Offering everything from online interaction with the author to interactive games that reinforce reading skills and strategies, Flashlight Readers provides opportunities to share favorite books with your child in fun, interactive, and meaningful ways.
Our featured titles:
A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin
- Find suggestions on how to enjoy A Dog's Life with your child
- Discover more books your child will love
- Learn more about the author, Ann M. Martin
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
- Find suggestions on how to enjoy Charlotte's Web with your child
- Discover more books your child will love
- Learn more about the author, E. B. White
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
- Find suggestions on how to enjoy Inkheart with your child
- Discover more books your child will love
- Learn more about the author, Cornelia Funke
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
- Find suggestions on how to enjoy Hoot with your child
- Discover more books your child will love
- Learn more about the author, Carl Hiaasen
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
- Find suggestions on how to enjoy Chasing Vermeer with your child
- Discover more books your child will love
- Learn more about the author, Blue Balliett
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Find suggestions on how to enjoy Esperanza Rising with your child
- Discover more books your child will love
- Learn more about the author, Pam Muñoz Ryan
Holes by Louis Sachar
- Find suggestions on how to enjoy Holes with your child
- Discover more books your child will love
- Learn more about the author, Louis Sachar
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
- Find suggestions on how to enjoy Because of Winn-Dixie with your child
- Discover more books your child will love
- Learn about the author, Kate DiCamillo
How to Use Flashlight Readers
By joining Flashlight Readers, beginners through advanced-level readers explore quality books and communicate with favorite authors. We feature books at the 3rd to 8th grade level; each title offers enrichment opportunities such as community-building games, activities, author interaction, slideshows, and more, while seamlessly building essential reading and writing skills. Parent support is provided with every featured book to help you help your child get the most out of each reading experience.
Flashlight Readers Home
A pop-up window prompts your child to sign in or to register if not already a member. When your child registers, he will receive a printable membership card with a user name and password. There is also an option to enter as a guest for limited participation. Guests can participate in games and activities, but are not able to communicate with other users or to collect special rewards. (Registration is free.)
Click objects on and around the desk to see what happens:
- Begin an interactive book exploration by clicking the featured book on the desk.
- Previously featured books are available from the "Pick a Book" menu. Click one to access its games, activities, and more.
- To chat with the author, click the phone. A message on the notepad states when the next chat will happen.
- Click the calendar for dates of new featured books.
- To get a key that will open the desk drawer, you must sign up to be a member of Flashlight Readers. The drawer holds a membership card, a message prompting exploration, and "rewards" earned for participating in the activities and games associated with featured books.
- The Flash Board reveals messages left by other Flashlight Readers. Click it to see the most recent messages or to create a new message.
Flashlight Readers Installment
Each book installment offers games, activities, chats, and more opportunities to learn about the book's theme, characters, settings, plot, and author. Here's what you'll find inside:
- Interactive games and activities range from creating a scrapbook of favorite book characters to solving a maze by answering questions about the story.
- The key reveals the reward earned by completing the session's activities. One reward, for example, is a photograph autographed by the author.
- Flashlight Readers communicate with each other by clicking and dragging book-related icons and words to create and post messages on the Flash Board. Sentence starters are also provided.
- Enjoyed the book? Take a look at a list of related titles.
- Find out more about featured authors by reading short biographies and past interviews.
- Clickable book-related objects link to a range of multimedia experiences. Examples include: audio clips, photographs, printable bookmarks, narrated book excerpts, and slideshows.
Flashlight Readers Club Goals
The online club strengthens your child's knowledge of story elements (character, setting, plot, and theme) and key reading skills in a fun and meaningful way. It also offers opportunities for you and your child to read and discuss books together.
Your child will:
- Connect her experiences with those of the author and/or with characters from the books
- Support predictions, interpretations, and conclusions with examples from the story
- Offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to the story
- Identify and discuss book themes, characters, plots, and settings
- Practice key reading skills and strategies (cause-and-effect, problem/solution, compare-and-contrast, summarizing, etc.)
- Monitor comprehension
- Discuss ideas from the book with you, the author, and in a moderated online environment with other children
