Short Reads Fiction
NEW! Guided Reading Short Reads Fiction
NEW! Guided Reading Short Reads Fiction provides a unique solution for effective differentiated instruction through short form fiction texts. Versatile, engaging and innovative, this newest edition of Guided Reading Short Reads provides all K-6 students with multiple opportunities for deep, critical reading at every level.
- Brings the best selection of short fiction texts to encourage engaged, independent readers.
- Provides access to various themes and perspectives through compelling excerpts.
- Promotes close reading of literature and deep comprehension of character, plot and structure
Teacher’s Guide
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Text Cards
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Buy multiple-level grade sets and save even more!
Kindergarten (4 levels, A–D)
40 cards, 6 copies each, 240 cards
Grade 1 (9 levels, A–I)
90 cards, 6 copies each, 540 cards
Grade 2 (10 levels, E–N)
100 cards, 6 copies each, 600 cards
Grade 3 (8 levels, J–Q)
80 cards, 6 copies each, 480 cards
Grade 4 (8 levels, M–T)
80 cards, 6 copies each, 480 cards
Grade 5 (7 levels, Q–W)
70 cards, 6 copies each, 420 cards
Grade 6 (7 levels, T–Z)
70 cards, 6 copies each, 420 cards
Complete Set (26 levels, A–Z)
260 cards, 6 copies each; 1,560 cards
Short Reads Reading Levels
Level A
Simple texts with one line of one to six words per page, easy-to-see print, and ample space between words. Children can focus on print and gradually increase their control over words. Most of the texts in Level A focus on topics familiar to children.
Level A Titles
- Let's Make Soup
- Little Animals Go!
- Look Out!
- Sam the Seagull
- Two Ducks
- The Way to Go
- The Aquarium
- Let's Bake
- Play Time
- Teeny Tiny Farm
Level B
Texts focus on a simple story line or single idea, with direct correspondence between text and pictures; one or two lines of print per page, with a variety of punctuation; many texts at this level feature repeating patterns in the text.
Level B Titles
- Hats for Sale
- I Love Books
- Jumping!
- Mix It Up!
- Tall Towers
- Zebra Zooms
- Jake's Story
- My Cat
- My Rainy Day
- Score!
Level C
Texts explore familiar topics in a variety of ways to offer new viewpoints to the reader; simple sentences may have introductory clauses set off by punctuation; text may be patterned but is not as predictable as in Levels A and B.
Level C Titles
- Addie and Albert
- Little Bears
- Little Fawn and Doe
- My Truck Is Stuck
- Meet Ollie
- Where Is My Mitten?
- Beach Time!
- Molly and Her Robot
- My Costume
- Where Is Jax?
Level D
Texts cover familiar topics but introduce new, more abstract ideas; illustrations support the text, but more attention to print is required; text contains more compound and multisyllabic words and a full range of punctuation.
Level D Titles
- Good for Us!
- The Night Owl and the Sleepy Squirrel
- Two Squirrels
- "What Did the Bear Share?"
- The Fox and the Stork
- Brave Brad and the Dragon
- "Catch That Fly!"
- Grandma's Farm
- Ready to March
- The Three Brothers
Level E
Stories have more or longer episodes; informational texts present more complex ideas; texts are longer than in previous levels, with more pages or more lines of text on each page; with more complex punctuation.
Level E Titles
- Just in Time!
- Moving On
- Mountain Neighbors
- Silly Geese
- A Tale of Three Robins
- What Did Cody Like?
- Milton and Mona
- Baseball, Bubbles, and Boats
- The New Blue Backpack
- Bell
Level F
Concepts presented in texts at this level are more distant from familiar topics; larger variety of frequently used words and many more new words; text reflects patterns of written, rather than oral, language.
Level F Titles
- Don't Be Late!
- A Little Shark Tale
- Sky High!
- The Ant and the Grasshopper
- The Nightingale
- Hank: The Duckling That Honked
- My Home Is a Houseboat
- The Very Late Lester Lane
- What's Cooking?
- You Didn't Say Please!
Level G
In texts at this level, the language changes on each page, rather than repeating in patterns; texts offer challenges in ideas and vocabulary, with some introduction to technical language; variety of print styles and text layouts require reader's close attention and flexibility.
Level G Titles
- Are We There Yet?
- Caterpillar Dreams
- Please Don't Take My Picture!
- The Bell and the Cat
- The Princess and the Pea
- Five Foolish Frogs
- A Perfect Day at the Beach
- Martin Bloom Had a Messy Room
- The New Car
- Thank You, Suki!]
