I agree that in able to widen one’s vocabulary, he must keep on reading.
When I saw a book sale in SM Baguio a couple of months ago, I bought a few for myself and the girls. I just thought that it is now the right time to start and encourage them to read a book or two whenever they can. In my youngest’s case, a picture book is appropriate for her since she can only read 3-letter words. While my 9 y/o can already manage, I bought her a short novel book, Chocolate Fever.
She loved it and finished reading in just two days. Here’s the plot summary that I grabbed from Wikipedia and it matches the story that my daughter passed on to me. Meaning, she understood the story.
Henry loves chocolate so much, he puts it in almost everything he eats: chocolate cake, chocolate cereal, chocolate syrup, chocolate milk, chocolate pies, chocolate cookies, chocolate mashed potatoes, chocolate-sprinkled noodles, chocolate marshmallows, you name it! Still, it comes as a shock when he suddenly finds out on a regular school day that he is covered in huge brown spots.
Dr. Fargo tells him he is he first person ever in history diagnosed with…Chocolate Fever! Henry is scared of Dr. Fargo and rather being poked by doctors, Henry runs away, which leads to a chase. Henry hides in a garage then hangs out at another school, but the boys call him ugly and Henry runs away again.
Later, Henry meets an African named Mac who hands him food but they are unexpectedly hijacked by two men named Lefty and Louie. The criminals wanted a cargo of furs but instead got a cargo of candy. Henry and Mac are locked up.
Henry smells like chocolate, so a group of dogs run to the locked door, and burst through. Mac takes a gun to protect himself and policemen arrive to arrest Louie and Lefty. Mac finally calls Henry’s parents and they stop at Sugar Cane’s candy company to drop off the cargo of candy. Alfred Cane gives Henry vanilla pills to cure his chocolate fever. Back home, Henry is much less addicted at chocolate, and finds a new love, Cinnamon. He thinks what can go with cinnamon: cinnamon cereal, cinnamon oatmeal, cinnamon cream of wheat, cinnamon ice cream, cinnamon French Fries, cinnamon milk..Henry worries about getting cinnamon fever.
I just hope that she will continue to read day by day.