Children's Books for 1st Graders

Nomsa is only nine, but when the river stops flowing and the crops begin to wilt, she is the one who dares to ask what ancient thing waits in the still, dark pool. Something has been taken from the water. Can a curious girl put right what was broken before it is too late? Follow her along the muddy bank and into a long night by the fire to find out. This SH level practices words like ‘she’, ‘fresh’, ‘shape’, ‘splash’ and ‘wish’.

‘Whew, Ayo has walked into the sacred grove by mistake, and now a spirit of the living forest stands before him. Oro Igbo remembers everything a hunter takes and everything a hunter promises. Will Ayo say the right words aloud? Will he pass a test he never knew he was taking, and learn what the forest gives and takes back? This Bookbot level practices the ‘wh’ sound in words like ‘when’, ‘what’, ‘which’, ‘while’, and ‘whole’.

Meet Net - a bouncy little globe with googly eyes who zips around the world on silvery web strands! Have you ever wondered how a silly cat video can travel across the planet in just one second? From dancing to music videos to cheering on a climber at the top of a snowy mountain, the internet connects us all. But how do we use it safely and kindly? This decodable reader focuses on the ’th’ sound in words like ‘both,’ ’these,’ ’through,’ and ’truth.’

Hyena has found the sweetest honeycomb on the whole dry veld, and she does not plan to share a single drop. But clever Jackal has been watching from behind a termite mound. Can a small, hungry trickster really outsmart a bigger, stronger foe? And what happens ‘when’ greed makes Hyena leave her treasure behind? This story practices the ‘wh’ sound with lesson words like ‘when’, ‘whole’, ‘what’, ‘where’, and ‘why’.

THWACK! Arrows are raining down from the sky, and poor Hop has nearly been turned into a pincushion! Who could be shooting at him, and why? Hop is furious and marching off to find the culprit - but along the way he picks up a nervous Cob, a brave Brown, a mighty Hip, and a surprising Ape. Can this little band track down the mystery archer before another arrow flies? This decodable reader practices open syllables in words such as ‘by,’ ‘go,’ ‘he,’ ‘me,’ and ‘why.’

Ash blew in from the reeds when clever Adaeze meets a tall, smooth-voiced suitor whose fine suit gives a faint ‘swish’ with every move. Why does no shoe print show in the ash she lays across his path? Can she unmask him before the whole court, or will his charm win? Wade into a lake-country mystery where truth hides in plain sight. This Bookbot level practices the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘swish’, ‘flash’, ‘sharp’, ‘shift’, and ‘splash’.

The King has a magic drum that spreads a feast of ‘fish’ for the whole town, but when a greedy merchant steals it, who will chase him north through the dust? Can a young drummer girl outsmart a thief twice her size and remember the one secret that makes the magic work? This early reader practices the ‘sh’ sound with lesson words like ‘fish’, ‘rush’, ‘shall’, ‘fresh’, and ‘share’.

The land grows dark and cold across the wide Karoo, and the people huddle by their fires, too afraid to move. Then Kaggen the mantis picks up his worn old shoe and gazes at the stars. Can one small trickster really turn a lost sandal into something that will light the whole night sky? A warm African folktale about hope, cleverness, and never giving up. This Bookbot story practices the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘shoe’, ‘shine’, ‘crash’, ‘fresh’, and ‘wish’.

The fish are gone from Lake Victoria, and the nets come back empty night after night. Twelve-year-old Opiyo has seen the water bulge and breathe in the dark. What enormous, glowing thing waits below the black surface, and why does his grandmother’s old lullaby make it pause? Could one small, cracking voice be enough to save the whole village? This Bookbot level practices the ’ng’ sound with words like ‘sing’, ‘song’, ’long’, ‘strong’, and ‘along’.

Don has found the perfect soft blue cap at the market - and he loves it more than anything! But what happens when a sudden gust of wind whisks it high into an elm tree? Don tries everything to get it back, but that night something magical catches his eye in the sky. Could the moon itself be the cap thief? This decodable reader practices VCC/CVCC words such as ‘fast,’ ‘held,’ ‘kept,’ and ‘wind.’