Children's Books for 1st Graders

When the sun beats down and Mum gets too hot on the farm, Giraffe hatches a plan so fine it just might be silly - what if he climbed up high and ate the sun whole? But what happens when the sky goes dark as a cave and his tummy starts to glow with a hot little flame? Can Bear think of something brave to save the day? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘ate,’ ‘brave,’ ‘flame,’ ‘ripe,’ and ‘whole.’

Once, Zebra was solid white without a single mark, and proud of it. But when a cruel summer dries every waterhole to dust, only one pool remains, and mean Baboon guards it with fire and teeth. Can a plain white zebra outwit a fierce enemy to win water for all the thirsty animals? And how might a clever plan leave a mark that lasts forever? This Bookbot level practises the ‘ch’ sound with words like ‘chap’, ‘chase’, ‘catch’, ‘much’, and ‘which’.

Poor Tire! He’s tired of the bumpy car, he’s squished flat by a huge truck, and he’s way too wide for a boy’s bike. Everywhere he rolls, he just doesn’t fit. Will he ever find the perfect place to belong? Could a kind boy with a big idea change everything? Bounce along on this bumpy, funny adventure and find out! This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘bike,’ ‘came,’ ‘huge,’ ‘ride,’ and ‘smile.’

When Len shows off a shiny new gift, Jim blurts out that he has even better stuff at home - but does he really? With his loyal pup at his heels, Jim sets off on a wild hunt through the house, grabbing bits and bobs from every room. Will his big brag land him in a fuss, or will he find something truly special? This lively decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘fun,’ ‘must,’ ‘shrub,’ and ‘hunt.’

Ned is SO bored - there is nothing, nothing, NOTHING to do in the whole entire world! But what happens when he climbs the tallest tree he can find and the branch goes CRACK? Can a clever book, a pile of squishy honey blocks, and one very big idea turn a bored boy into the bravest jumper around? Climb up, look down, and find out! This decodable reader practises the ‘wh’ sound in words like ‘what,’ ‘when,’ ‘whack,’ ‘whew,’ and ‘whizz.’

Zom the zombie is tired of neighbours who only groan about brains - he wants a REAL friend! When he hears a buzz and finds a golden hive humming in a birch tree, he’s sure he’s struck friendship gold. But will shaking the tree to say hello really bring the bees out to play? And what happens when a swarm with fangs comes zinging after him? This decodable reader practises the ’ng’ phonogram in words such as ‘sing,’ ‘spring,’ ‘hangs,’ ‘wings,’ and ‘sting.’

Diane is the proudest litterbug around - until one morning, a stinky, buzzing cloud of rubbish appears above her bed and refuses to leave! What happens when the trash cloud follows her to school in front of all her friends? Can a lonely girl and one brave little rat figure out how to make the mess disappear before it swallows the whole park? This decodable reader practises the ’th’ sound in words like ’thank,’ ’that,’ ’think,’ and ‘with.’

When Boy’s favourite toy gets snatched by a mischievous dragon and carried high into the clouds, what’s a brave friend to do? Girl knows just one answer: hold on tight and chase that silly dragon across the sky! Can they zoom fast enough to catch the toy before Dragon gets up to more trouble? Buckle up for a wild, whooshing ride packed with giggles and gasps. This decodable reader practises open syllables in words like ‘cry,’ ‘fly,’ ‘sky,’ and ‘we.’

Meow loves her cosy farm, where nothing ever gets past her sharp eyes - but what happens when a real, wild ocelot creeps out of the bush and heads straight for the chicken shed? Can one small house cat outsmart a hungry jungle hunter? With a clever plan, a wobbly scarecrow, and the bravest dash of her life, Meow is ready to try anything! This decodable reader practises the ‘sh’ sound in words like ‘bush,’ ‘dash,’ ‘flash,’ and ‘shed.’

Dive beneath the waves with Ping the fish! From warm, sunny reefs where pink things cling to the rocks, to icy seas where cod and squid hang on in the deep, the Minecraft ocean is full of wonder. But what happens when junk starts to wreck the sea? Can Ping, Tang, and their gang help life spring back to all things? This decodable reader practises the ’ng’ sound in words like ‘cling,’ ‘spring,’ ‘strong,’ and ‘brings.’