Fun with Dick and Jane

Read With Dick and Jane

by William S. Gray

"Look, Jane, " said Dick.  "Here is something funny.  Can you guess what it is?"

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Picture Books, Classics, Education, Juvenile

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1951

Reviews

[Bill Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the very first book I ever read!!!!!!

Of course, the edition was printed years ago before I entered first grade at Jefferson School back in 1955.

Mrs. White taught me and my classmates to read. She was a dour sort. As I recall, she took us through exercises that involved combinations of letters and words for different sounds on oblong cards. Then, she threw us in the deep end and dropped "Fun with Dick and Jane" on us.

I grooved on it all easily and enthusiastically. I was in the "Blue Group." We were the gunners.

It was all easy and fun. I did not consider that these exercises had much to do with the Bigger Picture.

Until one miraculous day, I picked up a piece of Fleer Double Bubble gum at the IGA grocery on the corner for a penny. I popped the gum in my mouth and went looking for a little girl a year older than me. She was the go to person in the 'hood to read the four panel comic and the usually inscrutable fortune wrapped around the gum.

After all, what did a six year old in Wichita, Kansas during the midi-fifties need to know about "fortune?"

As I discovered, that would come later.

I couldn't find the young girl whose name I forgot long again.

I looked at the text on the inner wrapper.

It suddenly, overwhelmingly overcame me! That wonder continues to this minute!!

[Janet C-B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how I learned to read before starting kindergarten in the mid 1950's. It is probably the most important book I ever read. I was a fan of Dick, Jane and Spot. I enjoyed the illustrations, because they gave me context cues, and/or the reward for knowing that I read the words correctly.

I will not criticize the book for gender discrimination, since the book reflected the social norms of the day. It was not until I was about age 6 or 7, that I caught onto gender discrimination. Around that age, my brothers both got Davy Crockett toy rifles as gifts. Because I was a girl, I was given a musket which was clearly an inferior toy weapon.

I totally missed Dr. Seuss as a way to learn to read. When I first saw Dr. Seuss books several years later, I thought they were total nonsense, which of course they were. I am still not a fan of Dr. Seuss books. I am not a fan of the characters, the words, or the illustrations.

Fortunately, by then I had moved onto Nancy Drew books leaving Dr. Seuss "in the dust."

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read ahead of the reading group. I asked my teacher what a word I did not know was. She told me I was not supposed to have read that far and to wait. I think that's when I began to wonder about the educational system.

[Kylee Lockridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun simple read for kids that are starting out reading.

[Frederick Rhine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insipid trash. Show some respect for young readers.

[Kellie O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

[Maddie Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's okay.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published- New York : Grosset & Dunlap, 2004, c1940.
ISBN- 0-448-43411-3 (pbk.)
Genre- Realistic Fiction
Reading Level- Kindergarten-1st grade

This is an easy reader for sure. This story is about a family with a mother, father, brother Dick, sister Jane and little sister Sally. Each of the children does a specific action throughout the book. There are 6 chapters starting with "Look Up", "Who Is It", "Something Pretty", "Where Is Sally", "Jane Helps Mother", and "A Funny Ride". These chapter titles are very true to what the chapter is about. The chapter "Something Pretty" I found to be charming and yet very stereotypical. The mother has on a bonnet with flowers that the two sisters think is pretty. They go outside and take flowers from the garden and put them on their bonnets to match their mother. They show them to their mother and she tells them they look pretty.

This book is definitely accessible for younger readers, but the story is very simple and frankly boring.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

As boring & stilted as I remember it back in first or second grade!😁

I was a precocious reader in childhood, so the Dick & Jane series we were compelled to read in grade school were beneath me. But being an obedient goody goody, I slogged thru them with my classmates & had difficulty understanding how some of my peers could be having trouble with the readings. (I am far less a snob now than I was as a child.) Fortunately, we had Dr.Seus in our home library and a weekly visit to the public library to keep me challenged. 50 years later, I'm having a great time rereading this book out loud again but this time using extreme drama for the awful dialogue

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dick and Jane books have been a part of my library since I was a child. I like the repetitive structure the books have. By following Dick and Jane on their adventures, children learn about movement, colors, manners, and having fun.

This a great book for the beginner reader. The words are simple and can be sounded out. The repetition of the words help children learn how to say and use the word correctly.

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book I ever read. It's where it all started. Dick was a cool kid; he got to do all the good stuff while Jane just stood by and watched. Spot was the unsung hero. This was truly a WASP experience.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

About time I get around to reviewing this. I was already reading a bit going in to first grade, and this was the book they gave us there. Continued a firm foundation for my lifetime of reading. I won't tell the rest. Spoilers, you know?

