Bookbot Decodable Books: ci, si, ti

In the lake town of Oguta lives Adaeze, a princess who reads the weather in the water and solves every riddle she meets. So when a smooth-voiced suitor glides up to the palace gate, why does she alone feel that something is wrong? What secret hides beneath his sharp dark suit, and can one clever girl and a small disc of ash unmask him before the whole court? This Bookbot Level S9 story practices the /sh/ phonograms in ’tradition’, ‘ancient’, ‘accusation’, ‘attention’, and ‘aberration’.

Deep in the Ashanti forest lives Mmoatia, a fairy no bigger than your thumb, who owns a magical stirring-spoon that fills any pot with food. When greedy Anansi the spider snatches it away, why won’t the spoon work in his hands? Can a hungry trickster ever learn the secret hidden inside a giving heart? A warm West African tale about sharing something ‘precious’. This Bookbot story practices the /sh/ sound with words like ‘portion’, ’especially’, ’nutritious’, and ‘gracious’.

CHINK, CHINK, CHINK - just another boring day of mining coal, until a strange glowing emerald changes everything. One touch, one Creeper blast, and suddenly our miner is standing under unfamiliar stars with monsters closing in. Where did the emerald send them? And what will happen when night falls in the jungle? This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘action,’ ‘caution,’ ‘direction,’ and ‘hesitation.’

Zom’s pumpkins are the biggest, plumpest crop he’s ever grown, and he’s already dreaming of the delicious cakes he’ll bake. But when one pumpkin vanishes overnight without a single footprint left behind, his suspicion grows. Who - or what - is sneaking through the patch after dark? Can Zom and Skel stake out the garden and catch the mysterious thief before every last pumpkin disappears? This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words such as ‘attention,’ ‘delicious,’ ‘suspicion,’ and ‘determination.’

Nomvula is the cleverest tracker in her village, able to read a footprint like a face, so why does she slip a hollow reed and three marula fruits into her marriage bag before following her handsome new husband home? When bones lie at his gate and a lion’s paw print appears beside a man’s, can she outwit him before he catches her? A brave folktale of wits and courage. This Bookbot level practices the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘attention’, ‘motion’, ‘question’, ‘situation’, and ‘caution’.

The Tortoise and the Elephant meet at the last waterhole in the dry season, where mighty Elephant has claimed every drop for himself. When tiny Tortoise makes a daring bet that Elephant cannot crack his shell by sunset, will brute force win the day, or can a calm mind outlast the strongest stomp? What clever plan has Tortoise been hiding? Young readers will cheer through every twist. This Bookbot Level S9 story practices the /ʃ/ sound with lesson words like ‘proposition’, ‘position’, ‘solution’, and ‘patience’.

Zom the zombie has eaten brains for breakfast, lunch, and dinner his whole life - and he is SICK of it! Today he’s taking action and becoming a CHEF. But what on earth will he find to cook with in a muddy old field? A green egg? Moldy wheat? Bug-covered sugar? Can Zom really turn this gross pile into something worth eating? This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘action,’ ‘precious,’ ‘suspicion,’ and ‘satisfaction.’

Ned has rowed for days and days with one mission: to find the perfect spot to build a real house. But when he lands on a sandy beach, he discovers a talking book that’s been waiting three hundred years to help someone like him. Will Ned listen to the instructions before he starts punching things? And what exactly is that big blobby thing hanging from the tree? This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like “mission,” “location,” “patience,” and “instructions.”

What happens when the best miner in the village takes her friends on a field trip? Tom just wants coal for his oven, and Max dreams of portals to another dimension - but Jill has a bubbling, glowing surprise waiting deep underground. Can they chip away at the hardest block in the world without taking one wrong step? Whatever you do, don’t step in the lava! This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words such as ‘mission,’ ‘vacation,’ ‘ancient,’ and ‘patient.’

Kaggen can spin moonlight from a sandal, but there is one thing he cannot make. Fire. And fire belongs to the Ostrich, who hides it under his wing and never lets anyone near. Can a clever little insect outwit a huge, guarded bird? What plan could a mantis dream up, and what happens when the flame finally breaks free? This warm folktale rewards patience, cleverness, and courage. This Bookbot level practices words like ‘solution’, ‘situation’, ‘question’, and ‘action’.

Ajapa the Tortoise is not the strongest animal, or the fastest, but he is the cleverest. When a dry season empties the market stalls and hunger creeps through his town, this trickster tortoise discovers a magical golden tree deep in the forest, guarded by one simple rule. Can Ajapa keep his promise once his own belly is full, or will temptation make him forget the very words that matter most? This Bookbot level practices the /sh/ sound with words like ‘solution’, ’temptation’, ‘suspicion’, and ’tradition’.

When every golem in Canville vanishes overnight, the Mischievous Mage knows the village is in serious trouble. Without them, what will stop the zombies and skeletons creeping in after dark? The only answer is pumpkins - but no one has ever seen one growing nearby. Can the Mage and his friends track some down before nightfall, or will their search lead somewhere far more surprising? This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words such as ‘ancient,’ ‘mission,’ ‘patience,’ and ‘delicious.’

