Children's Books for 1st Graders

When the water rises fast and swallows the whole street, what can Mel do but cling to a pole and hug her toy giraffe, Gus? A kind helper named Jen scoops her up and brings her somewhere safe - but can Mel be brave enough to help others too, and will Jen keep her biggest promise of all? This decodable reader practises the ’ng’ sound in words such as ‘clung,’ ‘hang,’ ‘sang,’ ‘flung,’ and ‘strong.’

Susy has a BIG dream - she wants to be a real magic queen, with a cape, a wand, and a crowd cheering her name! But what do you do when you have no stage, no top hat, and no rabbit? Luckily, Susy has Mak, her dog and trusty sidekick. Can a rice basket, an old sheet, and one brave puppy pull off the greatest magic show ever? This decodable reader practises open syllables in words such as ‘be,’ ‘go,’ ‘my,’ and ’try.’

It’s the hottest day of the whole summer, and Gilly the goat is MELTING. The stream is too wet, the shrubs are too small, and the shade she finds is never quite goat-sized. But what happens when Gilly spots a family building a house in town? Could a goat really build her own shelter from sticks and leaves? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘blaze,’ ‘shade,’ ‘hides,’ ‘home,’ and ‘smiles.’

Ned has a tall stone tower, a big book full of tips, and one tiny problem - he is not a wizard yet! Can a boy with a bucket really turn bubbling lava into the hardest stone in the world? And what happens when he whacks it with his shiny new pick? Join Ned on a steamy, sparky cave adventure full of drips, hisses, and surprises. This decodable reader practises the ‘wh’ sound in words like ‘what,’ ‘whew,’ ‘which,’ and ‘whisks.’

Ray has the best hat in the whole wide land - it has googly eyes, teal horns, and a long pink tail made by Gran. But what happens when a gusty Cloud decides that flappy tail looks far too fun to blow? Can Ray and Bull race fast enough to catch a runaway hat as it glides into the sky? A decodable reader practising silent e words such as ‘brave,’ ‘close,’ ‘face,’ ‘race,’ and ‘ride.’

When Ladybug plants one teeny, tiny vine, she’s sure she’ll grow the most magnificent garden ever - but what happens when a little vine refuses to stop growing? Can Ladybug and her friends rein in the twisting tendrils before the whole world turns into one big green, flowery mess? With swallowed sheds, splitting stems, and watermelons the size of boulders, this wild garden tale is bursting with giggles. This decodable reader practises the ’nk’ sound in words like ‘pink,’ ’think,’ ’trunk,’ ‘junk,’ and ‘shrink.’

Ned wants to build the greatest gear ever, but the best stuff needs diamonds - and diamonds hide deep, deep down in the dark. Can Ned dodge the spiders skittering from every crack? Can he outsmart the rattling bones and cross a lake of bubbling lava without a single slip? With his trusty pickaxe and a very nervous Book, Ned is about to find out. This decodable reader practises the ck phonogram in words such as ‘pick,’ ‘stacks,’ ‘quick,’ ‘brick,’ and ‘check.’