Children's Books for 1st Graders

Dr. Can Do’s workshop is a disaster - there’s stuff in every corner, slabs piled to the ceiling, and barely room to stand! Can a clever inventor tidy up without getting distracted? What happens when he spots the bubbling lava pit and gets That Look in his eye? Will his brilliant new plan actually solve the mess, or make things even worse? This decodable reader practises CCVC/CCVCC blends in words like ‘blast,’ ‘clump,’ ‘grand,’ ‘slabs,’ and ‘slump.’

Poor Dr Can Do needs cactus for his amazing bone meal machine - but have you ever tried to pick up a prickly plant? OUCH! With a wobbly donkey, a torn lab coat, and blisters on every finger, can our clever inventor figure out a way to bring the spiky stack home without another painful jab? Join the adventure and find out! This decodable reader practises the ck sound in words like ‘back,’ ‘click,’ ‘quick,’ ‘snack,’ and ’thick.’

What happens when Skel the skeleton gets tired of cleaning up after his messy housemates? When Zom and Jack refuse to lift a finger, the muck piles up thick and fast - and soon something starts scuttling in the shadows. Will the boys learn their lesson before the bugs take over the whole shack? A funny, creepy-crawly tale about mess, friendship, and pitching in. This decodable reader practises the ck sound in words like ‘brick,’ ‘muck,’ ‘snack,’ and ‘whack.’

Who is truly the best bird in the yard? Red Bird thinks she is. Yellow Bird whispers it from her hill. Orange Bird is too busy running to care, Green Bird has his crew, and Blue Bird zips by like a rocket! But when a huge gust of wind crashes through the sky, can six very different birds find a way to fly together? This decodable reader practises VCC/CVCC words such as ‘bold,’ ‘fast,’ ‘band,’ and ‘wind.’

THUMP! Can you hear the dinosaurs coming? Meet a boastful T-rex and a whole crowd of amazing creatures - some big, some small, some thin, some with mighty long necks that stretch up to the clouds. Who hunts in packs? Who has tiny twins hiding in the plants? And which dinosaur might actually be related to a chicken? Stomp along and find out! This decodable reader practises the ’th’ sound in words like ’thump,’ ’those,’ ’through,’ ’thanks,’ and ’three.'

Bob is the worst fisherman in town - but that suits him just fine, because Bob only comes to the dock to nap! So when something enormous tugs his line and a huge, sharp-toothed head rises from the waves, Bob is in for the shock of his life. Is this scaly giant a monster… or something else entirely? And what secret lies at the bottom of the sea? This decodable reader practises open syllables in words like ‘by,’ ‘cry,’ ‘me,’ and ’try.’

When Deb’s cat Sam digs up a very grumpy crab in the yard, what’s a kid to do? Pop it in a bucket, of course! But then come the babies - dozens of tiny, scuttling, sand-digging babies - and suddenly Deb has crabs going everywhere. Can she catch them all before they vanish into the dirt? This decodable reader practises open syllables in words like ‘by,’ ‘my,’ ‘go,’ ‘he,’ and ’try.’

Shel the fish thinks her lake is the very best place in the whole wide world - until one morning, something strange bobs on the surface, and bits of rubbish start drifting past her nose! Who would dump trash in her beautiful home? Can a tiny fish really stand up to the culprit and save her sparkling lake before it’s too late? This decodable reader practises the ‘sh’ sound in words like ‘fish,’ ‘shade,’ ‘shock,’ and ‘fresh.’

Ben’s cat has missed dinner - and that NEVER happens! When he follows muddy paw prints to a giant, googly-eyed pile of rubbish, he spots his furry friend perched happily on top like a queen. Then the pile WALKS AWAY with her! Can Ben outsmart a walking heap of junk before his cat vanishes forever? This decodable reader practises open syllables through words such as ‘go,’ ‘my,’ ‘sky,’ and ‘so.’

Jack, Zom, and Skel are splashing in the pink evening sea when they notice something strange - where have all the fish gone? A dark shape stirs on the ocean floor, and suddenly a gang of honking axolotls comes rocketing up through the kelp! Can anyone be brave enough to face the Lotl Gang? Maybe it’s time to call in someone who is never, ever scared. This decodable reader practises the nk phonogram in words like ‘blink,’ ‘clunk,’ ‘skunk,’ ’think,’ and ‘wink.’