We often get asked to recommend books for young readers. Here is a list of some our favorites books – classics and new – that are sure to spark your child’s imagination and their understanding of the world around them.
0 through 5-years old
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Click, Clack, Moo series by Doreen Cronin and Betsey Lewin
Oh, The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss
Elephant & Piggie series and Pigeon series by Mo Willems
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Curious George by Margaret and H. A. Rey
Sheep in a Jeep series by Nancy E. Shaw
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth and Barbara McClintock
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr, and John Archambault
Duck Rabbit by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly! by Lucille Colandro
Kindergarten
Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss
Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
First Grade
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Bad Seed by Jory John
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
If You Give a Pig a Pancake series by Laura Numeroff
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judy and Ron Barrett
Second Grade
Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Marc Simont
The Scrambled State of America and Arnie the Doughnut series by Laurie Keller
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff
Even Superheroes Have Bad Days by Shelly Becker
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt
Third Grade
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald
Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Fourth Grade
The Tale of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Code 7 by Bryan R. Johnson
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Girls Who Code series by various authors
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Dunderheads series by Paul Fleischman
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Fifth Grade
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The Golden Compass series by Phillip Pullman
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Need more book recommendations? Stop by our Children’s Room. Our Children’s Librarian will be glad to help you with more suggestions or specific book recommendations for reluctant readers or special interests.
