to love it - don't keep this girl away from her education! She'll find a creative solution and BLAST her way into the classroom!
On the other hand... it's so ridiculously non-subtle that I found myself resenting the moral.

Little ones, I'm sure, won't care a drop about how subtle the lesson is; they'll just think it's hilarious!
Profile Image for Rosa Cline.
3,328 reviews44 followers
September 3, 2015
This is a very basic storybook, more of a picture book than a storybook. But the storyline was cute. Two elephants tell another younger one that she can't play school with them because she's to little. So she goes off and makes her own rocket showing how smart she is. A beginning reader could use this story to learn to read.
Profile Image for Juliana Lee.
2,272 reviews40 followers
October 7, 2015
Ann and Bess are playing school. Ann tells Min that she is not ready for school and tells her not to to step over the line she draws in the dirt. On the other side of the line, Min builds an elaborate fulcrum to rocket herself over the line and into the school. Min proudly announces that she did not step over the line… she flew over it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lynn.
2,882 reviews15 followers
November 17, 2015
Very simple text and her characteristic art create a soft story with a big lesson.
Would be a good book for early readers as text is in a simple font and set against contrasting area of the illustrations.
Profile Image for Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com.
2,204 reviews94 followers
April 14, 2015
An adorable story about determination. Little Min wanted to play school with her friends and instead of taking no as an answer she took to her imagination and creativity to be included in the games her friends were playing!!! 4.0 stars
56 reviews
November 17, 2015
This is an easy reader for your beginning readers about ingenuity and being able to think outside the box. I would recommend this for your kindergarten and first graders. The words appropriate and the illustrations complement the story well.
149 reviews
April 20, 2015
Min wants to join Bess and Ann to play school but they won't let. Ann draws a line and tells Min not to step over it. Min gets over having to step over the line by flying over it.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

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