Children's Books for 1st Graders
I Think Curls Are Best!
Mara has one big rule: curly is ALWAYS better than straight! Her bouncy curls boing back every time, and even her cat’s tail agrees. But what happens when she meets a lion with a perfectly straight tail? Or tries to draw a straight line and ends up with a question mark? From spiral staircases to swirly buns, Mara is on a mission to prove curly wins - but will snack time change her mind? This decodable reader practices the th sound in words like ’think,’ ’those,’ ’three,’ and ‘smooth.’
Lost at Dusk
Jen’s mom and dad must set off to hunt for food, leaving her alone at the little leaf-roofed hut with only Piglet for company. But what happens when a white deer tiptoes out of the trees and beckons her into the shadows? Can Jen find her way home before dusk falls, and who might she meet along the way? This decodable reader practices short u with j, v, y in words like ‘just,’ ‘yum,’ ‘hunt,’ and ‘dusk.’
Be Brave, Ned!
Ned’s tiny shed is safe, but oh, is it COLD! With chattering teeth and a floating, talking Book for company, he’s made one very important rule: Don’t go outside! But what happens when the only way to get warm means stepping out where spiders lurk and zombies shuffle? Can brave little Ned dig up stone, chop some logs, and beat the chill before night falls again? This decodable reader practices silent e words such as ‘brave,’ ‘broke,’ ‘flame,’ ‘smile,’ and ‘safe.’
Don't Slip in the Dark!
Alex the miner has a big plan: grab her pickaxe, dig deep, and find treasure before dark. But what happens when an enthusiastic miner packs too much stuff and gets a little too close to the edge of a very dark pit? Can she climb back out, or will she lose everything in the shadows below? With grit, grins, and one very big tumble, this adventure proves that tough miners never quit. This decodable reader practices CCVC/CCVCC blends in words like ‘grab,’ ‘slip,’ ‘cliff,’ and ‘grunt.’
Red, Sun, and Sky!
Red, Sun, and Sky are three dinosaur friends with one colorful job: paint the gray neighborhood bright! But what happens when red splashes into yellow, or blue swirls with sun? And why does Blue Dinosaur keep warning his friends not to mix all three colors at once? Will the dinosaurs dare to break the biggest rule in the sky? This decodable reader practices open syllables in words like ‘fly,’ ‘my,’ ‘sky,’ ’try,’ and ‘we.’
Can We Fly?
Birds zoom, dragonflies zip, and butterflies drift past like leaves on the breeze - but what about us? Could three brave kids with big ideas and bigger dreams really make it up into the sky? When a fluffy cloud and a soaring kite both fail to lift them, will they ever find a way to fly? This decodable reader practices open syllables in words such as ‘fly,’ ‘sky,’ ‘go,’ ‘he,’ and ‘we.’
Sam Sits!
Meet Sam, a puppy who loves one thing more than anything else in the whole wide world: sitting. He sits on paths, on hilltops, even on the edge of cliffs! But what happens when Sam’s favorite trick lands him somewhere he really, really shouldn’t be? Will Sam ever learn the right place to plonk down? Grab your lead and find out why everyone keeps shouting, “Don’t sit there, Sam!” This decodable reader practices VC/CVC short vowels in words like ‘sat,’ ‘sit,’ ‘dog,’ ‘dig,’ and ‘can.’
Hands Off The Pen!
Jin has a shiny pen, and nobody - nobody - is allowed to touch it. But when Jin leaves the house, curious Rin sneaks straight to his desk and finds something small, black, and very mysterious stuck to the pen. What is it? Why does it grab bottle caps all on its own? And when the pen rolls somewhere it shouldn’t, can Rin’s new discovery save the day? This decodable reader practices the ‘ck’ sound in words like ‘black,’ ‘block,’ ‘click,’ ‘stuck,’ and ‘quick.’
Don't Wake the Herd!
Ned is DONE with fighting monsters - from now on, he’s a peaceful baker! But to bake cakes, he needs milk, and to get milk, he needs cows. Can Ned lead a herd home with just a handful of wheat? And what happens when dusk falls before his pen is finished and something groans in the shadows? Will Ned keep his cows safe through the night? This decodable reader practices the ’th’ sound in words such as ’this,’ ’thump,’ ’thud,’ and ’thanks.'
Drop Them Both!
A rock and a feather, one in each hand - which one do you think will hit the ground first? The Boy is sure he knows the answer, but then he starts to wonder just how much heavier that smooth stone really is. With scales, flasks, and a very patient elephant, can he and Dad figure out the mass of almost anything, from a raindrop to the whole planet? This decodable reader practices the ’th’ sound in words such as ‘both,’ ‘smooth,’ ’think,’ and ’thrusts.’