Grade 1 level reading books
1st grade reading books for children aged 6-7 in Elementary School
Books for 1st grade – this list of suggested reading books has been curated and compiled by teachers, home educators and librarians for elementary school students aged 6-7. There is a range of picture books and short single chapter books to suit all abilities, including easy readers and more challenging stories. This list of 1st grade reading recommendations include titles by Jon Scieszka, Mal Peet, Mo Willems, Dr. Seuss, and Eleanor Estes.
The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli
The book hog adores books – any books. He feels the pages with his hooves. He sniffs the pages and loves the pictures. However, he has a secret that mustn’t be told. He can’t read! Follow his journey to the library for story time and the joy when he learns to read. A great picture book to encourage younger readers.
Picture book
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
The traditional tale of the Three Little Pigs is retold by the Wolf, and it wasn’t his fault. A very funny reimagining of this story with great illustrations. A perfect book for grade 1 group and shared reading.
Picture book
There’s an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer
A young boy is convinced there’s an alligator under his bed. How will he stop it eating him in the middle of the night? Can he lure it to the garage with a series of clever tricks? Ideal for more confident 1st grade readers.
Bedtime story
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Andrew’s best friend Nicky has freckles, and Andrew wants them so badly he’ll do anything to get some. Then Sharon offers him a secret recipe to grow freckles.
Fantasy
The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter
Selig doesn’t collect action figures or trading cards – he collects words. Words which make him giggle or words which sound nice to say.
An excellent book to spark your child’s interest in language.
Picture book
There is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems
Gerald the Elephant gets extremely irritated by a series of birds that camp out on his head. Can his friend Piggie help him out?
Classic
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Ramona is excited to start school for the first time. But things don’t go to plan and she’s in trouble from the first moment. Will she work out what she’s doing wrong? A thought-provoking 1st grade reading book.
School story
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
The daily life of a wombat is not at all what you might expect. A very funny look at life from a different point of view. A funny 1st grade reading picture book.
Animal story
Little Cliff’s First Day of School by Clifton L Taulbert
A classic based in the South in the 1950s, this is a great book to discuss anxiety about starting school.
Heartwarming and sensitive, it should answer many children’s worries and questions.
Classic | School story
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Wanda is teased by her classmates for wearing the same blue dress every day. This isn’t helped by a lie she tells which snowballs out of control. But, her friend Maddie then shows extraordinary kindness and stands up for her. Ideal to discuss with your 1st grade child.
Classic | Picture book
Hot Hot Hot by Neal Layton
Oscar and Arabella don’t like summer. Heat, flies, sweat, insects are not for them – because they are woolly mammoths. But then they come up with a very clever idea.
Animal story
Tuesday by David Wiesner
A stunningly imaginative picture book with strange and fantastical images including frogs on flying lily pads. There are no words in this book – which makes it ideal for helping your child tell the story and develop a rich and descriptive use of language.
An ideal first grade reading book to share.
Picture book | Fantasy
365 Penguins by Jean Luc Fromental
Imagine you wake up each day to find a penguin delivered to your front door. Who is sending them, what should you do with them, and where do you put them? A great picture story for helping 1st grade children to count and use their imagination.
Animal story
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
A funny story about life from the point of view of a worm. Homework can be eaten, baths are not necessary and mud is fine everywhere. But there’s one thing the worm wishes he could do.
Animal story | Humor
Uneversaurus by Aidan Potts
A clever book all about dinosaurs which encourages children to imagine for themselves what these creatures looked, like, sounded like and felt like.
Narrative non fiction
Water Boy by David McPhail
A moving fantasy story.
When a teacher tells a boy that people are mostly made out of water, he begins to panic. What if he dissolves? What if he goes down the plughole at bath time? But when he deals with fears, amazing and unexpected things start to happen. A great book for 1st grade children.