[Ruth K. Trump · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? It’s a book in which many of us learned to read. I am a Speech Pathologist and have purchased 2 of the series. I use them with my Aphasic adults for regaining their love for reading and the ability to comprehend print.

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

(early) this book was left in our 1933-34 home when we purchased it; to be honest, if books were this poorly written currently there would be NO early readers; the pictures on the other hand were outstanding

[Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for beginner readers

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the many series of books that I learned to read from, in either 1st or 2nd grade.

[Debi Cates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book, and the series, that taught me to read, way back in 1965. It taught me to *want* to read because I wanted to understand all the fun being had by Dick and Jane (along with Sally, and Spot, and Puff). Thank you to this book for starting my fantastic adventure that has lasted me a lifetime. How can I rate this book anything less than ALL THE STARS?!

I wonder what is the traditional First Book for kids now in school? I'll have to ask the Littles. I was reading to my own daughters long before they started school and can easily remember many of those books, but now wonder what were the First Books my girls read officially to learn to read in school. I'll ask them too.

A postscript:
Yes. I know. There is legitimate criticism about Dick and Jane, most especially about the lack of diversity. And I wholeheartedly agree that diversity is lacking. But when I learned to read, we had not progressed in that direction yet. Hopefully many kids had the same experience I did with this series -- they learned to read. That's step 1 for any education and functionality in modern times.

Also, while reading Dick and Jane I remember at my school we also learned phonics along side so I don't recall just memorizing words by sight, which is another criticism of the series that I don't recall being an issue.

All five of my grands have gone to the same elementary school. There they teach something called the Carden Method and all of them learned to read and amazed me with their reading above grade level abilities from the start. I started to do a Carden Method search. Google thinks I might want to know about "Carden Method criticism." Sounds like it might not be perfect either.

We learn --> We change --> We advance.

First, though, we must learn to read.

[Niav Berutti · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a classic easy-to-read book that was written in the 1950's. Pearson Scott Foreman made a series of Dick and Jane stories that all offer a repetitive and short-sentenced structure that includes easy-to-read words. This book is great for students learning to read, and offers illustrations that give children context clues that allow them to follow along with the words easily. The illustrations also reward the readers for being able to read the pages prior to them. In every story Dick, Jane, and their puppy Scout on their daily adventures. Context wise, I would not say these are the best or most up-to-date books for children to read. There is some stereotyping and heteronormativity, which should be changed. Overall though, for learning to read words, this is helpful.

[Diane Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered a couple of Dick and Jane books out of nostalgia. I grew up learning to read in elementary school with these books. They were the best then, and are still the best. The vocabulary increases with the age level of the books. The lessons in the books are of quality for any child, then or now. These books have an innocent, honest writing style that will never go out of style. Highly recommended for new readers.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fun! It is fun to look back - look back to a time that is viewed through rose colored glasses, every thing so rosey - rosey, rosey, rosey! A nuclear family in a time of fear of nuclear weapons - one nuclear is nice, the other nuclear is naughty! Living on Maple Street is so nice, all my neighbors are friendly - wait...what is that flash in the sky! Run home Dick! Run home Jane!

[Dr. Robin Markowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Classic

Away went the family. Away. Away. Away.

That actually ends the book. I kid you not! It's hard not to laugh even though this stuff is horrible. I don't think humans have hair that color!

[Hasana]

This is one of the first books that I read. It was also my first journey into the world of literary criticism. I read the words and tried to understand what was so fun about Dick and Jane's life. It all seemed pretty boring to me.

[Tasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books as a kid and was the book that helped me read. I was an early reader and blew through these books really quickly. I loved the short sentences that kept me on my toes waiting to see what happened next and I would definitely have young readers read this book.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was riveting. The imagery. The depth of characters. The suspense. What an ending!
One of the first books I read... due to recent uncovered evidence.... an audio recording of my reading in 1969.

[Miranda Summerset · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 STARS! I know people have issues with this series, but I find it wholesome and sweet. Very simple, but great family messaging & good lessons for young kids. A nice read that evokes the love of the simple things in life.

[DrosoPHila · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is given as an archetypal example of how not to write a children's book.

No plot, unnatural repetitive text, etc.

Kids learned to read despite this book.

[Carolyn, Ur Local Carrot Stick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was very easy to read, but this book was more challenging than the other books. And I liked the harder words.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first books I ever read! For the nostalgia alone it deserves 4 stars

[Sherry Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for an art project - collage work. But I found myself lost in my childhood. It was a magical nostalgia. Always the classic for a 1960's kid.