Have you ever heard of mooshrooms - cows with mushrooms growing right out of their heads? When Fig Pig returns from his expedition with this wild news, Brat Cat packs her boat and sets off on a mission to find them. But what happens when one kind handful of wheat turns into a very big commotion? This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘mission,’ ‘commotion,’ ‘delicious,’ and ‘determination.’

Mom’s pouch is the coziest, warmest spot in the whole rainforest - and it belongs to ME. So why, after a day of collecting feathers, berries, and kapok flowers for my special collection, won’t Mom let me climb in for my nap? What could possibly be more important than me? A joyful rainforest tale about family, change, and a very big surprise. This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘special,’ ‘ancient,’ ‘precious,’ and ‘collection.’

Kintu lives all alone on the wide green hills with only his cow for company, longing for something he cannot yet name. When a kind sky-god’s daughter climbs down through the clouds to meet him, will her father let them be together? What impossible test awaits, and what happens when a tiny bee walks a slow circle across his hand? A warm African folk tale about love, loss, and the power of the smallest deed. This Bookbot story practices the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘action’, ‘special’, ‘patient’, and ‘question’.

Jackal is the cleverest animal in the whole Kalahari, and he will happily tell you so himself. So when he spots little Kaggen the Mantis eating a bowl of delicious tortoise-shell soup by the dry road, why does he think tricking one small insect will be so easy? Can vanity be Jackal’s undoing, and who is truly the clever one when two tricksters meet? This Bookbot Level S9 story practices the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘delicious’, ‘patient’, ‘question’, and ‘situation’.

Fisi the hyena eats and eats, and the word “enough” means nothing to him. So when a windfall of bones appears in the rocky hills, his belly takes charge. Then a strange voice answers from a crack in the rocks, granting him a most convenient ‘permission’ to take it all. Is a real spirit hiding there, or is greedy Fisi fooling only himself? Will he ever learn to stop? This Bookbot Level S9 story practices the /ʃ/ sound in words like ‘permission’, ‘collection’, ‘commotion’, and ‘confession’.

Ned is tired of eating bread for every single meal - surely there must be something tastier out there? When The Book suggests a trip to the beach with a strange stick-and-string contraption, Ned is full of anticipation. But what exactly is a fish, and will Ned have the patience to catch one? Get ready for a splashy seaside adventure! This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘anticipation,’ ‘delicious,’ ‘instructions,’ ‘patient,’ and ‘satisfaction.’

Jack is brilliant at scaring crows and carving pumpkins, but caring for a cat? That’s brand new! Meow just stares with big round eyes, refusing every snack Jack offers - seeds, berries, even fancy salad. What does this mysterious little hunter actually want to eat? Can Jack solve the puzzle before Meow lives on bugs forever? Join him on a food-finding adventure full of surprises. This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words such as ‘attention,’ ‘mission,’ ‘passion,’ ‘patience,’ and ‘satisfaction.’

Have you ever wondered what happens to a raindrop once it tumbles from a cloud? High above the hills, thousands of raindrops are lined up for the greatest race in the world - first one to the sea wins! But what is the prize, and does anyone actually know the rules? Tumble, splash, and roll along for a wild ride. This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘mission,’ ’location,’ ‘vacation,’ and ‘migration.’

A princess lives in a tall tower, and every night her beautiful singing floats down to the town below. The townsfolk say she’s being held captive by a fearsome two-headed dragon! When a brave knight arrives with his shining armor and swift horse, he’s ready to rescue her. But is the princess really a prisoner? And is the dragon truly as vicious as the townspeople claim? Sometimes things aren’t quite what they seem!

The Clever Jackal is small, thin, and the exact color of dry grass. When a huge hungry lion named Shaka blocks the path to the waterhole, what can one tiny jackal possibly do against a beast as broad as a boulder? Can a clever mind outsmart brute strength? Follow Mkhulu as he thinks fast and stays cool in one very sticky spot. This Bookbot Level S9 story practices the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘protection’, ‘decision’, ‘satisfaction’, ‘commotion’, and ‘situation’.

When the Mischievous Mage sets off a spectacular firework show one night, he expects to get in trouble. Instead, Jill has a surprising request - she wants him to help celebrate something special for the village! Jill has big plans that include a new town square, a fountain, rose bushes, and even a secret surprise for Dr Can Do. What could the surprise be, and how will Dr Can Do react when he finds out?

Little Toman Fish is learning to hunt. His dad says be patient - but patience is BORING! Can a speedy little fish who hides behind the wrong rock, chases shrimp in circles, and crashes a kingfisher’s dinner ever learn to wait for his own? Dive into a watery adventure full of misses, surprises, and one very grumpy turtle. This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like “patience,” “mission,” “commotion,” and “fascination.”

What happens when a girl decides she’s a tree and trees absolutely, positively do NOT take naps? With leaf-hair dancing in the breeze, she zooms past bushes, bosses a whole row of trees around, and hides from Dad in the sneakiest spots. But what happens when the path disappears and her legs start feeling oh-so-heavy? This decodable reader practices ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘fraction,’ ‘attention,’ ‘sensation,’ ‘mission,’ and ‘motionless.’