Fantasy
The Dot by Peter H Reynolds
Vashti sits through art class looking at her blank piece of paper. She hates art. But her teacher tells her, “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.” A world of creativity is opened up in this memorable story about overcoming a fear of failure.
Classic
When Sheep Cannot Sleep by Satoshi Kitamura
A story about a sheep who goes to extraordinary lengths to get to sleep, by going outside and counting everything he meets. A great story for developing math and memory skills.
Animal story
When Will I Read? by Miriam Cohen
Ideal for children struggling to read in first grade.
A heartwarming story about how different people learn in different ways.
School story
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The classic Dr. Seuss rhyming story about all the places green eggs and ham can be eaten. Can the reader remember all the places at the end?
Classic
And I Mean It, Stanley by Crosby Bonsall
A fun and madcap story about a girl and her pet and the imaginative ideas she has to build something from nothing. This is an ideal first grade book for more confident readers.
Family story
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
An amazing book about a grumpy and rude ladybug who refuses to say please or thank you or be polite in any way. Great collage illustrations from the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Animal story | Classic
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin
Ideal for reluctant and emerging readers, this is a great rhyming book with repetition and stunning pictures.
Classic | Rhyming
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Mrs. Mallard has the unenviable task of guiding her troop of ducklings across the city of Boston to the Public Gardens. But lots of interesting people help her along the way.
Classic
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Max has been sent to bed without supper. But once in his bedroom, his imagination comes alive with forests, jungles, wild beasts, and almost scary monsters.
Classic | Picture book
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw
A group of sheep decides to see if they can all fit into a Jeep. Then they think of all sorts of unlikely places they can drive to, and nothing quite goes to plan. A very funny book ideal for more reluctant readers.
Humor | Animal story
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Trixie goes with her father to the Laundromat.
But she leaves something behind. No! It’s Knufflebunny her favorite toy! How can she explain to her father when she has yet to utter her first word? A touching and fun 1st grade reading book.
Classic | Picture book | Family
Morris the Moose by Bernard Wiseman
Morris, a toothy-grinned Moose, encounters some strange new animals for the first time and assumes each one is a strange kind of moose. But the Cow has other ideas. A story of unlikely friendship.
Animal story | Humor
How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen
A fly on the wall story of the life of dinosaurs, including dinosaur bedtimes, dinosaur dinner, and dinosaur tantrums. Great pictures.
Bedtime story
Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies
A night out at the beach with a group of bats – including moon tan lotion and toasting bug-mallows.
A very original rhyming story.
Rhyming
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet
A heartwarming story about a girl whose mother is too ill to work. Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, Tashi is helped by magic monkeys to find the most valuable tea leaves in the land. Based on a Chinese legend. Ideal to read aloud to grade 1 children.
Legend | Picture book
How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Robin Page
A clever book about how animals help each other. By posing questions such as the story title, the book explores how living things work together in harmony.
Animal story | Narrative non fiction
The Retired Kid by John Agee
Brian has had enough of school, homework, chores and being told off – so he decides to retire and live at the Sunset Retirement Community. However, Brian’s new life isn’t quite what he’d imagined.
Humor | Picture book
Press Here by Herve Tullet
A clever book to fire the imagination. The reader presses dots, shakes pages, pulls tabs – and creates their own magic trick-like adventure. A great book for emerging readers and ideal for reading and discussing with your child. A great 1st grade storybook to share with reluctant readers.
Classic
If you would like to order all or most of the books in this list; or if you want to order classroom sets or multiple copies of books; or if you are ordering from outside the US, have a look at our ‘bulk orders’ page which makes this process easy.
Click for more reading recommendations – Kindergarten books |1st grade books (this page) | Grade 2 books | Grade 3 books | Grade 4 books | Grade 5 books | Grade 6 books | Grade 7 books | Grade 8 books | Grade 9 books | Grade 10 books | Grade 11 books | Grade 12 books
Please do share or link to this page via social media, but refrain from copying or reproducing our books for 1st grade synopses.
