Fancy Nancy: The Dazzling Book Report (I Can Read, Level 1)

I read the original Fancy Nancy book to my nieces, and, at the time, thought that the effect of Nancy stopping every other word to explain that "That's a fancy word for so-and-so" was a little annoying. Having now read several of the early readers, I can honestly say that it is MUCH less annoying

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when you're not the one reading the book aloud!

My niece (who is six and entering the first grade in a week!) found this book easy enough to read with only a little help from me. Help largely consisted of asking her to sound out a word a second time, asking her if the sentence "makes sense" the way she read it, or asking if she's SURE she saw a d (or b, or w) in that word. There were a few words I had to read *for* her, but not more than I'd expect from this style of book. However, it should be noted that she was one of the better readers in her kindergarten class.

The "fancy words" in this book range from the useful - biography, select - to the more fanciful - crestfallen, plume.

I'm a little surprised at how much Nancy's parents enable the "learning lesson" at the end. They don't just let her work on the cover to the exclusion of everything else (albeit with a few warning comments that she needs to leave time for the REPORT part of the report), they actively take her to the store to get the supplies for this. (Apparently beads + yarn + fringe = INDIAN.) And Nancy's teacher is also super-understanding - she tells Nancy to just tell them about the book, so far so good, but she doesn't tell her to make up her report that night. That strikes me as a little unrealistic.

I'm also concerned with some of the misconceptions shared in this book. Nancy repeats the line about Sacajawea being an "Indian princess", which she plainly wasn't. Nobody said that about her until a good 70 years after her death, in fact. As that's just about the only information we get about her in this book (which isn't about Sacajawea, so that's fair), it's a little disappointing that it's wrong.

I will also note that there are an awful lot of sentences on each page. This is a good book for kids in the later stage of "beginning readers", I think, not in the very early stage.

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My favorite thing about this book is definietely the bright, fun illustrations. The story is also very engaging. I also really think it is great that the book has a glossary for some of the harder words in the story. Students reading this book would really enjoy how the definitions for some of the

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harder words are included on the pages and incorporated into the story.

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I think this would be a great book for students to read in groups. It is easy enough reading for the students to read, but some words are a little challenging so it would be nice to have other students around to help them. A teacher might also want to introduce this book when they are planning to

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assign a book report. This book will help them understand what a book report is and how to handle it.

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Critique: This is a good example of realistic fiction because there are some kids like fancy Nancy that would focus mainly on the artwork of a research project and then when it comes to writing about the project are so tired or cannot put their thoughts into words. The teacher being flexible

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allowed Nancy to tell the class all that she knew which is something that you would actually find taking place in a classroom.

Plot: This is a good example of chronological plot because the events take place in the order that they would happen in life. Nancy went to library day, picked out a book on Sacajawea, does a book report on the reading and then present the book report to class at the end.

Level: Primary and Intermediate

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Fancy Nancy is a excellent book for beginning readers. Nancy uses bigger words but she tells the meaning of the words in the following sentence after each word. Younger girls would really enjoy reading this book. It is about when Nancy's class goes to the Library and she pick out a biography for

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her book report. Nancy spends way to much time decorating the cover of her book and she does not leave any time to put words into her report. The next day at school, Nancy has to present her report. How will it turn out for her? Read and find out.

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I hope I can use this book to spark the love of reading in children. It would also be a great book to have them children predict what is goind to happen. They will probably realize that Fancy Nancy is spending too much time on the picture and not enough time on the words. This can show them the

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importance of not leaving everything til the last minute when they have a project.

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This book features Fancy Nancy and her experience writing her first book report. Nancy gets so wrapped up in making the cover of her book report, an elaborate portrait of Sacajawea, that her book report ends up being only two sentences. She feels embarrassed when other students give lengthy reports

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on their books. Luckily Nancy's teacher, Ms. Glass, understands and lets Nancy orally share about her book. This story is an easy reader with eight "fancy" new words spread throughout. A list of the words and their definitions can be found at the end of the book. This book teaches children a good lesson about the importance of focusing on the assignment, not the fluff that is not required. Nancy was lucky that her teacher understood, but not all teachers are so lenient. I am a big fan of "Fancy Nancy" books and always enjoy how she teaches us new vocabulary words throughout the story. The illustrations are bright and cheerful and thoroughly illustrate the events of the story.

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Energetic illustrations are paired with new vocabulary words in this easy to read transitional book for young readers. Fancy Nancy experiences a bout of writers block as she writes her first book report and must get creative to finish her project.

Cat's bedtime book choice this evening, from a box set she got for her birthday.

Early chapter book: Realistic Fiction
Age Appropriateness: primary
Media: Colored Pencil
Review: This book is about how Nancy had to write a book report on Sacajawea. Nancy spent so much time making the cover of her book report be pretty that when it came to actually writing about her person that

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she was doing for her book report that she was to tired to write any words.
Critique: This is a good early chapter realistic book because kids have to write book reports and they tend to focus on the detail like Nancy did and not the writing. What made it fiction was because she believes that she is outstandling fancy and transforms her book report into a real life book and acted like the book was real.

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