Children's Books for 1st Graders

A noodle-eating contest is coming to the street fair, and our hero is ready to gulp, chug, and chomp their way to victory! But when rival Tim shows up looking serious, the race is on to out-practice him before the big day. Can one determined kid really eat MORE noodles than anyone in town - and will all that practice pay off? This decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘jump,’ ‘gulp,’ ‘stuff,’ ‘yum,’ and ‘yuck.’

Mum’s birthday is tomorrow, and Girl has a super secret plan: she’s going to make the most beautiful bead bracelet in the whole world! But there’s just one tiny problem - her three bead boxes are hidden all over her bedroom. Can Girl dig through the toy chest, the drawers, and a wobbly mountain of laundry to find them all? And what will Mum’s room look like by the end? This decodable reader focuses on the ‘ch’ sound in words like ‘chain,’ ‘check,’ ‘chest,’ and ‘bunch.’

Dragon’s big fire test is tomorrow, and he’s SURE he’s a natural - so why bother practising when there are cheese puffs to eat? But when the big moment arrives, only a sad puff of smoke comes out! Can a friendly chilli plant in funky sunglasses help Dragon find his spark before it’s too late? Will he ever light up the sky? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘flame,’ ‘brave,’ ‘bite,’ ‘place,’ and ‘save.’

Someone has taken a huge bite out of the ripest guava on the tree - but who? Kina and Kale are on the case! Was it a caterpillar, a grasshopper, or maybe even the chicken? When every guess turns out wrong, the brave detectives decide to camp by the tree and wait. Could the sneaky biter only come out at night? This decodable reader builds confidence with open syllables, featuring words like ‘we,’ ‘go,’ ‘my,’ ‘fly,’ and ‘shy.’

When Shawn tumbles into bed with a brand new box of pencils, he has no idea what happens after dark. Why are the pencils creeping out of their box? What is that strange book whispering to them from the desk? And can a nervous little red pencil find the courage to colour a whole world before morning comes? This decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘bud,’ ‘gulp,’ ‘fun,’ and ‘must.’

Poor Shep the caterpillar has lost a shoe - and with so many feet to keep warm, one bare toe is a BIG problem! Who could have taken it? Frog offers a floppy swim flipper, Hop hands over a pinchy red one, and Crab’s pointy shoe down by the shore is just plain painful. Will Shep ever find the perfect fit? This decodable reader practises the ‘sh’ sound in words like ‘shoe,’ ‘shore,’ ‘shine,’ ‘splash,’ and ‘hush.’

Dr Can Do has built the greatest windmill ever - but by sunrise, it’s nothing but a heap of splintered planks and torn sails! Who could have wrecked his masterpiece overnight? With no storm in sight and every fence still standing, something very strange is afoot. Will Dr Can Do and Jill catch the culprit before the next vast gust blows through? This decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘just,’ ‘junk,’ ‘jigs,’ ‘vast,’ and ‘gust.’

Long ago, Sun and Moon lived in a fine hut with a door that never shut. When their oldest friend Water finally comes to visit, bringing tiny fish and rushing streams, will there be enough room for everyone? As the water rises higher and higher, where will these two kind hosts go? This joyful African folktale explains something you see every day. This Bookbot SH level practises the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘fish’, ‘rush’, ‘gush’, ‘dash’, and ‘shine’.

Long ago, Tortoise had the smoothest shell on the whole veld. But when a great drought hits and the birds fly off to a faraway feast, how can a tortoise with tiny legs ever join them in the sky? And when the birds finally carry him aloft, can a creature who never stops talking really hold his tongue? This Bookbot NG level builds the ’ng’ sound with words like ’long’, ‘sing’, ’thing’, ‘wings’ and ‘song’.

Tik the mouse has found the perfect house - quiet, cosy, and empty! But what is that strange round creature sitting on the desk, claiming to be a mouse too? It has no whiskers, no paws, and a cord for a tail! When a very big, very hungry cat comes padding in, can these two mismatched mice possibly help each other? This decodable reader practises VCC/CVCC words such as ‘desk,’ ‘fast,’ ‘help,’ and ‘best.’