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The Best .... to Read
The Best Place to Read
A young child tries to find the perfect place to curl up with his new book in this hilarious and heartwarming tale. Scampering from his bedroom to the den, from the kitchen to the backyard, the young protagonist must dodge his baby sister’s messes, race across a lawn full of spraying sprinklers, and more–all in his search for the best place to read! And where would that be? Mommy’s lap, of course!
From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.
From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2003
28 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 25, 2013
As a mom, I would give this book a 5. As a school librarian, I hesitate, but it is strictly for practical reasons. Between the sticky table and the sprinklers, we just described two of the primary reasons we lose books in our library-food and water damage. Now, getting past that, the book is a sweet rhyming story that really speaks to the part of me that misses cuddling up with my son to share a good story. It is such a precious time- one I wish more parents took advantage of. So, how to reconcile the cringe factor of damaged, moldy, sticky books with the overall message? Use the story as a intro for students who are just starting to take books home or as a refresher and discuss the different scenes from a taking-good-care-of- books point of view. Can add good discussion of rhyming words as a added bonus.
August 25, 2011
Use this book when discussing with young children the best places to read-to-self.
February 5, 2024
This book follows a young boy as he faces one of the greatest struggles a reader can have; finding a comfortable reading spot. He tries every chair he can find but has no success. Every place is too occupied, too sticky, too wet, or some combination of things that makes them unsuitable for reading. However, at the end of the story, he finally finds the perfect reading spot, and the reader breathes a sigh of relief with him. The end of the story shows what can happen when a child feels secure in his or her home.
I would use this book in my classroom to promote reading. If a character around my students' age is working so hard to find the perfect place to read, then maybe it will show them that reading is worth trying. The ending of the book may also encourage them to go home and ask to sit with their parents as they read. Better yet, maybe they can be encouraged to ask their parents to read to them. Perhaps their parents can be encouraged to say yes.
I would use this book in my classroom to promote reading. If a character around my students' age is working so hard to find the perfect place to read, then maybe it will show them that reading is worth trying. The ending of the book may also encourage them to go home and ask to sit with their parents as they read. Better yet, maybe they can be encouraged to ask their parents to read to them. Perhaps their parents can be encouraged to say yes.
August 5, 2023
What a delightful topic, finding a good place to read.
The narrator of this book has many a funny adventure, seeking for a place to read. For instance:
Upstairs! I'll read
In my big brother's room.
I flop on his round beanbag chair.
Surprise! I yell, "EEK!" as the chair springs a leak--
There are beans and more beans everywhere."
FIVE STARS for the lightheated encouragement to read.
The narrator of this book has many a funny adventure, seeking for a place to read. For instance:
Upstairs! I'll read
In my big brother's room.
I flop on his round beanbag chair.
Surprise! I yell, "EEK!" as the chair springs a leak--
There are beans and more beans everywhere."
FIVE STARS for the lightheated encouragement to read.
May 22, 2018
This is a really cute book, with an "aww" ending.
It has some funny parts, like the broken chair and the beanbag catastrophe. It also had some bad decision moments - reading under garden sprinklers?
Overall it's a good book for toddlers.
It has some funny parts, like the broken chair and the beanbag catastrophe. It also had some bad decision moments - reading under garden sprinklers?
Overall it's a good book for toddlers.
May 25, 2017
A young boy searches everywhere for a good place to read. He leaves many places that have things that should not be near books like food and water. In the end he finds the best spot...his Mommy's lap. Good for preschool aged children.
August 28, 2017
Children will love the sing-song quality and message in The Best Place to Read by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom. Following the steps of a boy bent on finding the perfect place to finally sit and read his book, this story shows just how important it is to find our own preferred place to read.
May 9, 2018
The part about the sticky table and the sprinklers bothered me. Books should not be around those things.
January 15, 2019
Aw, pretty cute :) and I'm a sucker for kid's books that rhyme!
July 15, 2019
Really enjoyed
Read this with my grandchildren 4 & 6 with one in my lap. We like the book so very much!
Read this with my grandchildren 4 & 6 with one in my lap. We like the book so very much!
December 30, 2019
Cute story, and glad to see his best place to read.
December 22, 2020
Cute poem about the obstacles one encounters when attempting to find a perfect place that is conducive for reading!!
