Preliminary Level: The Poodle Level

For Students Ages 6-9 or in Grades 1-3

Every book in this series has won a Mom’s Choice Gold Award!

The Poodle Level offers children who are not quite ready for Level 1 of the MCT curriculum a chance to enter the program gently, drawing them in with delightful stories, engaging characters, imaginative language, and gorgeous illustrations. Children won’t just learn about grammar, punctuation, and poetic techniques; they’ll see them in action through Michael’s ingenious use of language to communicate, to allure, to enchant, and to instruct.

Each book in the series is a fun adventure tale featuring Michael’s brilliant word play, illustrator Christopher Tice’s extraordinary artistry, and a storyline that celebrates both the power of words and the power of friendship, as well as an unabashed willingness to extend that friendship (and an abundance of grammar knowledge!) to others. Even better: Readers can hear Michael narrate the story through the magic of QR code technology. On every level, this series is pure creative genius.

The Poodle books are masterful works that are unconventional in their execution and that challenge students on multiple levels of intellectual and academic sophistication, yet they remain inviting and accessible, welcoming children into the world of language arts.

Note: Both the language arts concepts and the storyline of these books build upon one another. As such, the series is best read in order.

Watch as Michael discusses how to get the most out of the Poodle books, sharing his wisdom on implementation strategies, the importance of reading, maintaining enthusiasm for learning, and so much more.

Video: Michael Discusses the Poodle Books