Stories of the Looking Glass is a series of 10 phonetically decodable chapter books. Each book features its own set of characters and storylines from different backgrounds and origins. While some stories allow students to connect with folklore passed down from generations, others feature modern day characters. The books in this series follow various storylines written to engage Middle-High School age readers beginning with CVC words all the way to complex multi-syllable words. Each book in this series was written by LearnUp’s certified literacy tutors who aimed to create a series where students can see themselves or learn about their peers’ cultures through a series of books that are designed to build reading confidence one page at a time.
Reading Level: 1.0 to 8.0
Phonics Concepts: One Syllable, Two Syllable, and Multi Syllable Words; Open/Closed Syllables, Consonant Digraphs, Blends, Vowel Tag, Vowel Change, Silent E, R-Controlled Vowels, Diphthongs, Vowel Teams, Complex Vowel Teams, Advanced Vowel Teams, Final Syllables
Length: 5 – 80 pages
Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Chinese Folklore, West African Folklore, African American Folklore, Mexican Folklore, Japanese Folklore
Shell Song
Josh and his sis have to go back to their ship but a song has them stuck. Will they make it off Shell Island in time?
Shell Song is book 1 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: Kindergarten
Phonics: Consonants, Short Vowels, Open and Closed Syllables, Closed Syllable with Digraphs
Kit’s Egg
When Lex and Jass find a rock, they think it looks like an egg. And it is but the thing that comes from it isn’t a bug. What will Lex and Jass do with the thing? How will they hide her?
Kit’s Egg is book 2 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: K – 1st
Phonics: Hungry Rule (Floss Rule), CVCC words, Suffix Endings, Double Final Consonants
Go with the Tall-Kin
A kid called King tells his friend that he sees fairies that he calls tall-kin. When he passes, his friend runs to the woods to see if the tall-kin are there. King’s friend sees things that are fun and cool. But are they safe?
Go With the Tall-Kin is book 3 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: 1st – 2nd
Phonics: Short vowel exceptions, CCVCC, front blends
Why Brer Rabbit Has a Short Tail
Brer Rabbit has a long, fluffy tail. He skips and hops and brags about his tail. When the animals get tired of the bragging, they must find the one to help them.
Why Brer Rabbit Has a Short Tail is book 4 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: 2nd
Phonics: VC/CV, VC/V syllable breaking
POV
POV is a choose-your-own-adventure book, meaning it lets you go into the story and choose what to do next. You are a student in Japan and it is the day before summer. Your friends, Mari and Sato, ask if you want to check out an abandoned house in the mountains. What kinds of things will you see there and what paths will you take?
POV is book 5 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: 2nd – 4th
Phonics: Silent E, EE/EA, Latin roots, suffix endings
The Legend of the Weeping Woman
Maria, well known for her beauty and kindness secretly dreams of a much richer life. When a stranger arrives from the city, Maria sees a chance for her dreams to come true. But as time passes, things don’t go the way she planned and her happy ending turns into a legend that still haunts the town today.
The Legend of the Weeping Woman is book 6 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: 3rd
Phonics: Long E Spelling Pattern, R-Controlled Vowels
S&S Tacos
Sophia and Seb are brother and sister opening a taco truck. As they work to get the taco truck opened they start to fear that they are in over their heads.
S & S Tacos is book 7 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: 4th
Phonics: Dipthongs (Gliding Vowels)
Finding Sol
One summer Anna, an only child from a quiet family realizes that her life is not what it seemed. As Anna finds clues about her family’s past, she has to decide if she wants to keep looking for answers. Her search ends up helping her learn more about herself and what family really means.
Finding Sol is book 8 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: 4th
Phonics: Walkers (Vowel Teams), Long A, Long O, Most Kind Old Words (Kind Wild Old Rule)
The Story of Nian
Nian is not human. No one can really tell her what she is or where she came from, but Nian never stops yearning for the feeling of belonging. She lives in the bottom of the ocean with her sea creature friends, but one day she is lured by the lively noises above the surface. And because Nian is as curious as the ocean is deep, she can’t help but to go onto land for the first time in her life to meet the humans and discover new things.
The Story of Nian: The Beginning and the End is book 9 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: 5th – 6th
Phonics: Advanced vowel patterns, Long I/CY, complex multisyllabic words
The Imagination Game
A stolen diamond leads Jadah and her friends to a face off against evil businessmen. Can they return the diamond to its rightful owner? Is this mission even real?
The Imagination Game is book 10 of Stories of the Looking Glass—a series of 10 phonetically decodable books written specifically for middle and high school readers.
Reading Grade Level: 6th – 8th
Phonics: Soft C and G, silent letters, Latin roots, scribal O and ain words