July 15, 2022
It was cute
October 17, 2022
Great story for a read-aloud. Bright, fun illustrations throughout. Kids will enjoy watching the little boy try to find somewhere comfortable to read. Highly recommended for Grades K-3.
November 8, 2019
I have to admit that as a redhead, a dog lover and someone who loves to read, I found the front cover of "The Best Place to Read," by Debbie Bertram & Susan Bloom, with illustrations by Michael Garland, to be my idea of bliss. However, seeing a fellow redhead tranquilly reclining outside with a book, while accompanied by his dog on a beautiful day belies the heroic young protagonist's struggle to find the perfect place to read. Much like Goldilocks, he has trouble finding conditions to his liking. For example, he too has the vexing problem of finding the right chair.
While our determined reader is frustrated, the gentle rhyme of "The Best Place to Read," makes for a more amusing than stressful tale, with a surprising amount of action. The boy is propelled into the air by chair springs and soaked by sprinklers. He travels all over the house and yard in his red sneakers.
I especially enjoyed when he ventured into rooms that contained two of the most important pieces of furniture - his daddy's and grandpa's chairs. It reminded me of my own dad and grandpa who had their favorite armchairs. My grandpa would read his newspaper in the same living room chair every day and my dad would raise the footrest and watch sports in his recliner (the same type of chair as the Daddy in the story) in our den, a room that also has a ceiling fan like the one in the book, which chills our short-sleeved bookworm.
Still, my favorite part of the book is when he's trying to get the dog to budge. "Into the den -/That's a good place to read./I love Grammy's soft, cozy chair./But so does old Rover. I tell him, 'Move over,'/But he won't make room for me there." The accompanying illustration of the little boy trying to coax the big, grumpy, brown dog, whose tongue is sticking out and whose one eye is slightly open after being roused from a comfortable sleep is comical in its futility.
All of Mr. Garland's illustrations are bright, happy and colorful, from the yellow beanbag chair to the big sister's green dress. Our young reader has a broad, expressive face. His unease and surprise make for a boisterous, fun read when coupled with words like, "BOING," and "EEK," which are emphasized with all capital letters. It all makes the ending, when he's found that perfect place to read and can now get lost in his story, all the more satisfying and endearing.
While our determined reader is frustrated, the gentle rhyme of "The Best Place to Read," makes for a more amusing than stressful tale, with a surprising amount of action. The boy is propelled into the air by chair springs and soaked by sprinklers. He travels all over the house and yard in his red sneakers.
I especially enjoyed when he ventured into rooms that contained two of the most important pieces of furniture - his daddy's and grandpa's chairs. It reminded me of my own dad and grandpa who had their favorite armchairs. My grandpa would read his newspaper in the same living room chair every day and my dad would raise the footrest and watch sports in his recliner (the same type of chair as the Daddy in the story) in our den, a room that also has a ceiling fan like the one in the book, which chills our short-sleeved bookworm.
Still, my favorite part of the book is when he's trying to get the dog to budge. "Into the den -/That's a good place to read./I love Grammy's soft, cozy chair./But so does old Rover. I tell him, 'Move over,'/But he won't make room for me there." The accompanying illustration of the little boy trying to coax the big, grumpy, brown dog, whose tongue is sticking out and whose one eye is slightly open after being roused from a comfortable sleep is comical in its futility.
All of Mr. Garland's illustrations are bright, happy and colorful, from the yellow beanbag chair to the big sister's green dress. Our young reader has a broad, expressive face. His unease and surprise make for a boisterous, fun read when coupled with words like, "BOING," and "EEK," which are emphasized with all capital letters. It all makes the ending, when he's found that perfect place to read and can now get lost in his story, all the more satisfying and endearing.
September 22, 2023
A boy wants to find the best place to read and tries several different places. Only one works out best.
September 12, 2013
Delightful book I picked just last night to read with a small boy that I was watching. I know I'm always looking for the best place to read especially when my children invade my location. But this little boy found that in the end it was his mother's lap that was the best place and of course they read the book together. What Joy! I'm a reading nut and I still love to read little kid books to myself and to other little kids. I certainly enjoyed my reading evening as I then read five more children books and one was Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. This is my all time favorite kids book ever!!!! I use this phrase often when my days are going bad.....
