Favorite Early Readers & First Chapter Books

Phonics Books

  1. Montessori: Letter Work Board book by Bobby and June George
  2. Doodling Dragons, Whistling Whales, and Knitting Knights by Denise Eideand illustrated by Ingrid Hess
  3. Phonic Pathways: Clear Steps to Reading and Perfect Spelling by Dolores G. Hiskes

Decodable Books

  1. BOB Books (sets 1-5)
  2. All About Reading Readers (Bug Run Bug, The Runt Pig, Cobweb the Cat)
  3. Teacher Created Materials: Targeted Phonics by Sharon Coan (A Nap)
  4. Dandelion Launchers by Tamar Reis-Frankfort and Wendy Tweedie (Meg and Ted)
  5. Flyleaf Publishing Emergent Reader by Laura Appleton-Smith (Ann Can)
  6. Now I am Reading: Animal Antics by Nora Gaydos (Rat Naps)
  7. Little Learners Love Literacy: The Adventures of Pip and Tim by Berys Dixon and Maureen Pollard (Pip and Tim)
  8. Primary Phonics
  9. StarFall (Free on the App)(Zac and Cat)

Beginner Books by Dr. Seuss and Co

  1. Big BLUE Book of Beginner Books : Go, Dog. Go!, (1.2)  Are You My Mother?, (1.6),  The Best Nest (2.1), Put Me In the Zoo (1.4), It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny (2.4) and A Fly Went By. (1.9)
  2. AQUA Book of Beginner Books : The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (2.1), There’s a Wocket in My Pocket (2.1), New Tricks I Can Do (1.8?), Please Try to Remember the First of Octember (2.2), and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb! 
  3. PURPLE Book of Beginner Books: A Fish Out of Water (1.7), I’ll Teach My Dog 100 Words (2.0), Fred and Ted Go Camping (1.2), Snow, Flap Your Wings (2.0) and Big Dog . . . Little Dog (1.7).
  4. RED Book of Beginner Books: Sam and the Firefly (1.7), I Want to Be Somebody New! (1.8),The Very Bad Bunny, (2.4) Stop That Ball!, The Digging-est Dog (2.3), Robert the Rose Horse (1.8).
  5. ORANGE Book of Beginner Books : Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now 1.1, Hooper Humperdink…Not Him! (1.5), Ten Apples Up on Top! (1.2) Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! (2.2) , In a People House, The Shape of Me and Other Stuff (1.7). // 
  6. Me/YELLOW Book of Beginner Books: The Foot Book (0.6), The Eye Book (0.8), The Tooth Book (2.1), The Nose Book (1.4), The Ear Book (0.7), The Knee Book.
  7. GREEN Book of Beginner Books: I Am Not Going to Get Up Today (2.1), Wacky Wednesday (1.3), Maybe You should Fly a Jet! Maybe You should be a Vet!, Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog, I Wish That I Had Duck Feet (2.2), and Great Day for Up (0.8). And while technically not one of the colored books, this would round out most of the essential short Dr. Seuss books: 
  8. Dr. Seuss’s Beginner Book Collection (Cat in the Hat (2.1), One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (1.7), Green Eggs and Ham (1.5), Hop on Pop (1.5), Fox in Socks (2.1)

Level 1 Readers

(Guided Readers Level A-J / Lexile Levels 100-400)

  1. Cat Traps, Big Egg, Hot Dog, Fox Trot by Molly Coxe (0.4-0.7)
  2. Andy & Sandy by Tomie dePaulo (0.7-1.0)
  3. The Giggle Gang books by Jan Thomas (0.7-1.1)
  4. Am I a Frog? (I Love Insects, It Is Time) by Lizzy Rockwell (0.9)
  5. Elephant and Piggie by Mo Williams (0.5 – 1.2)
  6. Biscuit Books from My First I Can Read by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by Pat Schories (AR 0.8 to 1.5)
  7. See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog by David LaRochelle and illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka (1.2)
  8. Baby Monkey, Private Eye  by Brian Selznick and David Serlin (1.4)
  9. Drip, Drop (1.3)and Mac & Cheese (1.9) by Sarah Weeks and illustrated by Jane Manning
  10. Ballet Cat by Bob Shea (1.6-1.9)
  11. Jack Books by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli (1.2 -2.2)
  12. Fox Books by Edward Marshall and illustrated by James Marshall (1.8 to 2.2)
  13. Charlie the Ranch Dog (1.8-1.9)
  14. Ling & Ting (1.8 to 2.2) by Grace Lin
  15. Big Max by Kin Platt and illustrated by Robert Lopshire (2.1)

