Fantasy Books for 1st Graders

Meet Hantu, a playful creature who loves to pop up and surprise everyone he meets! But his fun-loving antics don’t always go as planned. Will Hantu find a friend who actually enjoys his games, or will he keep searching for someone who thinks he’s fun instead of frightening?

When a hungry troll creeps out of the woods and snatches clever Nib right out of her cozy hut, can a single ball of red wool really outsmart a shaggy giant? Tied up in a tall tree with her brothers far away on the hills, Nib has only her quick fingers and a very sneaky plan. Will the wool lead help in time? This decodable reader practices short u with j, v, y in words like ‘jumps,’ ‘yanks,’ ‘huff,’ and ‘hush.’

The Wind Princess is coming at sunrise, and everything at the Rainbow Tower must sparkle! But what happens when Kate reaches for the big magical broom and it growls, dodges, and zooms straight out the window with her still holding on? Can Kate tame a grumpy broom, or will the whole kingdom miss its chance to shine? Buckle up for a wild, bubbly ride above the clouds. This decodable reader practices the ‘sh’ sound in words like ‘brush,’ ‘dash,’ ‘splash,’ ‘fresh,’ and ‘shine.’

Rob, Pam and Tim love causing mischief on the farm - until Dad’s magical mirror shows them three warty, green-skinned monsters staring right back! Can a fancy hat fix it? What about a super-speedy sprint, or the friendliest smile ever? The kids try everything to escape the horrible reflection, but the mirror keeps showing something nobody wants to see. What’s really going on? This decodable reader practices VCC/CVCC words such as ‘best,’ ‘gasp,’ ‘gold,’ and ‘kind.’

The whole lake stirs, and a green hand rises with a gift wrapped in reeds. Who is Nyar Nam, the spirit of the lake? When a fierce storm traps Auma’s father far out on the churning water, the men on shore say nothing can be done. Can one brave girl and a strange feather calm the waves before it is too late? This Bookbot level practices the /w/ and /h/ sounds in words like ‘when’, ‘who’, ‘whole’, ‘while’, and ‘where’.

In the coral-stone town of Lamu, Pendo can read faces like a sailor reads the sky, so she always knows who cheats. But when a loud merchant accuses her father of theft, who will trust a fish-seller’s daughter with no proof? Then, in a warm tide pool on the beach, her fingers close around a strange singing shell. What will it whisper to her? This Bookbot level practices the ‘ch’ sound in words like ‘beach’, ‘cheat’, ‘watch’, ‘reach’, and ‘cheers’.

The chick picks at rocks to check its luck. On a red hill sits a baobab tree older than the rocks and wiser than anyone in the village. When the well runs dry, can a small girl named Nuru get the grown ups to listen to a talking tree? Will they dig where she points, or trust the costly water boat instead? A story about sharp ears, stubborn courage, and where lost water really goes. This Bookbot level practices the /k/ sound with words like ‘rocks’, ‘picks’, ’luck’, ‘check’, and ‘kicks’.

Dragon’s big fire test is tomorrow, and he’s SURE he’s a natural - so why bother practicing when there are cheese puffs to eat? But when the big moment arrives, only a sad puff of smoke comes out! Can a friendly chili plant in funky sunglasses help Dragon find his spark before it’s too late? Will he ever light up the sky? This decodable reader practices silent e words such as ‘flame,’ ‘brave,’ ‘bite,’ ‘place,’ and ‘save.’

When Shawn tumbles into bed with a brand new box of pencils, he has no idea what happens after dark. Why are the pencils creeping out of their box? What is that strange book whispering to them from the desk? And can a nervous little red pencil find the courage to color a whole world before morning comes? This decodable reader practices short u with j, v, y in words like ‘bud,’ ‘gulp,’ ‘fun,’ and ‘must.’

When the sun beats down and Mom gets too hot on the farm, Giraffe hatches a plan so fine it just might be silly - what if he climbed up high and ate the sun whole? But what happens when the sky goes dark as a cave and his tummy starts to glow with a hot little flame? Can Bear think of something brave to save the day? This decodable reader practices silent e words such as ‘ate,’ ‘brave,’ ‘flame,’ ‘ripe,’ and ‘whole.’