Please respect intellectual property and copyright. Thank you.
1st Grade Summer Reading List of Books
This post may contain affiliate links.
By Melissa Taylor
HoursPosted on
HoursUpdated on
Keep your soon-to-be 1st (first) graders, ages 6 and 7, practicing their growing reading skills with the best, most highly recommended first grade books!
These are favorite books for beginning readers from the easiest books with a few words per page to beginning chapter books with a sentence per page. (For my kids, this was first grade but for some kids, it’s earlier and for other children, it’s later. All stages of growth are fine!) You can find harder books on my summer reading list for second graders and more 5- and 6- year old book recommendations here.
Keep your first grade kids reading lots and lots of books this summer vacation!
Remember to help your 1st graders figure out those hard-to-read words with word attack strategies beyond the typical (and often useless) “sound it out.” Try these word attack strategies & download the free printable bookmark.
SHOP this Book List
Get Your FREE Summer Reading Printable Packet
Free Summer Reading Programs
ALL SUMMER READING LISTS BY GRADE
All Recommended Easy Readers
All Recommended Beginning Chapter Books
1st Grade Books: Summer Reading List (Ages 6 – 7)
If your 1st grade child loves a book, get more books by the same author or in the same series. Keep them reading as much as you can! And, if you need more ideas, you can always email me.
First Grade Beginning Readers (EASY)
This list of beginning readers are first grade books with only a few words per page, perfect for kids who are entering first grade and just beginning to read.
(Sight words are really important at this stage – download free printable sight word cards.)
If your 1st grader is looking for silly books, read:
- My Toothbrush is Missing by Jan Thomas
- What is Chasing Duck? by Jan Thomas
- We Are in a Book by Mo Willems (all Elephant and Piggie books are fantastic!)
- The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow by Andy Griffiths
- Ed and Ted and Ted’s Dog Fred by Andy Griffiths
- Friends Do Not Eat Friends (Thunder and Cluck) by Jill Esbaum
- Hi, Jack! by Mac Barnett & Greg Pizzoli
- Let’s Make Cake (Bobo and Pup Pup) by Vikram Madan
- That Egg is Mine by Liz Goulet Dubois
If your 1st grade child likes stories about real life and friendship, try:
- Who Is That, Cat the Cat? by Mo Willems
- We Are Growing by Laurie Keller
- Don’t Worry, BEE Happy by Ross Burach
- Big Cat by Ethan Long
- The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat
- Trucktown by Jon Scieszka
- Emerson Is Mighty Girl! by Meredith Rusu
- Kit and Kaboodle Take the Train by Michelle Portice
- Unlimited Squirrels in I Lost My Tooth! by Mo Willems
- Nick and Nack Fly a Kite by Brandon Budzi
- Do You Like My Bike? (Hello, Hedgehog!) by Norm Feuti
- The Great Bunk Bed Battle by Tina Kugler
If your 1st grader likes animal stories, try reading:
- Slow, Slow Sloths by Bonnie Bader
- Little Big Horse by Dave Horowitz
- We Dig Worms by Kevin McCloskey
- The Lost Kitten (Katie Fry, Private Eye) by Katherine Cox
- Lazy Bear, Crazy Bear by Kevin Bolger
- Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick & David Serlin
- Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
- Goat Wants to Eat by Laura Gehl
Find MORE easy readers with reviews for first grade age children readers HERE.
First Grade
Easiest Chapter BooksEasy chapter books have pictures with words. The easiest chapter books have just a few sentences per page. Try these first grade favorites…
(If you want to read my reviews of each of these books, go here.)
