STEM Books for 1st Graders
He Can Do It!
Dr. Can Do’s furnaces are hungry, hungry, HUNGRY - and there isn’t a lump of coal left in town! Can a clever inventor build his way to the faraway mine before his workshop goes cold? With a hammer in hand and a big idea brewing, Dr. Can Do is about to find out that walking is NOT the fastest way to get more coal. What will he invent next? This decodable reader practises open syllables in words like ‘go,’ ‘my,’ ‘so,’ and ’try.’
Who Hid the Wheels?
What is the best thing in the whole wide world? Meg knows the answer: WHEELS! They whirl, they whir, they run the whole world - until one morning, every single wheel vanishes. Who took them? Where did they go? With a stubborn white goat by her side, Meg sets off to crack the mystery, and discovers a quieter world she never expected. Can she figure out who did it? This decodable reader practises the ‘wh’ sound in words like ‘wheel,’ ‘what,’ ‘where,’ and ‘whirl.’
Can We Fly?
Birds zoom, dragonflies zip, and butterflies drift past like leaves on the breeze - but what about us? Could three brave kids with big ideas and bigger dreams really make it up into the sky? When a fluffy cloud and a soaring kite both fail to lift them, will they ever find a way to fly? This decodable reader practises open syllables in words such as ‘fly,’ ‘sky,’ ‘go,’ ‘he,’ and ‘we.’
Pat and the Pipe Rat
Pat has a big, stinky question nobody wants to answer: where does pee and poop actually GO? When staring at the toilet isn’t enough, he takes a deep breath and jumps right in! Swirling pipes, a chatty Sewer Rat, and tanks as big as swimming pools lie ahead - but can Pat really follow the flush all the way to the ocean? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘pipe,’ ‘ride,’ ‘slides,’ ‘waste,’ and ‘home.’
Dig, Ned, Dig!
Ned has built a snug little shed on a sunny hill, and he thinks his work is finally done - but what happens when The Book says it’s time to dig? Armed with a brand new shovel and a grin from ear to ear, Ned scoops sand, carves tunnels, and clangs straight into something hard and shiny. Can one small tool really crack solid stone? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘make,’ ’nice,’ ‘wide,’ ‘brave,’ and ‘stone.’
Go, Troll Kite, Go!
Rain, rain, and more rain - will the sky ever clear? When the sun finally breaks through, it’s time to race outside with a homemade kite and a very special secret weapon painted right on the front: a troll queen with a golden crown and the biggest smile around. Can she soar higher than the monster kite and the fish kite too? Get ready to cheer! This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘kite,’ ‘glide,’ ‘shape,’ ‘smile,’ and ‘pride.’
A Gal Can Do It!
Jill has a hard task - piles of cobblestone everywhere, and the line at the stone-disposal bin is far too long! Can she really build her own bin with just a list of parts, a bucket, and a whole lot of stubborn grit? When things go wrong and a tiny piece goes missing, will Jill figure it out before the sun sets? This decodable reader practises VCC/CVCC words such as ‘hard,’ ’task,’ ’list,’ ‘fast,’ and ‘best.’
No More Torches!
When Dr. Can Do wanders into a village lit by smoky, dripping torches, his eye starts to twitch - could this be the perfect spot for his shiny new workshop? With a click of a switch, a whoosh of a minecart, and trick after trick up his sleeve, will the villagers think he’s a genius or completely out of his mind? This decodable reader focuses on the ck phonogram in words like ‘check,’ ‘click,’ ‘quick,’ ’track,’ and ‘shack.’
Not Again, Dr. Can Do!
Dr. Can Do’s workshop is a disaster - there’s stuff in every corner, slabs piled to the ceiling, and barely room to stand! Can a clever inventor tidy up without getting distracted? What happens when he spots the bubbling lava pit and gets That Look in his eye? Will his brilliant new plan actually solve the mess, or make things even worse? This decodable reader practises CCVC/CCVCC blends in words like ‘blast,’ ‘clump,’ ‘grand,’ ‘slabs,’ and ‘slump.’
She Builds a Hut
It’s the hottest day of the whole summer, and Gilly the goat is MELTING. The stream is too wet, the shrubs are too small, and the shade she finds is never quite goat-sized. But what happens when Gilly spots a family building a house in town? Could a goat really build her own shelter from sticks and leaves? This decodable reader practises silent e words such as ‘blaze,’ ‘shade,’ ‘hides,’ ‘home,’ and ‘smiles.’