Level H
Texts are similar in difficulty to level G, but the texts vary more widely in size of print, length of sentences, and type of language; texts are less repetitious in events and language structures, with expanded vocabulary.
Level H Titles
- Is It Spring?
- Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
- The Fox and the Crows
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Johnny Appleseed
- Detective Sam
- Olivia's Painting
- A Fine Day
- Saving Spotty the
Level I
Longer and more complex stories than in levels G and H, with more highly elaborated information; multisyllabic words arranged in longer sentences and paragraphs that require complex word solving; illustrations enhance meaning but provide less support for understanding the meaning of the text.
Level I Titles
- Hi! Fly Guy
- Anansi the Spider's Thin Legs
- The Hare and the Crocodile
- The Not-So-True Story of the Little Red Hen
- The Birthday Party
- Eat Your Greens!
- The Bookstore Ghost
- Whose Big Foot Is That?
- How Our Garden Grew
- The Millers Clean Up
Level J
Beginning chapter texts appear for the first time at this level, requiring readers to recall information over more than one sitting; fewer illustrations with whole pages of text in some texts.
Level J Titles
- The Fire Cat
- Mouse Tales
- Our Town Bookstore
- The Bundle of Sticks
- The Elves and the Shoemaker
- CinderFELLA
- Catfish Carlos and the Sitting Contest
- Young Cam Jansen and the Spotted Cat Mystery
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Fly the Plane
- Snow Night
Level K
This level includes chapter texts and short informational texts with difficult concepts; readers learn about concepts and events outside their own experiences; readers need to use a variety of strategies to figure out different writing styles.
Level K Titles
- The Birds of Killingworth
- The Lion and the Mouse
- The Tortoise and the Hare
- The Frog Prince
- Clark the Shark: Tooth Trouble
- How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner
- Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie
- Amelia Bedelia Joins the Club
- Our Cool School (First Grade Friends Forever)
- Cornelia and the Show-and-Tell Showdown ]
Level L
Texts at this level are much longer and more complex and include biographies; longer texts include many multisyllabic words and expand readers' vocabularies; some texts present abstract or symbolic themes.
Level L Titles
- The Emperor's New Clothes
- Yeh-Shen
- The Quilt Story
- Second Grade Rules, Amber Brown (A Is for Amber)
- The Triple Rotten Day (It's Robert!)
- Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Babe Ruth Baseball
- A Birthday Basket for Tía
- Fooled You! (Appleville Elementary)
- Grumpy Pumpkins (Pee Wee Scouts)
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel]
Level M
Text includes more complex language and requires reader to make interpretations; most texts at this level have greatly expanded vocabulary; many texts at this level have smaller print with narrower word spacing.
Level M Titles
- Dragons Don't Throw Snowballs (Bailey School Kids)
- No Messin' With My Lesson (Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo)
- The Tale of Two Bad Mice
- Issun Boshi, the One-Inch Boy
- Stone Soup
- Why the Bear Has a Short Tail
- The Case of the Groaning Ghost (Jigsaw Jones Mystery)
- Sophie the Awesome
- Too Many Tamales
- Attack of the Giant Hamster (Dr. Roach's Monstrous Stories)]
Level N
Vocabulary continues to expand and go beyond readers' own experiences; variety of texts offer readers a chance to interpret information and speculate on alternate meanings.
Level N Titles
- The Fox and the Grapes
- Secret of the Water Dragon (Dragon Masters)
- Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky
- The Winning of Daylight
- The Field Day from the Black Lagoon (Black Lagoon Adventures)
- Homework Hassles (Ready, Freddy)
- Judy Moody, Girl Detective (Judy Moody)
- A Spy in the White House (Capital Mysteries)
- Suitcase
- Racing the Waves (Tales of the Time Dragon)
Level O
Longer texts at this level present varied vocabulary that will require readers to interpret the meaning of the text; texts have more sophisticated subjects and more complex sentence structures.
Level O Titles
- The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
- Pinocchio
- Journey to the Volcano Palace (Secrets of Droon)
- Domingo's Cat
- King Midas and the Golden Touch
- The Starving Time: Elizabeth's Jamestown Colony Diary (My America)
- Pippi Longstocking
- Ivy & Bean Take the Case
- Jake Drake: Bully Buster
- The Year of the Book]
Level P
Informational texts at this level include history and biography, enabling readers to learn how to gain information from a variety of structures; concepts may include issues of early adolescence.
Level P Titles
- The Wind and the Sun
- The Leaping Contest
- The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (Time Warp Trio)
- Icarus and Daedalus
- Riding Freedom
- Wayside School Is Falling Down
- The Sword in the Stone
- Framed in France (Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures)
- Ellray Jakes Walks the Plank!
