Children's Books for 1st Graders

From the coziest spot in the whole rainforest - Mom’s pouch - one little joey spies butterflies, berries, and blue feathers floating by. But what happens when Mom suddenly won’t let him climb back in? Could there be a secret tucked inside her pouch? Follow along as a curious kangaroo discovers that the best treasures sometimes come in very tiny packages. This decodable reader practices open syllables in words like ‘my,’ ‘go,’ ‘she,’ ‘shy,’ and ‘fly.’

Ned dug for three whole days to find one shiny gem - and just as he held it up, a sneaky zombie shoved him into the lava and stole it! Can Ned dodge exploding creepers, clattering skeletons, and a swarm of hungry spiders to get his diamond back? Will his worst day ever turn into his luckiest? This decodable reader practices the ck sound in words like ’luck,’ ‘quick,’ ‘rock,’ ‘crack,’ and ‘stuck.’

A dry season grips the enkang, the river is dust, and the cattle stand thirsty in the sun. When a girl named Entito finds a lost hornbill chick with a bent wing, will she share her last water to save it? And when a strange cloud caps the great mountain while the elders sit still, can one child’s song call the rain? A tender tale of courage and hope. This Bookbot SH level practices words like ‘hush’, ‘shares’, ‘shock’, ‘rushes’, and ‘splash’.

Naru’s grandmother calls her “the girl of the stars.” So when the drought comes hard and the pans dry up, who will remember the old star that leads to hidden water? While the elders argue about which way to trek, can one small girl trust what her grandmother taught her, and watch the night sky alone? This warm Kalahari story practices the WH sound with words like ‘when’, ‘what’, ‘which’, ‘while’, and ‘who’.

Nomsa is only nine, but when the river stops flowing and the crops begin to wilt, she is the one who dares to ask what ancient thing waits in the still, dark pool. Something has been taken from the water. Can a curious girl put right what was broken before it is too late? Follow her along the muddy bank and into a long night by the fire to find out. This SH level practices words like ‘she’, ‘fresh’, ‘shape’, ‘splash’ and ‘wish’.

‘Whew, Ayo has walked into the sacred grove by mistake, and now a spirit of the living forest stands before him. Oro Igbo remembers everything a hunter takes and everything a hunter promises. Will Ayo say the right words aloud? Will he pass a test he never knew he was taking, and learn what the forest gives and takes back? This Bookbot level practices the ‘wh’ sound in words like ‘when’, ‘what’, ‘which’, ‘while’, and ‘whole’.

Hyena has found the sweetest honeycomb on the whole dry veld, and she does not plan to share a single drop. But clever Jackal has been watching from behind a termite mound. Can a small, hungry trickster really outsmart a bigger, stronger foe? And what happens ‘when’ greed makes Hyena leave her treasure behind? This story practices the ‘wh’ sound with lesson words like ‘when’, ‘whole’, ‘what’, ‘where’, and ‘why’.

THWACK! Arrows are raining down from the sky, and poor Hop has nearly been turned into a pincushion! Who could be shooting at him, and why? Hop is furious and marching off to find the culprit - but along the way he picks up a nervous Cob, a brave Brown, a mighty Hip, and a surprising Ape. Can this little band track down the mystery archer before another arrow flies? This decodable reader practices open syllables in words such as ‘by,’ ‘go,’ ‘he,’ ‘me,’ and ‘why.’

Ash blew in from the reeds when clever Adaeze meets a tall, smooth-voiced suitor whose fine suit gives a faint ‘swish’ with every move. Why does no shoe print show in the ash she lays across his path? Can she unmask him before the whole court, or will his charm win? Wade into a lake-country mystery where truth hides in plain sight. This Bookbot level practices the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘swish’, ‘flash’, ‘sharp’, ‘shift’, and ‘splash’.

The King has a magic drum that spreads a feast of ‘fish’ for the whole town, but when a greedy merchant steals it, who will chase him north through the dust? Can a young drummer girl outsmart a thief twice her size and remember the one secret that makes the magic work? This early reader practices the ‘sh’ sound with lesson words like ‘fish’, ‘rush’, ‘shall’, ‘fresh’, and ‘share’.