The Firefly Books young kids' career series: I Want to Be

New editions, revised to reflect the increasing diversity in society and changing technology in the lives of people working around children.

Praise for the series:

"The series offers books that may be useful to teachers introducing careers to young children, and certain volumes will fit right into Community Helpers units as well."
-- Booklist

"The I Want To Be series provides young readers with some exciting opportunities to think about... an attractive choice for beginning readers. Recommended."
-- Library Media Connection

This best-selling series of 17 titles has sold more than 800,000 copies since publication and earned excellent reviews and praise for the range of occupations it features. With vibrant color pictures and plain text, the I Want To Be series is an appealing introduction to a broad spectrum of occupations, from Pilot to Chef to Cowboy, making them ideal for inclusion in Community Helpers and other Common Core Correlations Social Studies and Language Arts units.

New photos show Policewomen with contemporary uniforms and state-of-the-art equipment. Firefighters' uniforms protect better; Builders are women as well as men; many of the Nurses are male. This reflects the society that kids are seeing now. And the books are attractively priced, at $3.99. This is the same price as in 1998.

Mainly, children will enjoy the I Want To Be books for the pictures, reading to themselves, seeing everyday people doing important jobs, like the adults in their family and in their dreams and aspirations.

There are exciting new editions of these titles:

9780228101369 I Want to Be a Builder (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101475 I Want to Be a Builder (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228100959 I Want to Be a Cowboy (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101413 I Want to Be a Cowboy (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228100966 I Want to Be a Doctor (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101529 I Want to Be a Doctor (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228100973 I Want to Be a Firefighter (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101420 I Want to Be a Firefighter (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228100980 I Want to Be a Mechanic (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101437 I Want to Be a Mechanic (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228100997 I Want to Be a Nurse (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101406 I Want to Be a Nurse (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228101000 I Want to Be a Pilot (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101444 I Want to Be a Pilot (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228101017 I Want to Be a Police Officer (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101390 I Want to Be a Police Officer (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228101024 I Want to Be a Teacher (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101451 I Want to Be a Teacher (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228101031 I Want to Be a Truck Driver (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101468 I Want to Be a Truck Driver (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)
9780228101567 I Want To Be A Vet (paperback, $3.99)
9780228101574 I Want To Be A Vet (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)

DAN LIEBMAN is a longtime freelance editor and author. He wrote the monthly “Star Gazing” column for Famous magazine for over ten years. Before that, he wrote (under the name Clare Annswell) “StarScope,” a popular syndicated column for U.S. community newspapers. He also wrote an astrology column for Harlequin magazine and edited Harlequin’s series of astrology books.

Dan Liebman's profile page

[Review of previous edition:] Suitable for preschool to kindergarten.

The Muskokan

[Review of previous edition:] Simple, easy-to-read text and high quality, coloured photographs will appeal to young children and beginning readers. By incorporating a variety of ages and genders into the photographs, Liebman has identified trade professionals as an occupation for all people. Highly Recommended.

Canadian Materials