Books by Grade Level
First Grade Recommendations
1st Grade| 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade
Joe on the Go
by Peggy Perry Anderson
Joe the frog wants to be on the go, but even at a family reunion he is
out of luck, as everyone says they are too busy, or he is too fast, too
slow, too big, or too small to go with them, until Grandma invites him
to go with her on a special outing.
Elephants Can
Paint, Too
by Katya Arnold
Describes how an art teacher teaches art to elephants in Asian
countries as a way of wildlife conservation.
Super
Fly Guy
by Tedd Arnold
Fly Guy visits the school cafeteria and gets the lunch lady fired.
Wiggle and
Waggle
by Caroline Arnold
Two worms who are best friends have fun together as they tunnel their
way through a garden. Includes facts on how worms help plants grow.
An Egg is
Quiet
by Dianna Aston
Introduces readers to more than 60 types of eggs and an array of egg
facts.
Litte
Martin
by Barbara Baker
Mother is trying to be patient and help Little Martin with his
behavior.
On the Go with Mr. and
Mrs. Green
by Keith Baker
Mr. and Mrs. Green, a loving alligator couple, practice magic tricks,
bake cookies, and dream up new inventions.
So Many
Houses
by Hester Bass
A simple description of the different kinds of houses found in all of
the world's regions.
Silent
Kay and the Dragon
by Larry Dane Brimner
A simple introduction to words with silent letters conveyed through
the story of Kay and her adventures with a friendly dragon.
Quiet
Wyatt
by Larry Dane Brimner
The concept of opposites is conveyed through the story of a boy who
can be very loud, or, if he chooses, can be very quiet.
Who is
Melvin Bubble
by Nick Bruel
An introduction to six-year-old Melvin Bubble as presented by his
family, friends, and others.
Bathtime
for Biscuit
by Alyssa Capucilli
Biscuit the puppy runs away from his bath with his puppy friend,
Puddles.
Minnie
and Moo and the Haunted Sweater
by Denys Cazet
Minnie and Moo want to give special presents to the Farmer for his
birthday, but something goes awry when Moo knits him a sweater.
Big
Egg
by Molly Coxe
A mother hen wakes up one morning to find a gigantic egg among the
others in her nest and goes in search of the egg's origin.
Dirk
Bones and the Mystery of the Haunted House
by Doug Cushman
"Daily Tombs" newspaper reporter Dirk Bones, who also happens to be a
skeleton, investigates when a family of ghosts fears that they are
being haunted.
Peanut
and Pearl's Picnic
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Two friends set off for a picnic together, but by the time they are
ready to eat, they have lost one another.
Pirate
School
by Cathy East Dubowski
At Pirate School, Pete learns to act like a pirate and fight it out,
but when he and a classmate find the treasure at the same time, pirate
rules don't seem to work.
Bebe Goes
Shopping
by Susan Middleton Elya
Rhyming text describes a trip to the grocery store for a mamá and her
baby boy. Includes a glossary of Spanish words used in the story.
Lissy's
Friends
by Grace Lin
Lissie is the new girl at school and very shy, so she makes origami
friends to keep her company.
Custard
Surprise
by Bernard Lodge
Two chickens, Dinah and Rufus, find that running a diner is harder
than they expected when every customer wants something that is not on
the menu, until finally someone comes in for whom the Custard Surprise
is just right.
Daisy
Jane, Best-ever Flower Girl
by Megan McDonald
Daisy Jane, who is thrilled to be the flower girl at her babysitter's
wedding, helps save the day when a storm threatens the festivities.
First
Grade Bunny
by Margaret McNamara
Everyone in Mrs. Conner's first-grade class loves their visitor,
Sparky the bunny, except Reza, who tries to overcome his fear when the
teacher gives him a special job.
Tiny Goes
to the Library
by Cari Meister
Tiny the dog is a big help at the library when his owner takes out too
many books to carry home.
Larry and
Rita
by Jamie Michalak
Four children's stories about a porcupine and a chipmunk.
Little
Bear
by Else Homelund Minarik
Meet Little Bear, a friend to millions of children.And meet Mother
Bear, who is there whenever Little Bear needs her. When it is cold and
snowy outside, she finds just the right outfit for Little Bear to play
in. When he goes to the moon, she has a hot lunch waiting for him on
his return. At night she helps him get to sleep. And, of course, she
never forgets his birthday.
Fancy
Nancy
by Jane O'Connor
A young girl who loves fancy things helps her family to be fancy for
one special night.
Ballet Sisters: The
Duckling and the Swan
by Jane Ormerod
Sylvie and her older sister dance their way through make-believe
adventures that include princesses, fairy queens, swans, and
ducklings.
Behold
the Bold Umbrellaphant
by Jack Prelutsky
A collection of silly poems using odd and unique combinations of
animals and inanimate objects, such as the ballpoint penguins, the
umbrellaphant, and circular sawtoise.
Look for
Ladybugs
by Dana Meachen Rau
Simple, rhyming text about a ladybug search teaches about
prepositional phrases.
At Home
in a New Land
by Joan Sandin
Carl Erik, a recent immigrant from Sweden, becomes the man of the
house when his father and uncle go to work in a logging camp, and he
learns many things about life in Minnesota while attending school,
doing his chores, and trying to put meat on the table.
Follow
Me, Mittens
by Lola Schaefer
Mittens the kitten goes for a walk with Nick, but he is distracted by
a butterfly and becomes lost.
Lonely
Moose
by John Segal
A lonely moose rescues a bird that cannot fly, and in turn the bird
ends up saving the moose from its solitary existence.
The Cat
in the Hat
by Dr. Seuss
Two children sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the cat in
the hat who shows them some tricks and games.
Detective
Dinosaur
by James Skofield
Detective Dinosaur and Officer Pterodactyl are challenged to solve
three cases when a hat is missing, a shoe squeaks, and a loud clanging
comes from a dark alley at night.
The
Viper
by Lisa Thiesing
Peggy receives a mysterious call from the Viper warning that he is
coming in one year, with repeated calls which count down the dwindling
time until his arrival.
Pip
Squeak
by Sarah Weeks
Pip Squeak the mouse works hard to clean the house for his friend
Max's visit, but then he has to clean up after Max too.
Lucky
Duck
by Ellen Weiss
Lucky Duck goes about his day, oblivious to the dangers that surround
him.
Today I
Will Fly!
by Mo Willems
While Piggie is determined to fly, Elephant is skeptical, but when
Piggie gets a little help from others, amazing things happen.
Number
One Puppy
by Zachary Wilson
A girl counts puppies at the dog pound.
