Book Lists

HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD BOOK FOR MY CHILD:

Determine type of reading:

Read-aloud: You read aloud to your child. This helps tremendously in
developing vocabulary, cadence in reading, as well as many other pre-reading skills.

Shared reading: Your child reads to you, you read to him/her, or you take turns by
paragraph, page, chapter, etc. This helps the story move a long and time pass a little more quickly.

Independent reading: Silent reading by child. It can also include (and I highly recommend) the child reading aloud to a parent, other adult, or even a younger or older sibling. 

Consider:

His/her interests (animals, space, history, fantasy, travels, etc.)

Grade level (level of child’s reading ability)

Maturity (what is generally considered appropriate reading material, based on a child’s age)

SOME OF MY FAVORITES:

(Remember to check your library for these!)

BABY & TODDLER

Board books are great! Indestructibles are also a sturdy baby book option.

   *Find books with colorful pages, animals, engaging sounds (animal or truck sounds, etc.)

Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes (many authors and publishers)

Board books: Authors Sandra Boynton, Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Mem Fox

Caldecott Award Winners (see below- Amazon; “best picture book” by year)

Picture book authors Patricia Polacco, Jamie Lee Fox

Little Blue Truck

Peek a Who

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

The Napping House

Goodnight Moon

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Age 3-5 PRE-K-K

Capture the essence of childhood, broaden imagination, develop a love for books

(in addition to books listed above)

Bob Books, Early Readers

Dr. Seuss, Early Readers

Amelia Bedelia, Early Readers by Peggy Parish

Fox series by Edward Marshall

Are You My Mother?

Owl Moon

The Story of Ferdinand

Blueberries for Sal

Clyde Monster

Mother Bruce series

Age 6-7 GROWING READER (1st-2nd grades)

Discover the magic of being able to read words on his/her own, have positive routines around reading together to build confidence and increase interest in reading independently

(in addition to books and authors above)

Henry and Mudge / Annie and Snowball 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series

Fancy Nancy series by Jane O’Connor

Olivia series by Ian Falconer

Danny and the Dinosaur series

Pete the Cat series

Elephant and Piggie series

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

Flat Stanley series

Young Cam Jansen series

Cam Jansen series

Magic Tree House series

Ages 8-10 3rd -4th grade

Reading to learn, solidifying reading skills, reading to imagine, reading to enjoy

Newberry Award Winners (see below: Amazon; children’s “book of the year”)

Magic Tree House Series

Boxcar Children Series

National Geographic Kids readers series

Ordinary People Change the World series (biographies) by Brad Meltzer

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Stone Fox

Mouse and the Motorcycle

Stuart Little

Little House in the Big Woods

The One and Only Ivan

The Princess in Black series

I Survived series (adventure; for 4th grade+)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Ages 10-12 5th-6th grade:

Reading to learn, solidifying reading skills, reading to imagine, reading to enjoy

Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis

Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander

Goose Girl & Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Dark is Rising Series by Susan Cooper

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Percy Jackson series

Wonder by RJ Palacio (also an illustrated version)

The Giver

MORE SOURCES FOR BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Accelerated Reader website (arbookfind.com) is an excellent source for

information on books, authors, grade level and maturity level. 

The librarians at your child’s school or in the children’s section of the public

library are often good sources for recommendations.

Amazon has lists of Newberry Award winners (best children’s “book of the

year”) and Caldecott winners (best “picture book of the year”); both also are

grouped by age. Amazon has other recommendations by age; you

might look for “teacher picks” or ‘Bestsellers”.

The Core Knowledge Language Curriculum (CKLA) has excellent books available for purchase, designated by grade level. These include curriculum-based books in

science and social studies, (coreknowledge.com). Go to “Store”; select

“Grade”; “Subject” then “Student Book” to see what is available for

single book purchase.