Children's Books for 1st Graders

It’s Ned’s birthday, and The Book has a plan - but wait, where’s the present? Why does Ned need wheat, sugar, eggs, and milk? And what on earth is The Book up to, bossing Ned around the fields with no hands of its own? From chasing chickens to milking cows, Ned is sure something wonderful is coming… but what could it possibly be? This decodable reader practises the th sound in words like ‘birthday,’ ’thanks,’ ’thick,’ ’thing,’ and ’three.’

Ned wakes up in a strange blocky forest with a bossy floating Book as his guide. Night is coming fast, and something groans in the shadows! Can Ned punch enough trees, build his Excellent Shed of Amazingness, and finish it before the zombies arrive? And what one tiny but very important thing might he forget in all the excitement? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘brave,’ ‘home,’ ‘safe,’ and ‘game.’

What happens when a curious girl follows her nose to the smelliest surprise in the park? Something stinky is hiding behind a bush, and when she finds a muddy creature with a goofy grin, she knows she has to keep it! But how will she sneak it past Mum, and what’s really under all that mud? Get ready for mud puddles, muddy footprints, and a very bubbly bath. This decodable reader practises CCVC/CCVCC blends in words like ‘drops,’ ‘scrub,’ ‘stomps,’ and ‘grins.’

Rooster has rules, a proud chest, and a crow loud enough to wake the stars - but what happens when his farmer leaves him all alone on a dusty street corner? Cold, hungry, and chased from every doorstep, Rooster is sure he doesn’t need anyone. Then a kind man and his wife offer him corn and a cosy home. Could this scruffy bird finally belong somewhere? This decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘jump,’ ‘dust,’ ‘yelps,’ and ‘cuff.’

Steve is the seeker, and he’s sure he can find Alex in ten seconds flat. But the fields are full of surprises - a fluffy dog, a grumpy cat, and even a hen stuck in a hole! Can Steve spot his sister before she sneaks home? Will the greatest seeker ever lived give up, or is Alex closer than he thinks? This decodable reader practises VC/CVC short vowels through playful words like ’tag,’ ‘ran,’ ‘hid,’ ‘hen,’ and ‘dog.’

What happens when a giant iron golem gets stuck walking in circles, guarding nothing but an empty field? Jack is determined to move the enormous hunk of metal to a town that really needs protecting - but pushing doesn’t work, yanking doesn’t work, and throwing rocks barely makes a clink. Can a clever farm boy outsmart a creature taller than a house? This decodable reader practises the nk phonogram in words like ‘clank,’ ‘clink,’ ‘shrink,’ ’think,’ and ‘yank.’

Deep in the misty swamp, a wooden shack sits high on stilts, hiding a witch, a black cat, and a mountain of glittering gold. Skel grips his bow tight while Bones sniffs the air, tail wagging like mad. Can a brave boy and his wiggly dog sneak past a witch’s potions and grab the treasure? Will Bones stick to the plan - or chase that cat? This decodable reader practises the ‘ck’ sound in words like ‘shack,’ ‘quick,’ ‘click,’ and ‘pluck.’

Jill walked into town with nothing but a cow, a frown, and empty pockets - raiders had snatched every last speck of her gold! But what happens when she knocks on the door of the mysterious Dr. Can Do? Can a clever builder with a hammer and a grin really hide treasure so deep that no raider will ever find it? This decodable reader practises VCC/CVCC words including ‘felt,’ ‘gold,’ ‘kept,’ ’task,’ and ‘kind.’

Alex has a shiny new fishing rod and she’s ready to race Steve to the water - but poor Steve has nothing to fish with! Where have all the sticks and string gone? Who took the whole lot? Steve hunts high and low, finding only cracked, frayed, barely-there rods that couldn’t catch a cold. Can he turn two broken rods into one lucky day? This decodable reader practises the ‘wh’ sound in words like ‘what,’ ‘when,’ ‘where,’ ‘whew,’ and ‘whole.’

Anansi finds a strange moss-covered rock deep in the forest, one that hums with something that isn’t quite sound and makes anyone who speaks to it fall fast asleep. Can a clever, greedy spider really trick every animal out of their dinner? And what happens when quiet little Bush Deer watches the whole scheme unfold? Young readers will love finding out. This Bookbot level practises the ‘wh’ sound with words like ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘whole’, ‘whizz’, and ‘whew’.