Free Fantasy Books for 1st Graders

Anansi finds a strange moss-covered rock deep in the forest, one that hums with something that isn’t quite sound and makes anyone who speaks to it fall fast asleep. Can a clever, greedy spider really trick every animal out of their dinner? And what happens when quiet little Bush Deer watches the whole scheme unfold? Young readers will love finding out. This Bookbot level practises the ‘wh’ sound with words like ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘whole’, ‘whizz’, and ‘whew’.

The festival night glows pink and gold, until something grumpy up in the sky decides nighttime belongs to IT - and starts flicking switches all over town! One by one, houses go dark, streetlights blink out, and even the carnival falls silent. Who is turning off the lights, and can anyone stop them before a little rowboat drifts into danger? This decodable reader practises the ’nk’ sound in words like ‘blink,’ ‘pink,’ ‘sink,’ and ’think.’

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.'

Deep in the Ashanti forest lives a fairy no bigger than your thumb, with a magic spoon that fills any pot with food. So when hungry Anansi spots it, what will he do? And when he finally holds that wondrous spoon, why won’t it work for him? Can a trickster learn to share? This Bookbot story practises the /ŋk/ sound with words like ’think’, ‘blink’, ‘sink’, ‘chunk’, and ’thank’.

Bam thinks his flute music is the sweetest sound on the beach - so sweet it could calm the whole ocean. But what happens when he plays a little louder, just to see? Something huge is sleeping deep beneath the bay, and one wrong note might wake it up. Can a boy with a flute hush a furious sea beast before the waves swallow the shore? This decodable reader practises the ‘sh’ sound in words like ‘hush,’ ‘shade,’ ‘shook,’ ‘shore,’ and ‘splash.’

Tom the Baker makes the best pumpkin pies in Canville - but when sneaky creepers start creeping in at night, his cosy little bakery might not be safe for long! Can a huge stone wall keep the village safe? Will Tom pack up his pies and leave, or will his friends find a way to save the day? Full of brave heroes, big booms, and bigger hearts. This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘bake,’ ‘brave,’ ‘flames,’ ‘hope,’ and ‘smile.’

Ned has a cosy house, a farm of carrots, and a sword he’s finally ready to use. But when the sun dips low and shadows stretch across the field, the monsters come creeping. Can one brave little hero stand up to zombies, rattling skeletons, and a giant spider all in one night? And what shiny surprise might be waiting inside? This decodable reader practises the ’th’ sound in words like ’thanks,’ ’thin,’ ’thump,’ and ’thwack.'

Skel is a skeleton who never stops working! He chops, plants, runs, and hunts all day long. His friends Zom and Jack tell him to rest, but Skel refuses. He marches off on another hunt with his dog Bones, getting richer and richer. But when you don’t sleep, strange things start to happen… What are those spooky phantoms following Skel? Will he escape them?

CHINK, CHINK, CHINK goes Steve’s pickaxe - just another boring day in the mine. But what happens when a strange green gem starts glowing in the wall? One touch, one flash, and suddenly Steve is standing under the stars with monsters closing in from every side. Can he outrun a spider, a skeleton, and a baby zombie riding a chicken? This decodable reader practises the ’nk’ sound in words like ‘clink,’ ‘sinks,’ ‘bank,’ ’thank,’ and ‘wink.’

Steve has a shiny red gem - but something is very strange about it. Why do the villagers back away when he holds it up? Why does the cat freeze solid right at his knee? Steve only wanted a hot lunch, but this little green stone might be more trouble than any rumbling belly is worth. What will Steve do when he finds out the truth? This decodable reader practises VC/CVC short vowels with words like ‘hid,’ ‘ran,’ ‘cat,’ and ‘sat.’