"Why are friendship stories good for 1st graders?"

"Friendship stories feature situations 5- and 6-year-olds encounter every day — making friends, sharing, and resolving small disagreements. Research shows that [social-themed picture books significantly improve prosocial behaviour](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1569925/full) in young children (Li et al., 2025), and familiar, relatable themes help hold a beginning reader's attention."

"How do these free books support reading practice?"

"Each friendship book uses decodable text matched to 1st grade phonics patterns, so children genuinely sound out the words rather than guessing. [Stanovich (1986)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230853161) found that children who read more develop stronger vocabularies and fluency — and stories about topics they care about make that practice feel less like work. For more ideas, see our guide on [engaging reluctant readers](/updates/get-the-most-out-of-bookbot/reluctant-readers/)."

"What formats are these free friendship books available in?"

"All books are free to read on the Bookbot website. Many also include PDF downloads, and select titles offer a read-aloud feature with word-by-word highlighting that follows along with the text."

"What reading levels are available for 1st grade friendship books?"

"The books range from basic CVC words (like *cat*, *sit*, *hug*) through consonant blends and digraphs — covering the phonics skills typically taught in first grade. You can filter by reading level to find a book that matches your child's current ability."