Best Selling Books by Carl Sommer

After being attacked by a large rhino, Sangu, a fun-loving lion cub, gets lost. Some gazelles befriend him and teach him their ways. Sangu is a total misfit. Finally he discovers his true identity.

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“It’s not fair!” shouted Buzzie the bee, when she accidentally finds out worker bees do ALL the work. Before this Buzzie was a happy worker bee, but now she’s furious! She starts a major revolt among the younger worker bees. The angry younger bees leave the hive to start their own. In the new hive the young bees argue and fight over who should do the work. Everyone wants the easiest job! Discover how bees live, eat and multiply in this educational and compelling tale about the importance of teamwork and a good attitude. Learn how working together under a leader is the key to happiness. Grades 1-4Virtues: Citizenship/Teamwork/Responsibility

Fishing is a sport for all seasons and many different places. This action-packed nonfiction book from Our Amazing World pleases children of all ages. Intriguing pictures of children and grownups enjoying the sport no doubt reel in some questions from young readers. Why are they standing in the water? Don’t fish freeze in the cold water? Fishing is a wonderful way to introduce nonfiction to toddlers. Early readers enjoy reading the easy words and short sentences.

In this playful family adventure, Rick and Jan’s family drive to their mountain cabin to go biking and swimming. Crisp, bright illustrations with sparkling blue water, lush green forests, and glowing fish and ducks create an enchanting experience for early readers, including underwater scenes. One and two-syllable words and lighthearted dialogue motivate early readers to explore their reading skills and reinforce having fun with their parents.

Children will return to this beautiful book again and again to inquire about the big animals that live in the sea. In uncomplicated examples, children learn how to compare the size of the sea animals to people and other things they recognize. From whales to walruses, sea turtles to swordfish, each animal motivates children to learn more as they study the captivating pictures in this nonfiction book from Our Amazing World.

Early readers will enjoy returning to the farm with Ted and Jan. This energetic story will appeal to a child’s adventurous spirit as Jan and Ted and their friends play soccer, chase escaping goats, feed goats and ponies, and go on pony rides. The vivacious, amusing illustrations encourage word mastery and reading skill. Target Reader 8 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

A soccer ball accidently hits Dan’s cat as Jan and Dan play, which instigates a series of unfortunate events. The angry cat with muddy paws perches on the neighbor’s clean van and upsets him. Dan rushes to get his cat off the van and trips over a bucket, spilling the water. No one is hurt in this advanced easy reader, but the story opens multiple discussion points, including dealing with upset pets and people.

Spike the rebel is a mean-spirited bully in his neighborhood and school. All the kids are afraid of him, except Mary. She warns him that one day his meanness will come back to haunt him. Spike on a family camping trip, steals a canoe, rows past a caution sign, and ends up being thrown over the waterfalls. He survives, but the incident only makes him meaner. Next, he steals a kid’s BB gun and shoots a protected eagle. Even worse, when the park ranger comes, he plants the evidence so the other kid gets blamed. While riding his bike one day, Spike hits one of his self-made bike traps. He breaks his leg and bleeds badly. Debbie, a girl he laughed at for falling off her bike in one of his traps, comes with her mother and rescues him. This incident transforms Spike. He finally discovers he’s much happier having friends and helping others. Virtues: Tolerance / Friendship / Cooperation

In this exciting series of brightly illustrated adventure-filled tales, children will love the first story of a game of ball with Zag and the cat. After knocking over a fan in the house with a ball, Zag and the cat discover that playing ball is an outside game. Zag becomes a champ by hitting a ball that hits the van and enters a can. The bold colors light up the pages, encouraging children to use the picture and context clues to follow the story as they learn to sound out the words. Target Reader 1 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

Soft, fluffy chicks are adorable, but where do they live and what are their parents like? This charming book filled with color-rich photos from Our Amazing World Series, Advanced, acquaints children with the wonderful world of nonfiction by examining the life cycle of chickens from egg to adulthood. Advanced early readers enjoy reading the uncomplicated narrative and growing their vocabulary with new words such as rooster.

It was time for the beautiful princess Elizabeth to be married. Charming Simon and strong, handsome Thomas came to ask her hand in marriage. Then there was John, a handsome but not-so-flashy commoner. Elizabeth first noticed him helping an old man get his wagon out of a muddy ditch.Not sure about the true character of her three suitors, Elizabeth asks her father the king for advice. The king plans a race to reveal the character of the three suitors. This story tells the action-packed tale of how perseverance and love are more important than anything in winning the Great Royal Race. Virtues: Perseverance / Caring / Trustworthiness

Our Amazing World Series, Advanced, familiarizes children with fascinating facts that foster a love for learning. In this attention-grabbing book, individualized fun facts about each of the unique land animals captivate their interest. Advanced early readers recognize many of the words under each picture and are curious to master the new ones. The clear photos and narrative stimulate wonderful conversations with children. This is a reference book children will use for years to come.