- Freddie Ramos Springs Into Action (Zapato Power)
Level Q
Selections contain themes to foster group discussion; relationship of illustrations to text also offers opportunities for exploration and discussion; texts contain difficult words, some from languages other than English.
Level Q Titles
- James and the Giant Peach
- Mr. Popper's Penguins
- The Two Foolish Frogs
- Abby Takes a Stand
- Little House in the Big Woods
- Bobby the Brave (Sometimes)
- The Legend of William Tell
- The Clue at the Bottom of the Lake (Cabin Creek Mysteries)
- The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street
- Earthquake Shock (Disaster Strikes)
Level R
Texts in this level contain sophisticated vocabulary to challenge readers; some of the longer chapter texts require sustained reading effort over several sittings; texts represent a range of times in history.
Level R Titles
- Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
- Charlotte's Web
- Get Into Gear, Stilton!
- The Pied Piper
- Sarah, Plain and Tall
- The Titanic Disaster, 1912 (I Survived: True Stories)
- Frindle
- Gaby, Lost and Found
- Hatchet
- Rules
Level S
Selections challenge readers to make connections with previous reading and with historical events; words present many shades of meaning that require readers' interpretation; this level includes chapter books in a variety of genres.
Level S Titles
- Island
- The Borrowers
- The Orphan of Ellis Island
- Why Monkeys Live in Trees
- Atalanta
- Hiroshima
- One Crazy Summer
- Jake
- Off and Running
- Salsa Stories]
Level T
At this level, readers encounter a variety of nonfiction text structures; expanded vocabulary requires readers to consider both literal and connotative meaning.
Level T Titles
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- The Secret Garden
- How the Buffalo Were Released on Earth
- Athena and Arachne
- The Shakespeare Stealer
- One Day at HorrorLand (Goosebumps)
- Pickle
- Amalee
- Athlete vs. Mathlete
- Drita, My Homegirl]
Level U
Texts cover a breadth of topics and present specific, technical information; illustrations require interpretation and connection to text; text requires readers to employ a wide range of reading strategies.
Level U Titles
- The BFG
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- Prometheus: The Fire Giver
- Inside Out & Back Again
- The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues)
- The Red-Headed League
- David Copperfield
- Faith, Hope, and Ivy June
- The Gift of the Magi
- The Girl with the Silver Eyes]
Level V
Texts present complex issues and use technical language; topics are distant from students' experience in terms of time and geographic area and may include realistic historical information and more difficult themes.
Level V Titles
- Bearwalker
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- The Capture (Guardians of Ga'Hoole)
- The Wind in the Willows
- Theseus and the Minotaur
- Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood
- Anne of Green Gables
- Esperanza Rising
- Oliver Twist
- Slam Dunk (Standing Tall and Talented)
Level W
Texts present complex information requiring readers to employ a wide range of content knowledge and to understand the basic organizational structures of nonfiction; topics explore the human condition and social issues; texts vary in length; print is generally in a small font.
Level W Titles
- Max the Mighty
- The Son of Neptune
- The Three Tasks
- Tuck Everlasting
- Rip Van Winkle
- Dracula
- The Case of the Missing Marquess
- Great Expectations
- The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano
- Frankenstein
Level X
Texts cover increasingly mature themes and require extensive prior knowledge; texts are designed to present a significant amount of new information.
Level X Titles
- Call It Courage
- Robin Hood
- Gulliver's Travels
- Peter Pan
- Hou Yi: The Grand Archer
- Before We Were Free
- Out of the Dust
- Bone Dance
- Kira-Kira
- Where the Red Fern Grows
Level Y
Texts feature similar themes to previous levels, with more explicit detail; this level requires critical reading skills to evaluate the quality and objectivity of the text.
Level Y Titles
- Touching Spirit Bear
- Ulysses and Telemachus
- Artemis Fowl
- The Red Pyramid
- Bull Run
- Yellow Star
- The Great Greene Heist
- Zen and the Art of Faking It
- The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
- The Giver
Level Z
A challenge for more widely read students, requiring critical reading skills; topics include controversial social and political issues; readers experience complex examples of nonfiction organizational structure.
Level Z Titles
- Stormbreaker: The First Alex Rider Adventure
- Escaping Sirens and Monsters
- Green Angel
- Tales from Outer Suburbia
- War Horse
- Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- Ripper
- Scorpions
- Mockingjay (The Hunger Games)
- War of the Worlds