FUNNY Easiest Chapter Books
- Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
- See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog by David LaRochelle
- An Elephant & Piggie Biggie! by Mo Willems
- See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat by David LaRochelle
- Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song
FRIENDSHIP Easiest Chapter Books
- Hi, Jack! (A Jack Book) by Mac Barnett & Greg Pizzoli
- Do You Like My Bike? (Hello, Hedgehog!) by Norm Feuti
- Aggie the Brave by Lori Ries
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog by Cynthia Rylant
- Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
- Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton
- Frank and Bean by Jamie Michalak
- Doggo & Pupper by Katherine Applegate
First Grade
Easy Chapter Books for Summer ReadingEasy chapter books have bigger text with pictures every few pages.
These books listed range from middle of 1st grade to beginning of second-grade reading levels.
(Go here for a harder 2nd-grade chapter book list.)
If your first grader likes animal main characters, read:
- Kitty and Dragon by Meika Hashimoto
- Pug Blasts Off (Diary of a Pug) by Kyla May
- Kung Pow Chicken by Cindi Marko
- Owly: The Way Home and The Bittersweet Summer by Andy Runton
If your 1st grade children like funny books, try:
- Smell My Foot (Chick and Brain) by Cece Bell
- Moldylocks and the Three Beards by Noah Z. Jones
- Meet Mo and Jo: The Boulder Brothers by Sarah Lynn
- The Infamous Ratsos by Kara Lareau
- Geeger the Robot Goes to School by Jarret Lerner
- Nugget and Hot Dog by Jason Tharp
If your 1st grade kids like realistic books, read:
- Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqui
- Cornbread & Poppy by Matthew Cordell
- Happy Paws: Layla and the Bots by Vicky Fang
- The Party and Other Stories (Fox and Chick) by Sergio Ruzzier
If your 1st graders like adventure & fantasy books, try:
- Bo’s Magical New Friend (Unicorn Diaries) by Rebecca Elliott
- The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
- Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot #1 by Dav Pilkey
- Notebook of Doom #1 by Troy Cummings
- Rise of the Earth Dragon #1 by Tracey West
- Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue by Paula Harrison
- Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! by Kara West
If your first grader likes nonfiction, read:
- Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh
- Jungle Animals by Camilla Gersh
- Amazing Dogs by Laura Buller
- Fly Guy Presents Snakes by Tedd Arnold
- Mythical Beasts: 100 Fun Facts About Real Animals and the Myths They Inspire by Stephanie Warren Drimmer
DON’T MISS THESE: Summer Reading Printable Packet, Free Summer Printable for Kids, Activity Books for Kids, Summer Writing Ideas
KEEP READING:
Summer Reading Lists for Kids
Melissa Taylor
Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup.
She's a mother, teacher, author, and freelance writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Sylvan Learning, Random House, USA Today Health, The Writer, and Scholastic Parent and Child.
Similar Posts
References for grade 1 under the program "School of Russia"
- Home →
- News→
- References for grade 1 under the program "School of Russia"
Reading should not be forgotten during the summer holidays. The list of literature for grade 1 under the program "School of Russia" consists of works by Russian authors.
What to read?
First-graders should definitely get acquainted with the work of Pushkin. "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" and "The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Bogatyrs" are written in folk style, and the plots and images depicted in these tales are familiar to every child. nine0011
Another work from the list of literature for the summer for first-graders is D.
N. Mamin-Siberian. In it, the author showed his talent as a psychologist and a subtle observer of nature.
The stories of the great writer Leo Tolstoy amaze with their wisdom and depth. First graders must read such works as "Kitten", "Two Comrades", "Bulka", "Three Bears".
Almost every family has books by the wonderful children's author Nikolai Nosov. The list of literature for grade 1 includes the stories "The Patch", "Entertainers", "The Living Hat", "Steps", "The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends". nine0011
"School of Russia" definitely recommends reading the works of E.N. Uspensky "Uncle Fyodor, a dog and a cat", "Crocodile Gena and his friends", as well as a wonderful fairy tale by A.M. Volkov "The Wizard of the Emerald City".
In addition, in the summer, first-grade students should read such works as:
• "Christmas Tree" by M.M. Zoshchenko;
• "Flower-Semitsvetik", "Pipe and jug" by V. Kataev;
• "Silver Hoof" P.P. Bazhov;
• "Fox bread", "Birch bark tube" "Hedgehog" by M.