Ted’s friend gives the latest facts about finding happiness. But nothing Ted does changes his discontent. Finally, Ted discovers the secret is not focusing on himself, but to focus on others.

Early readers enjoy this fast-paced soccer game in the park among friends. In an energetic story that appeals to a child’s playful spirit, bold illustrations provide amusing context clues to encourage word mastery and reading skills. Companion Reader 8 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

The beauty of delicate butterflies is a joy to behold as they flit from flower to flower, but how does a crawling caterpillar turn into a flying butterfly? Our Amazing World shares the life of monarch butterflies with young children through vivid, close-up photos and fun facts that introduce the wonder of nonfiction.

This timeless story is about the joy of a family fishing trip and the frustration of sibling rivalry. A creative, fun early reader, it includes plenty of one-syllable words with similar sounds, making it an enjoyable experience for a child learning to read. The lush colors of the water scenes coupled with the facial expressions of the characters leave no doubt that Kim and her mother are enjoying the fishing trip more than Tim and his father. The story is a good opportunity for parents to discuss jealousy and trying your best without holding a grudge in competitions. Target Reader 12 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

An adventure with a big rig engages the imaginations of new readers when Jill and Rick get a big surprise. The friendly man driving the big rig offers them to come inside the rig, as their father watches. Who hasn’t wanted to be in a big rig as it does its work? Perched high in the cab with the man, they get to see how he picks up large loads of dirt with the big scoop and drops them into a dump truck. This advanced easy reader uses repetitive phonic sounds and dialogue to enrich a child’s vocabulary and reading experience.

Two persnickety mice, Marcus and Marcella, keep complaining about the noisy forest animals and the hard work they have to do every day in searching for food. They become very excited when a chipmunk tells them about a quiet farmhouse with lots of good food. In spite of warnings from the forest animals, they immediately move to the farm. Their dreams come true. But their wonderful life comes to an abrupt end when the farmer and his wife come home to their unwelcome guests. After barely escaping with their lives, Marcus and Marcella quickly return to their forest home. They learn to appreciate that even with all the noise and hard work, the forest is a wonderful place to live. Virtues: Tolerance/Friendship/Appreciation

The precious animal babies featured in this nonfiction book from Our Amazing World draw appreciative oohs and aahs from children as they turn the delightful pages. Each crystal-clear snapshot accompanied by fun facts creates wonderful opportunities for lively discussions. Advanced early readers will beam with pride as they master the words on the colorful pages.

To Millie, the whole world is unfair. Even though Millie has a loving family and a nice home, she’s always miserable. She hates to be told what to do, and when things don’t go her way, she complains. Millie finally has enough! She runs away so that she can do whatever she wants to do. What starts out as a fun adventure turns out to become one disaster after another. Millie ends up on the streets, scared, without money, food, and a place to sleep. Desperate, she steals candy and gets caught by a police officer. When her parents are contacted, they are overjoyed and welcome her back home. Armed with a new appreciation for her former life, Millie becomes the happiest girl in the whole world. Virtues: Respect / Trustworthiness / Fairness

The amazing photos and fun facts introduce children to birds around the world, from the tiny hummingbird to the mammoth ostrich. A wonderful entrance into nonfiction from Our Amazing World Series, Advanced, the fun facts stimulate a child’s curiosity about these mesmerizing animals. Advanced early readers enjoy learning to read the names of the birds as they build confidence in their reading skills.

Even though Randy is much loved at home, he has a serious problem—everything he has is old! His rich neighbor Mike, who often teases Randy, has a new bike, new toys, and never does chores. Randy, however, rides an old bike, has old toys, and has to do all kinds of work around the house. Though Randy is often reminded that “things don’t bring happiness,” he desperately wishes he could be rich so he could buy everything new.To Randy’s great delight, his wish comes true. Everything he touches turns into gold, even his beloved dog. As he holds his lifeless gold dog, he realizes he’s the most miserable kid in the world. Remembering he has one more wish, he uses it to return things as they were before. His wish comes true, and he becomes the richest poor kid.Virtues: Appreciation / Cheerfulness / Trust

The life-like, richly colored illustrations in this story reflect the friendship between Nick and Jill as they try to find a new hat for Jill. Nick doesn’t want a hat, but when their search reveals that Nick could use a cap to improve his baseball skills, he changes his mind. An early reader for young children, the book introduces new words with phonic similarities that comfortably build a child’s reading skills. Target Reader 9 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

This spirited story introduces children to Matt and his misbehaving dog, Tad. Vibrant colors bring energy to the pages as Tad leads Matt and the man on a wild chase to retrieve the cleaning rag. Context clues guide young reader to experience the story as they master new words. The book offers opportunities for parents to discuss handling conflict in a positive way. Target Reader 4 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

The world’s rivers are home to incredible animals that grab our attention and surprise young children. Some eat insects, some eat fish, and others eat plants. Our Amazing World nonfiction shares fun facts about animals that live in rivers with exquisite close-up photographs. Early readers will enjoy this book about various river animals.

