Children's Books for 1st Graders

Poor Sloth is SO sleepy - the kind of sleepy where your arms feel like noodles and your eyeballs feel like bowling balls! All he wants is the perfect branch for the biggest, longest nap ever. But will a hungry giraffe leave him alone? What about the buzzing bees, the grumpy snake, and that very loud bird? Can one tired sloth ever find a quiet spot to snooze? This decodable reader practises the ch sound in words like ‘branch,’ ‘munch,’ ‘crunch,’ and ‘reach.’

Meet Gad, the friendliest ghost in the forest - green skin, cheeky grin, and absolutely no one to play with! When he spots a group of kids having fun in the park, Gad is sure he’s found his new best friends. But will they run away screaming, or will a silly cat, a clever disguise, and a very bouncy volleyball game change everything? This decodable reader practises VC/CVC short vowels through words like ‘Gad,’ ’lad,’ ‘cat,’ ‘ran,’ and ‘hid.’

Goya the Komodo dragon is having the worst day ever. First a flood sweeps him into a grimy tunnel, and then, when he finally pops out into the sunshine, a bunch of kids start screaming one truly awful word at him: CROCODILE! Can Goya prove he’s a proud, magnificent Komodo dragon? And will he ever find his way back to his warm jungle rock? This decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘yuck,’ ‘jumps,’ ‘just,’ and ‘runs.’

A red bed on the roof? A pig in a cave? A fish stuck inside a tree trunk? Something has gone very, very wrong in this Minecraft world, and nothing is where it should be! Can our blocky hero figure out what broke the game before his whole afternoon falls apart - or will the weirdness keep piling up, block by block? This cheerful decodable reader practises the ‘ck’ sound in words like ‘deck,’ ‘duck,’ ‘shock,’ ‘stuck,’ and ‘quick.’

Doc is busy, busy, busy! He has a soft wool rug, a flock of sheep, and a head full of big ideas. But can one person really build a whole shop all on his own? And when his list is finally empty, will Doc put his feet up - or will he find one more task to tackle? Join Doc and Jill for a warm, bustling village adventure. This decodable reader practises VCC/CVCC words such as ‘barn,’ ‘fast,’ ‘help,’ ‘gift,’ and ’next.’

All this kid wants is one day of fishing with Dad - but Dad works so hard he keeps falling asleep on the couch! Can a tiny folded note tucked beside Dad’s morning mug wake him up and get those fishing rods moving? And when they finally head out together, why do all the woodland animals keep showing up? A heartwarming decodable reader practising short u with j, v, y in words like “jump,” “tuck,” “trust,” “yum,” and “yep.”

Meet Ned, a busy crafter whose furnace flame is growing thin - and his chatty friend, The Book, always thinks it knows best! Can they grow a whole forest from three tiny saplings? Will bone dust really make trees shoot up with a thud? And when the furnace roars hungrily, why does The Book suddenly look very, very nervous? This decodable reader practises the ’th’ sound in words like ’thin,’ ’thinks,’ ’three,’ and ’thud.'

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 practises the ‘ck’ sound in words like ‘black,’ ‘block,’ ‘click,’ ‘stuck,’ and ‘quick.’

When Fig Pig spots a tall, glowy-eyed enderman lurking in the damp mist outside the cave, his knees shake - but his curiosity is bigger than his fear. Why is the enderman so sad? Why does it carry off blocks like treasure? Why does it scream into the dark? Join Fig Pig and Sam as they tiptoe closer to find out the truth behind those purple eyes. This decodable reader practises VCC/CVCC words such as ‘and,’ ‘damp,’ ‘felt,’ ‘held,’ and ‘fast.’

Tip’s nose wakes her up one snowy morning, and something in the air smells wild and new! But wait - is that a sweeter scent drifting past the snowman? Warm, spicy, and absolutely delicious? Tip simply must find out where it’s coming from! Can her twitchy nose lead her to the mystery treat? And why is Brat Cat grinning like she knows a secret? This decodable reader practises open syllables in words such as ‘by,’ ‘go,’ ‘he,’ ‘my,’ and ‘she.’