Levels 2 & 3 Readers

(Guided Readers Level K-P / Lexile Levels 400 – 600)

  1. Little Bear Books by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak (1.4 to 2.4)
  2. Danny and the Dinosaur by Sid Hoff (2.3)
  3. Poppy and Sam Complete Book of Farmyard Tales by Heather Amery and illustrated by Stephen Cartwright
  4. Pedro (1.7 to 2.2) & Katie Woo (1.9 to 2.9) by Fran Manushkin
  5. Arthur by Marc Brown (2.0 to 3.2)
  6. Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder (2.0 to 2.3)
  7. Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant (AR 2.1 to 2.9) Also (Poppleton (2.0 to 2.7), Annie and Snowball (2.1 to 3.0) and Mr. Putter & Tabby (2.1 -3.5)
  8. Nate the Great (2.0 to 3.2) and Olivia Sharp (3.0-3.2) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
  9. Dodsworth by Tim Egan (2.4- 2.9)
  10. Frog and Toad  books by Arnold Lobel (2.5 to 2.9)
  11. Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo (2.6 to 3.2)
  12. Oliver and Amanda Pig by Jean Van Leeuwen (2.3 to 2.6)
  13. Young Cam Jansen (2.3 to 2.9) and Bones (2.1 to 2.5) by David A Alder
  14. Yasmin (2.2 to 2.7) by Saadia Faruqi,
  15. Bramble and Maggie (2.0 to 2.6) by Jessie Haas
  16. Narwahl and Jelly (2.4 to 2.9)
  17. Franklin by Paulette Bourgeois (2.5 to 3.3)
  18. Mouse and Mole by Wong Herbert Yee (2.5 to 2.9)
  19. Ana & Andrew by Christine Platt (2.6 to 3.5)
  20. Hot Fudge Hero by by Pat Brisson (est. 2.7)
  21. Cornbread & Poppy by Matthew Cordell (2.9)
  22. The Fire Cat by Esther Averill (2.9)
  23. Tales for Very Picky Eaters by Josh Schneider (2.9)
  24. Bread and Jam for Frances (3.3) by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban
  25. The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale (3.0 to 3.5)
  26. Billy And Blaze by C.W. Anderson (3.7)
  27. Andy Shane by Jennifer Jacobson (3.1 to 3.7)

First Early Chapter Books

(Guided Readers Level L-S / Lexile Level 500-700)

  1. The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborn (2.6 to 4.1)
  2. Humphrey’s Tiny Tales by Betty G. Birney (3.2 to 3.6)
  3. Cam Jansen by David A Alder (3.2 to 3.9),
  4. Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke (3.5 to 4.1)
  5. Lulu by Hilary McKay (3.7 to 4.7)
  6. Detective Gordan by Ulf Nilsson (3.8 to 4.0) (1 to 2 pts)
  7. A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy (3.0 to 3.9)
  8. The Cobble Street Cousins and Lighthouse Family by Cynthia Rylant (3.5 to 4.7)
  9. The Littles by John Peterson (3.3 – 4.7)
  10. The Hardy Boys Secret Files by Franklin W Dixon (3.5 to 4.3)
  11. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner (3.6 to 4.3)
  12. Amelia Bedelia Chapter Books by Herman Parish (3.7 to 4.7)
  13. Tales from Maple Ridge by Grace Gilmore (3.6-3.8)
  14. The Secret of the Hidden Scroll Books by MJ Thomas (3.3-3.9)
  15. My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (5.6)

Later Early Chapter Books

(Guided Reader Levels P-V / Lexile Level 600-800)

  1. Tales of Deckawoo Drive by Kate DiCamillo (3.7 to 4.6)
  2. Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin (3.7 to 4.3)
  3. According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney (3.9 to 4.3)
  4. Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J Sobol (4.1 to 5.3)
  5. Heartwood Hotel Series by Kallie George (4.2 to 4.5)
  6. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (4.4)
  7. All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor (4.9)
  8. Classic Starts (AR 3.9 to 5.7)
  9. Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace (4.0)
  10. Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary
  11. Ramona by Beverly Cleary (4.8 to 5.6)
  12. Half Magic series by Edward Eager (4.7 to 5.3)
  13. Cricket in Time Square by George Seldan (4.9)
  14. Paddington by Michael Bond (AR 4.7 to 6.1)
  15. The Adventures of Geraldine Wookins series by Karin Kaufman
  16. Milly Molly Mandy By Joyce Lankester Brisley (5.2)
  17. Melendy Quartet by Elizabeth Enright (5.3-5.9)
  18. The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon (5.2-6.3) / Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene (4.5 to 6.5)