The beauty of delicate butterflies is a joy to behold as they flit from flower to flower. But how does a squishy, crawling caterpillar turn into a delicate, flying butterfly? Our Amazing World Series, Advanced, explores the life cycle of monarch butterflies in this enchanting nonfiction book for young children. Did you know that the caterpillars that become monarch butterflies only eat milkweed? That’s where the monarch butterflies lay their eggs so the caterpillars have food when they’re born. The beautiful pictures and illustrations engage the imagination.

Children rejoin the lovable characters, Zag and the cat for another game of ball. This story adds new, one-syllable words for new readers to practice. Zag thinks the cat’s hat is silly at first, but when he sees the creative possibilities of the hat, he wants one too. Fun illustrations inspire the use of context clues to follow the story and sound out the words. Target Reader 2 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

What fun children have looking at these precious animal babies in their natural habitats around the world. The baby animals featured in this nonfiction book from Our Amazing World Series, Advanced, appear with their mothers keeping a watchful eye on them. The narrative fosters fluency in early readers, promoting independent reading. Each crystal-clear snapshot is accompanied by fun facts, such as the information that a baby kangaroo is as small as a grain of rice when born, to engage children in lively discussions.

Trapped by deep snow high on a mountain, hungry townspeople wait desperately for one of the three big trains to bring them food. All three big trains refuse to go up the mountain. In spite of the ridicule from the big trains, The Little Red Train and a family of brave helpers decide to go up the snow-covered mountain to help the starving people. This vividly illustrated story demonstrates the value of compassion, hard work and perseverance. The Little Red Train’s triumphant arrival to the top of the mountain elicits the eternal gratitude of the townspeople, and its accomplishment proves to be an inspiration for all. Virtues: Perseverance / Compassion / Civic Virtue

Mama duck is sitting in the nest and Papa duck is nearby waiting for the eggs to hatch into fluffy ducklings in this lovely introduction to nonfiction from Our Amazing World. An enchanting look inside the mallard home is shared through aquatic photos, rich with detail and ready for a curious child’s questions and comments. The babies are swimming!

The mischievous monkey, Bell, returns with Nell and Ben and visit a circus. This high-spirited story told with dazzling illustrations and playful dialogue introduces new vocabulary words with similar phonic sounds. Advanced early readers will enjoy Bell’s hilarious pranks, and parents can use Bell’s antics as an opportunity to discuss actions and their consequences.

This charming family adventure uses bold colors and detail to illustrate a family’s voyage on a ferry with their pet dog, Vick. Using repetitive phonic sounds to enrich a child’s vocabulary, the story promotes good reading skills. The family rides in their van as it drives onto the ferry. Vick is fed dog food, and learns that seagulls like his food also. Vick goes after a seagull. The children worry about Vick chasing the gulls and learn that the birds are too fast for him to harm them. Target Reader 11 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

An action-packed T-ball game leads Sam and his friends on a rollicking chase to catch a cute cat that runs away with Sam’s baseball cap. In this advanced early reader, children learn to recognize familiar words such as umpire on the brightly illustrated pages. The chase offers opportunities for parents to discuss positive ways to deal with an upset friend and to explain that pets usually aren’t misbehaving but think it’s a fun game when they grab something and run.

Animals fascinate children, who enjoy learning about what they eat and how they live. Our Amazing World Series, Advanced, introduces the excitement of Arctic animals to young children through interesting nonfiction concepts. In this book, with crystal-clear, up-close-and-personal photos of Arctic animals, children get to know these unique animals. Advanced early readers will recognize many of the words in the narrative and delight in adding new words to their vocabularies, including the names of the animals.

In a creative imaginary world, this fun story unfolds with easy-to-pronounce words, assisting children in development of word recognition. Ben and Nell’s pet monkey, Bell, misbehaves on the plane trip to visit their grandparents. Bell continues his bad behavior when riding horses on the farm, making for funny situations that children will love. The colorful illustrations and exciting adventures will encourage children to read. Target Reader 5 is part of Phonics Adventure''s systematic, leveled reading program.

Young children get an inside look at a busy farm and the variety of useful animals in this book from Our Amazing World. Some the animals eat grass, others eat bugs, but they are all important to the success of the farm. Spectacular up-close-and-personal photos and fun facts engage children in lively discussions, such as: How does she get the milk from the cow? Can I ride a horse?

In a thought-provoking comparison of old and new farming techniques, Our Amazing World Series, Advanced, brings history and young children together in a beautiful book. Learning the history of the world around them is an important part of a child’s education and inspires critical thinking. The family-friendly photos arouse their curiosity to read the narrative and discover the fun facts appended to each.