Friendship Books for Kids

Long, long ago, the Sun and the Moon lived on the earth in the finest house on the savanna, with a door always open to welcome friends. So when their oldest friend Water finally came to visit, what could possibly go wrong? Was there really room enough for everyone? This warm African tale practices the ‘ough’ phonogram with lesson words ’though’, ’through’, ’enough’, ‘brought’, and ‘although’.

Zom is sure the husks will be the best desert neighbors ever - after all, they have their own little village, so they must have manners, right? But what happens when his friendly hello gets no reply? What about a cactus gift, or a ride on a freshly tamed camel? And when the husks suddenly lurch off toward the beach, what could possibly have grabbed their attention? This decodable reader practices the ’eigh’ phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ’neighbors,’ ‘weighing,’ and ‘weight.’

Zom has told Jack and Skel about the dolphin city for weeks - towers of coral, streets of shells, and dolphins that flip through seaweed hoops. But when the three friends finally dive beneath the waves, something is terribly wrong. Why are the dolphins so exhausted? What are those spiny green creatures smashing the reef to pieces? And can three small heroes really stand up to monsters twice their size? This decodable reader practices the ough phonogram in words like ’thought,’ ’tough,’ ‘rough,’ and ’thoroughly.’

Ned strolls through the green trees without a care in the world - but what happens when three hungry wolves leap out with teeth bared? Ned flees home at top speed, heart pounding, but soon a wild idea takes root. What if those snarling beasts could become friends? With a bag of bones and a very nervous Book at his side, Ned sets off on a plan that just might change everything. This decodable reader practices the ’ee’ sound in words like ‘green,’ ‘feet,’ ‘sweet,’ and ’three.’

Dog and Cat were the very best of friends - napping under the big tree, sharing meals, and batting their little ball back and forth. But when the people scoop Cat up to live inside the house, Dog is left alone in the yard. Can two friends find their way back to each other after angry words drive them apart? This decodable reader practices prefixes in words such as ‘dislike,’ ‘indoors,’ ‘retreat,’ ‘undone,’ and ‘unfair.’

When Jim sees Len’s shiny new toy boat, something twisty happens in his tummy - and suddenly he’s bragging about owning the best stuff in the WORLD! But Jim’s toy box only holds a dented ball and an old board game. Could borrowing treasures from Grandpa’s plants, Gran’s craft basket, and Mom’s dresser save the day? Or will one missing perfume bottle give the whole game away? This decodable reader practices es plurals through words like ‘boxes,’ ‘bushes,’ ‘fixes,’ ‘dresses,’ and ‘riches.’

Zom the zombie is tired of shuffling neighbors who only groan about brains. Can he find a friend who talks about literally anything else? When a golden hive buzzes in a nearby tree, Zom is sure he’s struck gold - a whole neighborhood of new pals! But bees are busy little workers, and shaking their home turns out to be a very bad hello. How can Zom make things right? This decodable reader practices the eigh phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ‘weight,’ ‘freight,’ and ’neighbor.’

Spring has sprung, and Bug has a fizzy, buzzy, can’t-sit-still feeling in her belly - she wants to SING! But what happens when Duck only sings in the rain, Frog’s song has forty-seven verses, and Big Bird’s trill nearly blows Bug’s antennae off? Can one tiny bug find a song that’s truly her own, and maybe bring all her friends together too? This decodable reader practices the wr phonogram in words like ‘wriggle,’ ‘wrinkled,’ ‘wrist,’ ‘wrong,’ and ‘wry.’

Prince Din wants the biggest leaf ball in the kingdom, but the best leaves grow deep in the wild forest - where nobody dares to go! When a fierce tiger bursts from the bushes with gnashing teeth, the brave little prince finds himself hopelessly lost among the bamboo. Is that striped shadow really hunting him, or could it be something else entirely? This decodable reader practices the ‘gn’ sound in words like ‘gnarled,’ ‘reign,’ ‘sign,’ and ‘assign.’

Diya knows more about butterflies than anyone in her whole school - but she’s far too shy to say a word in class. What happens when her teacher takes the class to the park, and Diya spots a fat striped caterpillar wriggling along a leaf? Could this be the day she finally finds her voice? This decodable reader practices the le/al/el/il endings in words like ‘gentle,’ ‘sparkle,’ ‘giggle,’ ‘crumpled,’ and ‘medal.’