July 19, 2014
My 4-year-old loves books and he loved this book about finding a good place to read. He laughed hysterically when . . . . the boy tried to fit into his chair (he's outgrown it); the dog wouldn't move out of grammy's cozy chair; the baby spilled juice on the table and made everything sticky; the boy sat in the grandpa's chair but a spring went BOING! sending the boy up in the air; the boy sat in his brother's bean bag chair but the beans fell out everywhere; the boy went outside on the lawn but the sprinklers turned on; and he loved when the boy finally ended up on his mother's lap to read a book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2016
This is a great book for a Media Specialist to teach with at the beginning of the year. A boy is excited to have a book to read and tries various chairs in the house to find the right chair. There are some great teachable moments for finding a comfortable chair and what makes a place perfect to read in. But, too, there are great times to discuss book care. He goes to the table where younger sister went to have a messy snack. Another poor choice is sitting in the backyard reading when the sprinkler goes off. Oh the stories of danger from water damage to books. Cute picture book with rhyming stanzas.
February 7, 2013
The book is about a little boy who just got a knew book that he is excited to read. The only problem is that he is having a hard time finding someplace comfortable so he can read his book. He has all these things happen to him that make me not able to read in the places he thinks of. At the end of the story he askes his mom if he can sit on her lap and they can read the story together. This is a good book to show children that it is imortant to spend time reading with your family. Good illustrations.
December 5, 2020
This is a cute book for children who are just beginning their reading journey. It follows a young boy that is trying to find the most comfortable spot in his house to read a book. He tries sitting in every spot possible in his house, but he can’t find anywhere that is comfortable for him to read. After trying every room in the house he finds his mother and realizes the the best seat to read a book is in his mom’s lap. I think that this book does a good job encouraging new readers to read and it shows the important roles that parents have in a child’s reading interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2012
The little boy in story got a new book to read. He is trying to find a comfy spot to read his new book. He tries different areas in the house, but can't find a good spot to read. He tries the couch, but the dog took up the couch. The kitchen table is too messy, and Daddy's chair is too chilly. The book is almost poem like and has appealing pictures. The book shows a child's love for reading and shared reading with his mom. It's a great book for kids.
August 30, 2014
We always tell kids reading is very important, but we never think about where they should read. The little boy in this book really want to read his book. So he tried to find a good place to read. Everywhere have something would bother him, except her mother's lap. This story also told us how important about parents accompany their children to read. Sometimes kids just looking to accompany him to do one thing together. So parents should spend more time with their children not only to read.
January 29, 2016
In rhymed verse, a boy searches to find a place to read. Running into obstacles, he settles on his mom's lap as the perfect spot. I couldn't agree more.
Could be used as a read aloud in a reading workshop to introduce a discussion about where we choose to read. (The page with Dad's chair really bothered me, though, as the rhythm did not fit with the rest of the book!)
A good read-aloud for establishing Independent Reading: Good readers think about where they will read.
Could be used as a read aloud in a reading workshop to introduce a discussion about where we choose to read. (The page with Dad's chair really bothered me, though, as the rhythm did not fit with the rest of the book!)
A good read-aloud for establishing Independent Reading: Good readers think about where they will read.
July 15, 2011
Great story about a little boy trying to find the perfect place to read. He tries in his Dad's chair, in Grandpa's chair, at the kitchen table with a baby and none of those places seem right. I loved the ending of this book especially being a Mommy with two little boys who end up in the same perfect spot that the little boy in the book does!
November 11, 2012
The young narrator in this book wants nothing more than to find a comfortable place to read his book. His own chair has become too small. His dad's chair, under the ceiling fan is too cold. His brother's beanbag chair explodes when he jumps on it. His final spot is a little predictable, but relatable to young readers.
March 20, 2013
What could be worse than being all excited to read, but not being able to find the right place? This could allow students to make text-to-self connections as they consider their favorite places to read. Could it be outside, in your room? Next to your teacher? In your mom's lap? The options are endless!
Read
September 19, 2018VERY CUTE. This one will take lots of reading because there are plenty of sounds to make to complement the adventure.
See why it was a permanent book on our home library shelf.
See why it was a permanent book on our home library shelf.
April 25, 2010
This book revolves around a boy on a quest to find a good place to read his book. Everywhere he goes present a new distraction and he starts to give up on his mission. That's when he finally finds the perfect place to read-in his mom's lap :)
June 27, 2010
With its rhyming, sing-song text and its very vibrant artwork, this first book by the author team is a sure kid-pleaser. Kids will laugh at the humor and empathize withe the owner of a new book who just wants to locate the perfect reading spot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews