At this stage, readers are starting to make their own decisions about their experiences and interactions with their environment. With new awareness of themselves, they’re absorbing information like a sponge, and putting together the puzzle pieces of their surroundings. 

Their budding independence can be supported by reading experiences that put them in the driver’s seat. As they sound out new words and approach unfamiliar pages with greater confidence, the right books will provide just enough challenge to sharpen their skills and support steady progress. 

So where do you begin? In the wide realm of great reads for kindergarteners, we’ve selected a few of our very favorites. These stories are the Goldilocks of books for four and five-year-olds: not too easy, not too difficult, and altogether fun!

Don’t Wake the Dragon

By Bianca Schulze

This adorable, interactive bedtime story is full of whimsy and fun for your little one. The book’s structure helps teach cause and effect as readers are challenged to keep the restless dragon asleep! While they sing sweet lullabies and make sure their page-turning doesn’t cause a door-slamming breeze, your mini-knight-in-shining-armor will delight in all of the cleverly hilarious instructions.

Color Blocked

By Ashley Sorensen

In this vibrant and interactive picture book, there’s a problem afoot: the color is trapped! In the spirit of Press Here, readers will twist, tap, shake and turn this book to magically unleash the power of colors. Your little one gets to save the day while listening and responding to directions, while at the same time learning all about the wizardry of primary and secondary colors. This ultra-creative story structure gives your kindergartener room to experiment with imagination and color (All the fun; none of the mess!)

The Snatchabook

by Helen Docherty

When the Snatchabook flies into town, bedtime stories begin to disappear! Thankfully, one book-loving bunny vows to stay awake to catch her town’s book thief. Can Eliza Brown save the day—and night—for a town full of passionate bedtime readers? This rhyming read-aloud shares a valuable message of friendship and acceptance, while developing your reader’s listening comprehension.

Moon’s First Friends

by Susanna Leonard Hill

This inviting picture book tells the story of the Apollo 11 mission—and so much more—from the unique perspective of the Moon! As you share this adorable bedtime read-aloud, your little one can soak up tons of information about the history of our planet: from its majestic animals, to the revolutionary inventions that made space travel possible. Truly jam-packed with facts, this is a spot-on read for curious kindergarteners, that can offer a little perspective on the great big world around them.

Norman the Slug with the Silly Shell

by Sue Hendra

In this sweet story, Norman the slug wishes he could be a snail—which means he’ll need a shell! Readers can follow along on Norman’s misadventures as he searches for the perfect “shell” to call his own (spoiler alert—it’s a doughnut). And while this book’s silly plot and glittery pages are sure to keep your kindergartener engaged, the real treat of this story is a lesson in self-acceptance at its center.

Though there are nearly endless possibilities when choosing books for your kindergartener, these top picks are a great place to start thanks to content that’s as fun and creative as it is educational. As your reader transitions into a classroom setting, books like these can help them advance towards new skills at the right pace for them. 

With Literati’s award-winning kids book clubs, readers don’t have to move at the exact pace of the classroom, because every book is selected to fit your reader’s unique needs and interests. With fourteen skill-based reading levels, little ones can make constant progress with books they love. 
As soon as you sign up for Literati, expert curators will get to work finding the most enriching and engaging books for your home library. Start by taking the personalization quiz, and help Literati find those just-right reads for your soon-to-be bookworm!

The post The Best Books for Kindergarteners appeared first on Literati.

We know there’s a lot to choose from, so we’ve let some of our experts weigh in on exceptional titles for first grade readers. Here are Literati’s picks for some of the best books to share with your budding bookworm:

Life on Earth: Human Body

Robin Newman

At this age, kids are keen to learn how things work. Life on Earth: Human Body has a ton to teach about the intricate and delicately-balanced systems inside of us. Your reader can explore the fundamentals of physical wellness through informative graphics, simple text, and age-appropriate lessons on everything from bones to breathing. This informative read also illustrates why it counts to take care of ourselves, helping kids understand and make healthy choices on their own.

If I Built a School

by Chris Van Duren

If Jack built a school, there would be hover desks and pop-up textbooks, skydiving wind tunnels, and a trampoline basketball court in the gym. As your first grader gets settled into the school day routine, this wacky story challenges them to think outside the box, and dream up new possibilities within the context of their real-life surroundings. If I Built a School is a read-aloud adventure that will have their imagination running wild!

Snail’s Silly Adventures

by Mary Peterson

The graphic novel format can be a fantastic introduction to longer dialogue, helping readers gather context and understand story sequences visually. With its cute illustrations and graphic approach, Snail’s Silly Adventures is a great precursor to graphic novels that can help bridge the gap between picture books and easy readers. As Snail leaves his bucket to experience the wide, wonderful outside world, your little one’s memory and comprehension will be supported with adorable illustrations and a memorable sequence of events.

The Couch Potato

by Jory John

We love a relatable character who encourages good habits. While following along with a friendly potato—a Couch Potato, of course—readers can discover all of the wonderful things that exist outside of the comfort of home. The silliness of this story will have first graders giggling, while they learn an important lesson about exploring their surroundings.

Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

by JoAnn Deak and Terrence Deak

Every brain needs a little break, right? This spectacular STEM book teaches kids all about the importance of sleep, and how good sleeping habits help their brains thrive. Written by neuroscience experts, Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain can also be used to teach your child to adopt a growth mindset. With informative illustrations and simple scientific explanations, they’ll begin to see their brain as a muscle that gets stronger with exercise.

Pluto Gets the Call

By Adam Rex

If you were a planet who suddenly found out you weren’t a planet—you might have some questions! In this hilarious and educational story, Pluto searches the solar system to understand what sets him apart from his planetary buddies. First graders will have a blast listening to funny dialogue throughout the book, while learning a tremendous amount of real astrological information. As a little one with lots of questions, your reader may relate to Pluto in a big way!

While these tested titles are some of our absolute favorites, every reader is different, and there are SO many incredible options out there. Finding the books that excite and inspire your child is crucial to help them fall in love with reading all on their own. 

Literati book clubs are designed to cater to the individual needs—and unique interests—of every young reader. That way, kids can get the support they need to succeed in the classroom and develop lifelong reading habits thanks to books they truly love. 

Share some info about your reader in Literati’s quick personalization quiz, and Literati will get to work curating the books that are most likely to supercharge their reading progress and passion.

The post The Best Books for First Graders appeared first on Literati.