Other Books for First Graders

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This is a list of book appropriate for first graders who are ready to read more challenging books than easy readers. I have a separate list containing other series not mentioned here in the section My Daughter in 1st Grade. My son is now in 1st grade (November 2014) and I use the following list I put together as a reference because it is sometimes hard to find chapter books that interest young kids but are not daunting. I also added series for girls my daughter did not read.

If you are looking for more books, check out Random House Stepping Stones series. Also look for Trophy Chapter Books and Puffin Chapters.

The books on my lists are tips from different websites and discussion forums. Read the reviews if you’d like to learn more about the titles. Every child is unique. Books my kids liked might not be an enjoyable read for your child and the other way around. Most of these books are great for any child, no matter if it is a girl or a boy.

When my son reads a book and likes it I move it to my list My Son in 1st Grade so check out that list as well. You will no longer find it here. I can only trust other people about the books listed here but if my son actually reads a book from this category and likes it, I know that the tip was good and feel better about recommending it to other parents. I hope you will find the tips useful and will not waste time searching for a good read for your child at his/her level.

The books toward the end of the list are probably harder and I am saving them for the second half/end of 1st grade.

Mostly Monty: First Grader For a list of books in this series click here.
mostly monty

All Paws on Deck For a list of books in this series click here.

Meet Yasmin!

Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown For a list of books in this series, click here.
get ready for second grade amber

Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways You can find more Zelda and Ivy stories.
zelda and ivy

Iris and Walter For a complete list in this series click here.
iris and walter

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding (Peter Rabbit) Look for other titles published by Frederick Warne (23 altogether)
the tale of samuel whiskers

Pinky and Rex For a list of the books in this series click here. (My daughter read this series at the end of kindergarten and at the beginning of 1st grade)
pinky and rex

Appleville Elementary #1: First Day For a list of books in this series click here.
appleville elementary

Captain Awesome to the Rescue! For a list of books in this series click here. My son started reading it but did not finish—said there was not much happening. But it has a lot of great reviews so maybe it would appeal to your child.
captain awesome

The Principal’s on the Roof: A Fletcher Mystery For a list of books in The Fletcher Mysteries series click here.
the principals on the roof

Judy Moody and Friends: Jessica Finch in Pig Trouble For a list of books in the Judy Moody and Friends series click here.
jessica finch

Judy Moody and Stink: The Holly Joliday For a list of books in the Judy Moody and Stink series click here.
judy moody and stink

House Of The Horrible Ghosts (Stepping Stone) My friend told me her son liked it. For the list of books in this series click here.
house of the horrible ghosts

Be Careful What You Sniff for   For a list of books in the Magic Bone series click here.
magic bone

The Case of the Elevator Duck (A Stepping Stone Book)
the case of the elevator duck

Horrid Henry For a list of books in this series click here.
horrid henry

On the Road For a list of books in the Down Girl and Sit Series click here.
on the road

Duck for a Day
duck for a day

Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade For a list of books in this series click here.
princess posey

My Happy Life and My Heart Is Laughing
my happy life my heart is laughing

The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case For other mysteries in this series click here.
the great cake mystery

The Boxcar children As of now, there are 100 mysteries/books in this series.
boxcar children

Uh-oh, Cleo For a list of books in this series click here. My son’s friend did not like it, he said it was boring. We haven’t tried it yet.
uh oh cleo

Nikki and Deja Click here for a list of books in this series.
nikki and deja

Arthur series For a list of books in this series click here.
arthur

A to Z Mysteries For a complete list of the mysteries click here.
A to Z mysteries

Calendar Mysteries For a complete list of the mysteries click here.
calendar mysteries

Ballpark Mysteries #1: The Fenway Foul-up  For a list of books in this series click here.
ballpark mysteries

Capital Mysteries #1: Who Cloned the President? For a list of books in this series click here.
capital mysteries

Junie B. Jones (series) To see all the books in order click here.
Junie B. Jones

In the Bathroom  For other books in the Andrew Lost series click here.
in the bathroom

The Seven Treasure Hunts
the seven treasure hunts

Bed & Biscuit See the titles in this series and read more about them here.
bed and biscuit

The Haunted Library To see ratings and reviews click here. For more books in this series click here.
haunted library

Stink For a complete list of books in this series click here.
stink

Cam Jansen mysteries (series) To see a list of them click here.
cam jansen mysteries

Judy Blume’s Fudge I always get confused which books are in this series so here is a list.
fudge

The One and Only Stuey Lewis: Stories from the Second Grade Check out the ratings and book #2 in this series (there are only 2 books at this moment) here.
the one and only stuey

Hello, Nebulon! See more books in the Galaxy Zack series on Amazon here or click this link to see a full list, the ratings and other reviews.
hello nebulon

Goofballs: The Crazy Case of Missing Thunder Check out other titles in this series (reviews and ratings). My daughter LOVED the Secrets of Droon series by this author (Tonny Abbott) so my son will definitely try this series aimed at a younger audience.
goofballs

The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster I discovered the Jigsaw Jones Mystery series at the library. The reviews I have seen are mixed so we’ll just give it a try and see. For a list of the books click here.
the case of hermie

Maybelle in the Soup To see a list of other books in this series, and their ratings, click here. You can also find them on Amazon here.
maybelle

Flat Stanley For a complete list of books in this popular series click here.
flat stanley

Anna Hibiscus For a list of other books about Anna click here.
anna hibiscus

Freddie Ramos Takes Off You can find more titles in Zapato Power series on Amazon here or you can check the ratings and reviews of the books here.
freddie ramos takes off

My Family Adventure (Sofia Martinez)
sofia martinez

Summer Pony (A Stepping Stone Book)
summer pony

Winter Pony (A Stepping Stone Book)
winter pony

Starlight For a list of books in the Breyer Stablemates series click here.
starlight

Dancing in the Wings
dancing in the wings

Wagon Wheels
wagon wheels

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy You can find more books in this series on Amazon here or check out their ratings and reviews here.
the buddy files

The Case of the Stinky Socks For other Milo & Jazz Mysteries click here. You can also check them out on Amazon here.
the case of stinking socks

The Kids of the Polk Street School To see more ratings, reviews, and a complete list of books in this series click here. Don’t let the recommended age fool you. I have read reviews and it is good for beginning readers.
the kids of the polk street school

Case of the Secret Sauce For a list of other titles in the Pete and Penny’s Pizza Puzzles series click here.
case of the secret sauce

Dog Den Mystery For a complete list of books in this series click here.
dog den mystery

The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo
the one in the middle is kangoroo

Grasshopper Magic For a list of books in the Magical Mix-Ups series click here.

Leroy Ninker Saddles Up My son did not like it. His  friend did, and since they are at the same reading level I guess it was just not his cup of tea.
leroy ninker

Jenny and the Cat Club For a list of books in this series and more reviews click here. To see more books about this cat on Amazon click here. I’ve seen this book recommended for younger kids as a read-aloud so it is probably very good.
jenny and the cat club

Beast Friends Forever: Meet the Beast For other tiles in the series and ratings click here.
beast friends forever

Horrible Harry For a complete list of books in this series click here.
horrible harry

Danny’s Doodles: The Jelly Bean Experiment (more reviews here) and Danny’s Doodles: The Squirting Donuts
dannys doodles

ZigZag Kids It has mixed reviews but my daughter liked it fine. For a list of titles in this series click here (you can also read more reviews).
zigzag kids

Secret Agent Jack Stalwart: The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur For a complete list of books in this series click here.
secret agent stalwart

Your Backyard Is Wild and The Wild, Wild Southwest! Click here for more books in the Junior Explorer series (more reviews there too).
your backyard is wild

Andrew Lost series. It should be read in order. For a list click here.
andrew lost

Waiting for the Magic
waiting for the magic

Rats on the Roof

Pony Pals For a list of books in this series for horse lovers click here.
ponypals

Geronimo Stilton For a complete list of books in this series click here.
geronimo stilton

Looniverse series has also very good ratings.  Here is a list of the titles so far.
looniverse

Third Grade Detectives For a complete list of books in this series click here.
third grade detectives

Keyholders: This Side of Magic For a list of books (and more reviews) in this series click here.
keyholders

The Turtle For a complete list of books in the Lighthouse family series click here.
the turtle

How Oliver Olson Changed the World
how oliver olson changed

Bella Baxter and the Lighthouse Mystery To see other titles and ratings in Bella Baxter series click here.
bella baxter

All About Sam For a list of books in Sam Krupnik series click here.
all about sam

Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up For other books in this series click here.
keena ford

Lulu and the Dog from the Sea For a list of book in this series click here.
lulu and the dragon

Daisy Dawson Is on Her Way! For a list of books in this series click here.
daisy dawson

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow  For a list of books in the Stella Batts series click here.
stella Batts

Marigold and the Feather of Hope, The Journey Begins  For a complete list of books in The Fairy Chronicles series click here.
marigold

The Critter Club For a complete list of books in this series click here.
the crtitter club

The Charm Bracelet Click here for a complete list of books in the Fairy Realm series.
charm bracelet

The Full Moon Click here for a complete list of books in The Faeries’ Promise series.
full moon

Rainbow Fairies See all the titles in the Rainbow Magic series here.
raibow fairies

Baby Mouse (graphic novel) She read one or two because her friend recommended it to her but she was not really into them. It seems very popular though so give it a try. You can find a complete list of the books in this series here.
baby mouse

Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy Sees the Future For a list of titles in the Nancy Clancy series click here.
nancy clancy sees the future

Just Grace and the Super Sleepover To see a list of books in this series click here.
just grace

Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe #1 (series).You can find a list of the titles here.
princess pink

Tiara Club My daughter has never been into books about princesses but I have seen this series mentioned several times on different discussion forums where moms shared tips for their daughters. Click here for a list of the books in this series.
tiara club

Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy Books) You can find a list of the titles in this series here. I have read somewhere that the beginning books are in simpler language, but as you progress to higher numbers, they have a more complicated vocabulary as Betsy gets older. You can read more about this series on this website or check out the article in the New York Times.
betsy tacy

Never Girls #1: In a Blink (Disney Fairies) For a list of books in this series click here.
in a blink

Lulu and the Brontosaurus My son read this book with me so I can’t tell what the level is for independent reading. It is a very nice book as well as the sequels (below).
lulu and the brontosaurus

Lulu Walks the Dogs
lulu walks

Lulu’s Mysterious Mission
lulu mission

The Mystery of the Gold Coin (Greetings from Somewhere) For a list of books in this series, click here.
the mystery of the gold coin

Piper Green and the Fairy Tree
piper green

The Buried Bones Mystery For a list of Clubhouse Mysteries click here.
the buried bones mystery

The Chalk Box Kid
the chalk box kid

Martin Bridge: On the Lookout! Click here for more reviews. To see other titles in this series, their ratings and reviews click here. You can find them on Amazon here. My son started to read this in 1st grade in March but he did not like it.
martin bridge

Busybody Nora For a list of books in the Riverside Kids series click here.
busybody nora

Aliens for Breakfast, Aliens for Lunch and Aliens for Dinner
aliens for breakfast

How to Save Your Tail*: *if you are a rat nabbed by cats who really like stories about magic spoons, wolves with snout-warts, big, hairy chimney trolls . . . and cookies, too.
how to save your tail

Mrs. Noodlekugel My kids love Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle so I will get this book for my son to try. If you like it, try also Mrs. Noodlekugel and Four Blind Mice Read more reviews here. A new addition to this series is expected in 2015 so you can check this list.
mrs noodlekugel

 

These following books were to difficult in the first trimester of 1st grade for my son. I am keeping them on this list because from my experience with my daughter, he may be ready to read them toward the end of the school year.

White Fur Flying Click here to see the ratings and reviews. I looked at this book in the library and it has no pictures so we’ll try it toward the end of the school year.
white fur flying

Awesome Animals series See more reviews here. It might be better for a 7-year-old but I can’t tell until my son reads it.
awesome animals

 The Worst Witch
the worst witch

The Great Alaska Adventure! Click here for more books in the Junior Explorer series (more reviews there too).
the great alaska adventure

Busybody Nora  and Russell and Elisa For a list of books in the Riverside Kids series click here.
busybody nora

Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society  For young dog lovers; many people recommended it for 1st graders (it contains some violence though so read the reviews first before you decide)
dog diaries

Cat Diaries: Secret Writings of the MEOW Society For young cat lovers.
cat diaries

The Story of Diva and Flea
The Story of Diva and Flea

The Witch Family
The Witch Family

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible For a list of books in this series click here.
Hamster Princess

Almost Super
Almost Super

Smarter Than Squirrels
Smarter Than Squirrels

Dog Days: The Carver Chronicles For a list of books in this series click here.
Dog Days The Carver Chronicles

Buckle and Squash
Buckle and Squash

Dog Man For a list of books in this series click here.
dog man

The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean For a list of books in the Harriet Bean series click here.
the five lost aunts

Beast Keeper #1  (Beasts of Olympus) My son tried this book in March in 1st grade but he did not like it—he said not much was happening. I think he either needs to mature a bit more for this book or it was not his cup of tea.
beast keeper

Kelsey Green, Reading Queen (Franklin School Friends)
kelsey green

Stuart’s Cape For a list of books in The Amazing World of Stuart series click here.
stuarts cape

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
the bears on hemlock mountain

Lavender
lavender

The Year of the Book and its sequel The Year of the Baby
the year of the book

Akimbo and the Lions For a list of books in this series click here.
akimbo

8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel / 1 Dog = Chaos I read this one to my kids but it was pretty easy.
8 class pets

Jeremiah in the Dark Woods
jeremiah in the dark woods

Rickshaw Girl
rickshaw girl

Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week For a complete list of books in this series click here.
jasper john dooley

Little Wolf’s Book of Badness Read more reviews here. If your child likes it, give the Awesome Animals series by this author (Ian Whybrow) a shot. The letters are smaller and my son did not want to read this in January in 1st grade. I started reading it to him but he said it was kind of boring.
little wolfs book of badness

My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish This book has mixed reviews but mostly from the parents (because it contains a lot of name calling, etc.) but they all agree that their boys loved it. It is apparently geared toward boys and it is funny. It reminds me Junie B. Jones books a bit—a lot of people hate them because of the way Junie B. talks and behaves. I am trying to instill a love of reading in my son and if he reads a few books with a bit less appropriate behavior, I can deal with that. I can always talk to him about it. Check out the sequel Fins of Fury.
my big fat zombie goldfish

A Mouse Called Wolf and other stories by Dick King-Smith. Parents recommend them everywhere as read-alouds or for the kids to read on their own (but I am not sure about the reading level but we will try them). Update. I checked it out from the library in January (1st grade) and it is probably not for my son yet. I could have waited a few months and let him try it but I decided to read it to both my kids and they liked it.
a mouse called wolf

Pippi Longstocking or The Pippi Longstocking 4-Book Set: Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Goes on Board, Pippi in the South Seas, and Pippi on the Run
pippi longstocking 1stgrade

I know that most people in the US know the author Astrid Lindgren because of Pippi Longstocking. But not everybody knows that she wrote several other fantastic books that are very popular with kids in Europe. We read most of them in Czech but I looked them up, checked the reviews (if the translation is good) and decided to share them with you. Among our favorites are The Children of Noisy Village (my daughter’s all-time favorite) but it is probably more suitable for kids 7 or 8 and up, not for a beginning reader (but a great read-aloud for younger kids). However, there are other titles that are easier so I added them to this list.

The Children on Troublemaker Street Read more about this book here.
the children on troublemaker street

Lotta on Troublemaker Street  Check the ratings and reviews here. You can also find more books about Lotta on Amazon and read reviews here.
lotta

Emil’s Pranks My daughter read it in Czech and enjoyed it. Little boys will be especially delighted. Read more reviews here. You can find more Emil books on Amazon (and you can check more reviews on www.goodreads.com). I am not sure about the reading level, maybe it is better to save this one for the end of the school year or 2nd grade.
emils pranks

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything For a list of books in this series click here.
ruby lu

Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire This is the second book in Mr. Gum series, check the reviews here. I have also seen this book mentioned several times, it is supposed to be hilarious. For a list of books in this series click here.
mr gum and the biscuit millionaire

Moonsilver For a list of books in The Unicorn’s Secret series click here. (especially for girls, recommended for 7 and up but some girls read it in 1st grade)
moonsilver

Marty McGuire For other titles in this series, reviews, and ratings, click here or you can check them out on Amazon here. My daughter discovered Marty McGuire in 2nd grade and loved it.
marty mcguire

Invisible Inkling For other books in this series and their ratings click here.
invisible inkling

Henry Huggins For a list of books in this series click here.
henry huggins

Tornado
tornado

The King’s Equal
the kings equal

The Trouble with Chickens For a list of books in the J.J. Tully Mystery series click here. 
the trouble with chickens

Roxie and the Hooligans Read more reviews here.
roxie and the h

The Knights of the Kitchen Table Check out other titles in the Time Warp Trio series here. For a complete list click here.
the knights of the kitchen table

The Minpins
the minpins

The Magic Finger
the magic finger

The Vanishing Coin This series is new and there should be more books in the future (right now there is only one). Check the list here.
the vanishing coin

The Sasquatch Escape and other books in The Imaginary Veterinary series (click here for a complete list). My daughter read it at the end of 1st grade and loved it.
the sasquatch escape

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen For a list of books in this series click here.

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea For a list of books in this series click here.

Shredderman For a list of books in this series click here.

Inspector Flytrap For a list of books in this series click here.

Mac Undercover For a list of books in this series click here.

Socks
socks

Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon
my fathers dragon

The New Kid at School and Revenge of the Dragon Lady. For more books in the Dragon Slayers’ Academy series click here. My son really enjoyed listening to the first two books. He just read one in the third trimester of 1st grade and had no problem.
the new kid at school

Moongobble and Me For a complete list of books in this series click here. My son listened to most of the books in the car (and loved it) so he decided to read the books. They were too difficult at the beginning of 1st grade but he had no problem reading them in the third trimester.
moongobble and me

Mean Margaret
mean margaret

Daisy’s Perfect Word Read more reviews here. For a list of other books in this series click here.
daisys perfect world

Freckle Juice
freckle juice

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory My daughter had never seen the movie before she read the book. It was her first longer book to read, she couldn’t put it down. My son read it over the summer before he went to 2nd grade.
charlie and the chocolate factory

No Flying in the House
no flying in the house

The Mouse and the Motorcycle For a list of the three books in order click here.
the mouse and motorcycle

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things For a list of books in this series click here.
alvin ho

26 Fairmount Avenue For a list of books in this series click here.
26 fairmount avenue

Ramona A list of all 8 books can be found here.
ramona 1

Encyclopedia Brown For a list of books in this series click here.
encyclopedia brown

The Magical Ms. Plum This one should be humorous. Read more about it here.
the magical ms plum

The Children of Noisy Village Read more reviews here. If your child likes this book by Astrid Lindgren, check out also Christmas in Noisy Village and Happy Times in Noisy Village.
the children of noisy village

If you are still looking for more recommended books for 1st and 2nd graders, check out the following links to some comprehensive summer reading lists:
List 1

List 2

List 3

2014 Notable Children’s Books The reading list from the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association includes the current Newbery, Caldecott, Belpré, Sibert, Coretta Scott King, Geisel, and Batchelder Award winners and Honor books, among other notable books.

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