A Reading Teacher Recommends Favorite Books for First Grade Readers
If you have a first grader and are struggling to figure out what books they should be reading, this list is for you! If you have a higher grade student who is currently reading at a first grade level, these books will also support your reader. Finding high-interest books for beginning readers, particularly if they read at a lower level than they comprehend is challenging. Sometimes, you need to get creative. If they aren’t able to read a book that interests them, an adult can read them the high interest chapter book, while they practice their reading with more simple texts. If an adult isn’t available to read to them, consider an audiobook paired with the physical book.
It can be difficult to know whether a book is a good fit for an elementary school age child. What books are at their level? What books are too high, or too low? Should they be reading chapter books? If so, when? What if your child wants to read something that is too far ahead of their level? What if they only want to read below their level (aka the “easy” books)?
Tips for Picking the Right Level Book for Your Elementary School Child:
If you come across a book and are trying to figure out if it is right for your first grader, here are some things to look for:
- If you open the book to a random page, can they read most of the page without support? If they need support with five or more words, it is probably too challenging. If they don’t need any support, it is too easy. The book is just-right if they struggle with 2-3 words.
- The book feature simple word patterns and phonics skills, such as predominantly short vowel words, and simple multisyllabic words.
- Most pages feature fewer than five short sentences.
- The book interests them so that they can spend their energy decoding, not trying to understand the content.
One thing I’ve noticed with both my own kids and my students is that first graders don’t want to read picture books, even if the picture books are at their level. They want to read something that appears closer to a chapter book. In my classroom, no matter how interesting the picture books are, my students never choose to read them.
If a kid doesn’t want to read a book, they’re either not going to read, or they’re going to see it as a punishment. Here are my book recommendations that have been popular with students reading at a first grade level.
Funny Books for First Graders
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The title explains how Flat Stanley got his name. The nice thing about this book is that it kicks off a series, so if your child likes it, they can continue to read the series. The books are funny, and there are some travel adventures in the series.
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus (Book 1)
Similar to Flat Stanley, this is part of a series, so if your child likes this book, there are many more books to read. This book is so popular with my students that I have duplicates.
My Weirdest School #1: Mr. Cooper is Super
Are you sensing a pattern? I tend to recommend books that come in a series so that there is always something new to read. This is a funny book series that appeals to any gender.
My own kids and my students love these books. They’re super easy to read, and always funny. There are so many books in this series, that you’ll have many to choose from.
Pizza and Taco: Who’s the Best?
This isn’t quite a series, but there are a few related books, so it’s not a one and done. My students have really enjoyed these books.
Nonfiction and Special Interest Books for First Graders
Mario Kart: Off to the Races! (Step into Reading)
The Step into Reading books are great for struggling readers who are reading below grade level, but want more interesting content. There are a ton of video game, superhero, and movie aligned books in the series.
My students are really into soccer, so I picked up this book for them. They have all shared that it is one of their favorites.
Who Would Win?: The Ultimate Rumble Collection
This is another book that I have several duplicate copies of in my classroom. Students love checking out this book, and they always come back and tell me who they thought would win, and who actually wins. One caveat is that some of the words are very challenging, since it compares different animals to others, so you kid may need help reading the animal’s name (think Tarantula).
Giraffes (National Geographic Kids Reader, Book 1)
There are so many books in this series that you are bound to find a topic that interests your child. Whether they are interested in space, animals, or the ocean, you’ll find something.
The best way to find the right book for your kid is to try out different types of books. Visit the library or a bookstore and let them explore. A book is only a good choice if they’re going to actually read it. I will say that my kids prefer owning the books because they love to read in bed before they go to sleep. They didn’t want to do that with a library book for fear that they would ruin it. If your child is rough on books, consider looking for Free Lending Libraries near your home, or visiting the Library book sales when they happen. Almost all of the books in my classroom come from the Library’s annual book sale.
If you’re struggling to help your child establish a reading habit at home, check out this post.
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