It is absolutely and completely fine that your child wants to check out Dog Man: Fetch 22 for the nine millionth time. Lots of kids re-read and for lots of different reasons.
We re-read in order to learn
The human brain is not wired for reading. It’s wired for spoken language. When we learn how to read, we are connecting the spoken sounds of language to written letters. When kids first start to read, much of their effort and attention is focused on decoding – connecting letters to sounds and then mushing those sounds all together to form a word! Beginning readers can accurately decode a text, read the words on the page, but they might not be connecting those words with what the sentence actually says. Re-reading can help your child become a more fluent reader – someone who can decode words and comprehend them at the same time.
In Donalyn Miller’s book The Book Whisperer, she says “My most treasured books have been read many times by me and each time I discover something different. Books are multilayered; one reading is not enough.” We base our understanding of books on our background knowledge – when we have a broader vocabulary, more life experience, certain books—even certain words – will mean something different to us.
We re-read for comfort and enjoyment
The Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report found that 41% of kids struggle with finding books they like as they get older. They know what to expect with Dog Man. They know the jokes (and probably think they’re funny), the characters are familiar, the plot is just right. Re-reading Dog Man is like eating your favorite meal. You know what you’re getting and you know you like it.
If your child is re-reading Brawl of the Wild for the fourth or fifth time, they’re still reading! They’ll glean something new from each re-read, be it new vocabulary, fluency, or just confidence in their reading ability.
Beyond Their Favorite Meal
Just as we know we can’t eat our favorite meal every single day and get all the nutrition that we need, re-reading Dog Man will only take us so far on our reading journey. When your child is ready to branch out, here are some options that should appeal to Dog Man fans.
by Jim Benton
Catwad is about two cats, one blue grump named Catwad, and one dim-witted orange tabby named Blurmp. Catwad has the same goofy humor and lively illustrations as Dog Man. // Junior Graphic Novel
by Mac Barnett & Shawn Harris
Oh no! Rats are eating the moon! The only one who can save all of humanity is……a bioengineered cat who will be jettisoned into space accompanied by a toenail clipping robot and the imperious Moon Queen. Animal science experiments who save the day? JUST LIKE DOG MAN! // Junior Graphic Novel
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
What do your lunch ladies do when they’re not doling out your daily helping of mystery meat? This one serves up JUSTICE! An unlikely hero kicking all kinds of bad guy butt should have a special place in the hearts of Dog Man fans. // Junior Graphic Novel
Honorable Mentions: