Pinky's favorite color is pink, and his best friend,Rex, is a girl. Kevin, the third-grade bully, says that makes Pinky a sissy. Deep down, Pinky thinks Kevin is wrong, but he's still worried. Does Pinky have to give up his favorite things, and worse,does he have to give up his best friend?

Children learn to read in a variety of ways: through formal teaching in school, by being read aloud to at home, and reading on their own,using all the tools they have learned for making sense of letters and words. The process starts with a child’s first awareness that letters on the page form words, which make sentences, which make stories.No one method of learning is right for every child, but all children need books they can read successfully.

Ready-to-Read books feature classic stories and interesting nonfiction by authors who really know how to write for this age group. They are grouped at four levels: Pre-Level One, with repetitive text and simple sentences for children who can recognize words; Level One, with an increased vocabulary and longer sentences for children who are just starting to read; Level Two, for those who are reading independently and are ready for slightly greater challenges; and Level Three, for children who can read fiction and nonfiction on their own,with fewer illustrations and longer texts. At each level, the books are all written, designed, and illustrated to suit the interests, needs, and abilities of new readers.

Children in preschool and the early elementary grades are universally fascinated with reading, and are already saying, I am ready to read. When they finish a Ready-to-Read book, we want them to say, I am reading, and I like it!

1. "Sissy!"

2. Cookies and Lemonade

3. Recess

4. Billy

5. Hard Choices

6. Nice Pink Sneakers

7. A Present