FROM THE FIRST GRADE TEACHERS:
It is important that your child has a special time every day during the summer to spend with books. Young children often enjoy reading to themselves, even if it is just
interpreting the illustrations or discovering familiar words and story lines.
GENERAL READING (Good books for family reading aloud. Only one title per
author is given, but look for their other books also! Consider this a list of
outstanding children’s authors.)
Allen, Debbie Dancing in the Wings
Asch, Frank Moonbear’s Shadow
Brown, Marc Arthur’s Off to School
Bruel, Nick Bad Kitty; and Poor Puppy
Bryan, Ashley Beautiful Blackbird
Carle, Eric Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?
Carleson, Nancy First Grade, Here I Come
Cole, Joanna The Magic School Bus series
Cowell, Cressida That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
Cummings, Pat Harvey Moon, Museum Boy
Daly, Niki Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story From Africa
Gibbons, Gail Grizzly Bears and many other science fact books
Graham, Bob Dimity Dumpty: the Story of Humpty’s Little Sister
Henkes, Kevin A Weekend With Wendell
Hoberman, Mary Ann You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You books
Hoffman, Mary Amazing Grace
Kasza, Keiko My Lucky Day
Khan, Rukhsana Silly Chicken
LaRochelle, David The End
Lester, Julius Sam and the Tigers
London, Jonathan Froggy Plays T-Ball
Long, Melinda Pirates Don’t Change Diapers
Marshall, James Red Riding Hood
McKissack, Patricia The Honest-to-Goodness Truth
Meddaugh, Susan Martha Walks the Dog
Numeroff, Laura If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
Pinkney, Jerry Noah’s Ark
Rodman, Mary Ann My Best Friend
Scieszka, Jon Cowboy and Octopus
Shannon, David Good Boy, Fergus
Sierra, Judy Mind Your Manners, B. B. Wolf
Stevens, Janet The Great Fuzz Frenzy
Taulbert, Clifton Little Cliff’s First Day of School
Tucker, Kathy The Seven Chinese Sisters
Wells, Rosemary Emily’s First 100 Days of School
Willems, Mo Knuffle Bunny
Wood, Audrey Dog Needs a Bone
Yolen, Jane How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?
BOOKS FOR BEGINNING READERS (Look for others by these authors also.)
*Titles with an asterisk are good for the earliest readers
Arnold, Tedd Hi! Fly Guy
Cazet, Denys Minnie and Moo books
Clements, Andrew Dolores and the Big Fire (Pets to the Rescue series)
Dunrea, Olivier *Gossie
Eastman, P. D. *Go Dog, Go
Gibbons, Gail My Football Book
Hoff, Syd *Danny and the Dinosaur Go To Camp
Hood, Susan *Pup and Hound books
Marshall, James Three By the Sea
Meister, Cari My Pony Jack books
Perkins, Al *The Nose Book
Pilkey, Dav A Friend for Dragon
Rylant, Cynthia *Puppy Mudge series
Seeger, Laura Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories
Shannon, David *David Goes to School
Shaw, Nancy *Sheep Take a Hike
Suen, Anastasia The Loose Tooth
Thomas, Shelly Good Night, Good Knight
Willems, Mo *Pigeon Wants a Puppy
Willems, Mo *There Is a Bird on Your Head and other “Elephant and
Piggie” books
NURSERY RHYMES AND POETRY
Bryan, Ashley ABC of African American Poetry
Crews, Nina The Neighborhood Mother Goose
Florian, Douglas Summersaults
Giovanni, Nikki The Sun Is So Quiet
Greenfield, Eloise Honey, I Love
Grimes, Nikki When Gorilla Goes Walking
Hopkins, Lee Bennett A Pet For Me: Poems
Katz, Susan Oh, Theodore: Guinea Pig Poems
Lewis, J. Patrick Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape
Numeroff, Laura Sometimes I Wonder if Poodles Like Noodles
Prelutsky, Jack Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young
Rosen, Michael Poems for the Very Young
Ryder, Joanne Toad By the Road
Sklansky, Amy From the Doghouse: Poems to Chew On
Whitehead, Jenny Lunch Box Mail and Other Poems
Yolen, Jane Here’s a Little Poem: a Very First Book of Poetry
CONCEPT BOOKS
See Kindergarten reading list--these are good for both ages.
BOOKS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS OF THE FAMILY
ADOPTION
Curtis, Jamie Lee Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born
Kasza, Keiko A Mother for Choco
Koehler, Phoebe The Day We Met You
Lewis, Rose I Love You Like Crazy Cakes
Peacock, Carol Mommy Far, Mommy Near
DEATH
Arnold, Marsha Diane Hugs on the Wind
Brown, Laurie When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death
Clifton, Lucille Everett Anderson’s Goodbye
De Paola, Tomie Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs
Hill, Frances The Bug Cemetery
Harris, Robie Goodbye Mousie
Plourde, Lynn Thank You, Grandpa
Rylant, Cynthia Dog Heaven; and Cat Heaven
Vigna, Judith Saying Goodbye to Daddy
Viorst, Judith The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
DIVORCE
Adams, Eric On the Day His Daddy Left
Brown, Laurene Dinosaurs Divorce
Coffelt, Nancy Fred Stays With Me!
Masurel, Claire Two Homes
Rogers, Fred Let’s Talk About It: Divorce
Schindel, John Dear Daddy
NEW BABIES
Cole, Joanna The New Baby at Your House
Henkes, Kevin Julius, the Baby of the World
Keats, Ezra Jack Peter’s Chair
Lasky, Kathryn Love that Baby
Rockwell, Lizzy Hello, Baby!
Van Leeuwen, Jean Benny & Beautiful Baby Delilah
NON-FICTION OR FACT BOOKS
These are arranged in libraries by subject, so look up your favorite subjects in the catalog or ask the librarian to direct you!
LONGER BOOKS FOR READING ALOUD
Consult Jim Trelease’s The Read-Aloud Handbook for marvelous suggestions for books to read aloud for the whole family to enjoy.