Keep your soon-to-be 1st (first) graders, ages 6 and 7, practicing their growing reading skills with the best, most highly recommended first grade books!
These are favorite books for beginning readers from the easiest books with a few words per page to beginning chapter books with a sentence per page. (For my kids, this was first grade but for some kids, it’s earlier and for other children, it’s later. All stages of growth are fine!) You can find harder books on my summer reading list for second graders and more 5- and 6- year old book recommendations here.
Keep your first grade kids reading lots and lots of books this summer vacation!
Remember to help your 1st graders figure out those hard-to-read words with word attack strategies beyond the typical (and often useless) “sound it out.” Try these word attack strategies & download the free printable bookmark.
Get Your FREE Summer Reading Printable Packet
ALL SUMMER READING LISTS BY GRADE
All Recommended Beginning Chapter Books
1st Grade Books: Summer Reading List (Ages 6 – 7)
If your 1st grade child loves a book, get more books by the same author or in the same series. Keep them reading as much as you can! And, if you need more ideas, you can always email me.
First Grade Beginning Readers (EASY)
This list of beginning readers are first grade books with only a few words per page, perfect for kids who are entering first grade and just beginning to read. (Sight words are really important at this stage – download free printable sight word cards.)
If your 1st grader is looking for silly books, read:
- My Toothbrush is Missing by Jan Thomas
- What is Chasing Duck? by Jan Thomas
- We Are in a Book by Mo Willems (all Elephant and Piggie books are fantastic!)
- The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow by Andy Griffiths
If your 1st grade child likes stories about real life and friendship, try:
- Who Is That, Cat the Cat? by Mo Willems
- We Are Growing by Laurie Keller
- Don’t Worry, BEE Happy by Ross Burach
- Big Cat by Ethan Long
- The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat
- Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick & David Serlin
- Lazy Bear, Crazy Bear by Kevin Bolger
- Trucktown by Jon Scieszka
If your 1st grader likes animal stories, try reading:
- Slow, Slow Sloths by Bonnie Bader
- Little Big Horse by Dave Horowitz
- We Dig Worms by Kevin McCloskey
Find MORE easy readers with reviews for first grade age children readers HERE.
First Grade Easiest Chapter Books
Easy chapter books have pictures with words. The easiest chapter books have just a few sentences per page. Try these first grade favorites…
(If you want to read my reviews of each of these books, go here.)
- Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold – FUNNY
- See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog by David LaRochelle – FUNNY
- Hi, Jack! (A Jack Book) by Mac Barnett & Greg Pizzoli – FRIENDSHIP
- Do You Like My Bike? (Hello, Hedgehog!) by Norm Feuti – FRIENDSHIP
- An Elephant & Piggie Biggie! by Mo Willems – FUNNY
- Aggie the Brave by Lori Ries – FRIENDSHIP
- Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh – NONFICTION
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog by Cynthia Rylant – FRIENDSHIP
- Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel – FRIENDSHIP
- Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes – REALISTIC
- Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton – FRIENDSHIP
First Grade Easy Chapter Books for Summer Reading
Easy chapter books have bigger text with pictures every few pages. These books listed range from middle of 1st grade to beginning of second-grade reading levels.
(Go here for a harder 2nd-grade chapter book list.)
If your first grader likes animal main characters, read:
- Kitty and Dragon by Meika Hashimoto
- Pug Blasts Off (Diary of a Pug) by Kyla May
- Kung Pow Chicken by Cindi Marko
- Owly: The Way Home and The Bittersweet Summer by Andy Runton
If your 1st grade children like funny books, try:
- Smell My Foot (Chick and Brain) by Cece Bell
- Moldylocks and the Three Beards by Noah Z. Jones
- Meet Mo and Jo: The Boulder Brothers by Sarah Lynn
- The Infamous Ratsos by Kara Lareau
- Geeger the Robot Goes to School by Jarret Lerner
If your 1st grade kids like realistic books, read:
- Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqui
- Happy Paws: Layla and the Bots by Vicky Fang
- The Party and Other Stories (Fox and Chick) by Sergio Ruzzier
- Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue by Paula Harrison
- Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! by Kara West
If your 1st graders like adventure & fantasy books, try:
- Bo’s Magical New Friend (Unicorn Diaries) by Rebecca Elliott
- The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
- Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot #1 by Dav Pilkey
- Notebook of Doom #1 by Troy Cummings
- Rise of the Earth Dragon #1 by Tracey West
DON’T MISS THESE: Summer Reading Printable Packet, Free Summer Printable for Kids, Activity Books for Kids, Summer Writing Ideas
ALSO READ:
2nd Grade Summer Reading List (age 7 – 8)
8 Responses
Your reading lists are amazing! I love how you broke things down by category. This will help me find more books to try for my 1st and 3rd graders. Thanks so much!
thank you, Heidi! I’m so happy that the list is helpful.
FB’ing this amazing list now – thanks!
How do I order the 1st grade summer reading package from your website. I need it by next week, please.
I don’t sell anything — this is a free list with links to Amazon for the books.
This site of yours is just the thing I’ve been looking for. It’s awsome! Thank you for all the commitment, Melissa!
What a fantastic list you’ve come up with! Thank you for sharing this with your readers. I recently had a book recommended for my daughter and I to read that we have just fallen in love with.called “Little Brown Animal” by DiMari Bailey. This felt like a modern “Ugly Duckling” in the sense that it takes the ideas of loving yourself in all forms, but instead of “becoming” beautiful, realizing the beauty that has been inside you all along…and then passing that knowledge on to others who need it. Teaching a young girl these values is SO important in today’s world, the sooner they learn to accept themselves the better they will be in the long run. A must for parents (especially with young daughters). I hope this makes it on a future list of yours for sure 🙂
I have not heard of several of these books. I love how you broke it down into useful categories. Thank you!