Children's Books for 1st Graders

Jack already has two pets, Bones and Starfang, but he dreams of finding another animal friend. One chilly day, he sets off on a walk hoping to discover the perfect pet. A cat? A bird? Then he spots something unexpected - a tiny cub all alone! Jack thinks this could be his new pet, but is the cub really all by itself? What happens when Jack finds out the truth?

Ting the bookworm mouse loves reading more than cheese - but his little brother Tang loves EATING books instead! Can Ting teach Tang to read before a very big, very hungry cat catches them both? With one wobbly sneeze, a daring leap, and a book held up like a shield, these tiny brothers are in for the adventure of their lives. Will Tang discover that stories taste better than paper? This decodable reader practises short u with j, v, y in words like ‘jump,’ ‘munch,’ ’tug,’ and ‘yum.’

Ned has finally built a home of his own - but when his bossy magic book points him toward a huge dark cave, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, as it turns out! With a hissing creeper on his heels and only a stone blade to help him, can Ned race to the waves in time? And what shining prize might he mine from deep in the stone? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘cave,’ ‘made,’ ‘hides,’ ‘flame,’ and ‘shines.’

Red, Sun, and Sky are three dinosaur friends with one colourful job: paint the grey neighbourhood bright! But what happens when red splashes into yellow, or blue swirls with sun? And why does Blue Dinosaur keep warning his friends not to mix all three colours at once? Will the dinosaurs dare to break the biggest rule in the sky? This decodable reader practises open syllables in words like ‘fly,’ ‘my,’ ‘sky,’ ’try,’ and ‘we.’

Pa tells the best bedtime stories in the world - but tonight’s tale is about a girl made of air. Can you really see someone who isn’t there? When rain falls, when snow lands, when a green crayon starts drawing all by itself in a classroom, something strange is happening. Is it a tall tale, or is it true? And why is that bedroom door creaking open? This decodable reader practises the ’th’ sound in words like ’this,’ ’that,’ ’then,’ ’things,’ and ’through.'

Tim is a tin robot no bigger than a thimble, and he is certain he was built for adventure - if only one would turn up! When a bright blue button bounces past his feet, Tim sets off on a daring quest to find its owner. But can one tiny robot survive giant shoes, slobbery dogs, and a road as wide as a desert? A bouncy decodable adventure practising VCC/CVCC words such as ‘bold,’ ’lift,’ ‘gift,’ ‘damp,’ and ‘mend.’

Tim is the world’s worst bird at not stopping. Butterflies? He stops. Bugs? He stops. A pretty cloud shaped like a cherry? You bet he stops! But when his young gang zooms off and night falls fast, Tim is all alone - and bird catchers are waiting in the dark. Can one easily-distracted little bird learn to keep flying, no matter what? This decodable reader practises the ng sound in words like ‘sing,’ ’long,’ ‘strong,’ ‘wings,’ and ‘zing.’

BANG! Jill wakes up covered in dust - again! Poor Dr. Can Do means well, but his workshop explosions have blown yet another hole in the ceiling. Can Jill build a quiet little home of her own, far from all the noise and smoke? And when a strange groaning sound rumbles down from above her new bed, what on earth could be stuck up there? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘woke,’ ‘broke,’ ‘made,’ ‘froze,’ and ‘smile.’

Night is falling, and something is groaning in the shadows. Can Ned and his brave wolves hold back the skeletons, zombies, and creepy crawlies clawing across the field? His leather armour is no match for their fangs - but what if The Book has a shiny, clanging plan to turn Ned into a hero? Will iron be enough when the monsters swarm again? This decodable reader practises the ng phonogram in words like ‘bang,’ ‘clang,’ ‘king,’ ‘strong,’ and ‘swing.’

What happens when Cam drifts off to sleep and suddenly feels lighter than air? Up, up he goes - past bushes, past birds, past an eagle and a plane all shouting the same warning: hold on tight! But hold on to what? Cam zooms higher and higher, whirling past clouds and rockets and even the stars themselves. Will he remember what he’s really holding on to? This decodable reader practises the wh phonogram in words like ‘what,’ ‘when,’ ‘whirl,’ and ‘whole.’