Prishvin; nine0011
• “Arishka the coward”, “How the ant got home”, “Who sings with what” by V. Bianchi;
• "Ordinary giant" V.V. Medvedev.
First-graders, as a rule, read very badly. The reading speed of many children of this age is less than a hundred words per minute. In this case, you can read the works assigned for the summer in turn with your parents.
How to work with what you have read?
Usually, the list of references for the 1st grade under the program "School of Russia" is accompanied by a recommendation to enter what has been read into a special diary, the form of which depends on the requirements of the school and the teacher. As a rule, such diaries indicate the name and surname of the author, the title of the book, and several suggestions regarding the content. Sometimes it is necessary to indicate the number of sentences or pages read, list the main characters, draw an illustration. It is believed that the reader's diary instills in the child the skill of conscious reading, teaches you to notice details and draw conclusions from what you read.
nine0011
An interesting article? Share it with others:
-
08/30/2021
How many words should a 2nd grade student read per minute
-
08/11/2021
How many words per minute should a 1st grade student read
-
06/24/2020
What to read in the summer after grade 3
- nine0010 06/22/2020
What to read in the summer after grade 4
-
06/10/2019
Free excursions for schoolchildren in Moscow
-
31.01.2022
How to choose a tutor for distance learning
-
24.
01.2022 Where to get a decent musical education in Moscow
nine0004 -
01/17/2022
Why do schoolchildren write off
-
01/10/2022
What are the advantages of the Olympiad for schoolchildren
-
01/03/2022
Where to apply after graduating from medical college
-
08/27/2021
Calculation of the number of days for sowing
-
27.08.2021
Difference between highest and lowest temperature
-
27.08.2021
Calculation of time period for sowing
-
08/27/2021
Percentage task
-
08/27/2021
Determination of the amount of precipitation
By clicking on the button, you consent to the processing of your personal data and agree to the Terms of Use.
Hot line 8 (800) 100-52-31
References 1st grade
home → References → References 1st grade
List of fiction,
necessary for literary reading lessons in grade 1
1st quarter
A. Barto
“Toys”, “We are with Tamara”, “The girl is a roar”, “The girl is grimy”, “The bear cub” is not
S. Marshak
"Mail", "Luggage", "Children in a Cage", "Mustache-striped", "That's so absent-minded", "The story of an unknown hero", the collection "Floating, floating boat"
2 quarter
- S.V. Mikhalkov “About mimosa”, “Foma”, “What about you?”, “Uncle Styopa”, “Uncle Styopa is a policeman”, “Uncle Styopa and Egor”, “Uncle Styopa is a veteran”, “Vaccination”, “Candigraphy "," 36 and 5 ";
- B. Dragoon "The Enchanted Letter";
- K.
Chukovsky "Joy", "Telephone", "Confusion", "Cockroach Fly", "Cockroach", "Moydodyr", "Aibolit"; - D. Rodari "What do crafts smell like?", "What color are crafts?"; L. Panteleev "Letter YOU";
- V. Mayakovsky "The Story of Vlas the Lazy Man and the Lazy Man", "What is Good..."; poems by Russian poets about winter
3rd quarter
Extracurricular reading (read at home in advance, have one of the texts in the lesson, you can read other works on this topic)
- Poems about books. S. Marshak "About everything in the world", B. Zakhoder "Shaggy alphabet", "Island Gdetotam".
- Life is given for good deeds. L. Tolstoy "Kitten", K. Ushinsky "Grandfather", "Stories and Tales".
- About mercy. V. Kataev "Flower-seven-flower", V. Oseeva "Just an old woman", "Visited". nine0004
- About honesty. N. Nosov "Cucumbers", L. Panteleev "Honest Word". Cool reading (do not read in advance)
- E.
Learn more
