Free Fantasy Books for 1st Graders
We’re passionate about ensuring literacy is accessible to every child, which is why these books are completely free. Discover free fantasy books for 1st graders ages 5-6. Our free children’s books feature dragons, wizards, and magical worlds perfect for beginning readers. Download free story books PDF or read childrens books online free.
The Sea Dragon
Bam and his friends are having fun at the shore when suddenly the ground begins to shake. A massive sea dragon appears, sending big waves crashing onto the beach! The dragon seems very angry. Bam has his trusty flute with him, but can music really calm a fierce sea dragon? Will Bam be brave enough to try?
Cam Can Fly?
Cam is tired and falls asleep, but something magical happens! He discovers he can fly and soars higher and higher into the sky. He waves at birds, sees his house shrink below, passes planes and rockets, and reaches the stars themselves. But as Cam explores this amazing adventure, something unexpected happens. Will Cam’s incredible journey end the way he hopes?
An Odd Day
When a man sets out to dig in the dirt on an ordinary day, something extraordinary happens. The sky begins to glow, and then something impossible occurs—fish start falling from above! What could cause such a strange and magical event? Join this curious digger as his day takes an unexpected turn in this delightfully odd adventure.
The Best Tube
Lila is an artist who loves painting with her watercolours. In her workshop, she creates magical scenes with swaying trees, cloud people floating in the sky, tiny sprites living in flowers, and all sorts of wonderful animals. But there’s one tube of paint that hasn’t been used yet - the yellow tube. It’s worried about getting squashed and squeezed like all the others. Will yellow find the courage to become part of Lila’s art?
The Ocean World
Sam is tired and looking for a place to rest, but the cold pond doesn’t seem right. When a friendly fish appears and invites Sam to swim along, an exciting journey begins. Where will their adventure take them? Dive in to discover what wonderful surprises await in the waters beyond the pond!
A Ride on a Spell
In the bustling streets of Delhi, a three-wheeled taxi driver and a grumpy passenger buy magical water from a mysterious boy. When they spill it on the car, something extraordinary happens—the little buggy’s wildest dream begins to come true! Will the magic last, and what will happen when the car takes flight through the clouds?
A Tall Tale
Pa loves telling tall tales, but this one might be his strangest yet! He says there’s a girl made of air who appears in storms and snowflakes. Nobody can see her—until Pa comes up with a clever idea using paint. But is this story really true, or is it just another one of Pa’s wild tales? What do you think is really going on?
Clean the Rainbow
The Rainbow Queen has exciting news—her friend, The Wind Princess, is coming to visit! All the fairies rush to clean The Rainbow Tower before sunrise. But there’s a problem: The Rainbow Broom is angry and won’t cooperate. When fairy Kate tries to grab it, the grumpy broom growls and flies away with her hanging on! Can Kate figure out what’s wrong with the cranky broom and get the tower sparkling in time?
Pencil Box
Shawn gets a brand new box of coloured pencils and can’t wait to use them. But inside the box, the pencils are scared! They don’t want to come out. When Shawn falls asleep, the brave pencils sneak out and discover a book filled with drawings that have no colour. Can the pencils overcome their fears and help bring Shawn’s artwork to life?
The Elf
Tina has so many chores to do every day, but all she wants is to play! When she hears someone singing her own song back to her in the cornfield, she discovers a magical elf who can do jobs in a flash. But what happens when the elf disappears? Will Tina find her new friend again, or will she have to do all her work alone?
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get free fantasy books for my 1st grader?
Bookbot’s website offers free fantasy books for 1st graders that you can read free on the Bookbot website, and many include PDF downloads. Every fantasy story is written with decodable text following a structured phonics progression so your child practises real reading skills while exploring magical worlds with dragons, wizards, and enchanted creatures.
How do fantasy stories support reading development in 1st graders?
According to Chall’s Stages of Reading Development (1983), first graders are in the ‘initial reading and decoding’ stage, where they need plenty of motivated practice to build fluency. Fantasy stories provide that motivation: imaginative settings and characters capture children’s attention and drive them to keep decoding page after page. Research on narrative absorption (Frontiers in Psychology, 2022) confirms that readers who become emotionally engaged with a story process the text more deeply.
Do free fantasy picture books for 5 year olds help build vocabulary?
Yes. Fantasy stories naturally introduce rich, imaginative vocabulary – words for magical creatures, enchanted places, and heroic actions – that broadens a child’s word knowledge. Stanovich (1986) demonstrated that increased reading volume is one of the strongest drivers of vocabulary growth, and high-interest fantasy themes are proven to boost reading motivation and the volume of practice children get.
How do I pick the right free fantasy book for my first grader's level?
Match the book’s phonics focus to the skills your child has already mastered. Bookbot labels every free fantasy book with its specific skill target – from CVC words through consonant blends and digraphs – so you can find an appropriate challenge without guesswork. For a full overview of how skills are ordered, see the scope and sequence guide. Ehri et al. (2001) found that this kind of systematic, levelled phonics instruction produces the best word-reading outcomes for beginning readers.