Books, Activities, and Games for Elementary Age Kids

Teachers, parents, librarians, and grandparents, find the best book reviews and recommendations, activities, lesson plans, writing ideas, fun educational ideas, games, and toy ideas for elementary age children who are ages 5 to 12.

In the U.S., elementary school is usually kindergarten to fifth or sixth grade.

Here are some quick links to get you started finding good children's chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction books.

5- and 6-Year-Olds:
Best Easy Reader Books for 5 and 6 Year Olds
Best NONFICTION Books for 5 and 6 Year Olds

6- and 7-Year-Olds:
Best Easy / Beginning Chapter Books for 6- and 7- Year- Olds
Best Book Series for 1st Graders

7-Year-Olds:
Best Books for 7 Year Olds (2nd Grade)
18 Fantastic Chapter Book Series for 2nd Graders (7-Years-Old)
Best NONFICTION Books for 7-Year-Olds

8-Year-Olds:
Best Books for 8-Year-Olds (3rd Grade)
24 Book Series for 3rd Graders (8-Years-Old)
Best NONFICTION Books for 8-Year-Olds

9-Year-Olds:
Best Books for 9 Year Olds (4th Grade)
32 Book Series for 4th Graders (9-Years-Old)
Best NONFICTION Books for 9-Year-Olds

10-Year-Olds:
Best Books for 10-Year Olds (5th Grade)
27 Book Series for 5th Graders (10-Years-Old)
Best NONFICTION Books for 10-Year-Olds

Free Printable Reading Advent Calendar

Want a fun way to motivate children to read during the month of December? Download this free printable coloring Advent calendar. It’s a simple way to encourage reading. Reading Advent Calendar Read every day for 15 minutes or 1 book and color in that day on the calendar. Reading aloud to a child counts as […]

Best Middle-Grade Chapter Books of 2020

Find the best middle-grade chapter books from 2020 for kids ages 8 to 12. You’ll find #ownvoices, historical fiction, fantasy, mystery, and more–there’s a book for everyone on this list. Best Middle-Grade Chapter Books of 2020 Table of Contents OwnVoices Realistic Historical Fiction Graphic Novels Biography Mystery Adventure Fantasy Sci-Fi OwnVoices Chapter Books from […]

Best Picture Books of 2020

These picture books stand out as the BEST books of 2020 that I’ve read and reviewed. (And I’ve reviewed hundreds of books this year.) If you haven’t yet had a chance to read the picture books on this list with children, whether in the classroom or at home, I hope you’ll find new titles for […]

New Favorite Wordplay Picture Book: No Reading Allowed

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sourcebooks. All opinions are my own. My new favorite wordplay picture book is No Reading Allowed: The Worst Read Aloud Book from the creators of P is for Pterodactyl, my favorite HILARIOUS alphabet book of all time. (Remember this post that went viral on Facebook a few years ago […]

46 New Picture Books, Fall 2020

Holy moly, this list is huge. (And I still have a box yet to be reviewed!) To make it easier, I’ll give you some categories that may help you find just what you’re wanting to read or use in the classroom next. This list of picture books is primarily from September and October of 2020. […]

Military Themed Children’s Books for Veterans and Memorial Day

If you’re like me, you find it important to share with kids stories about the human beings, moms and dads, sisters and brothers, in the military. Share these books any time but especially to honor their service for the Veterans Day holiday and Memorial Day holiday. Whether your family is a military family or […]

Thanksgiving Books for Kids

Thanksgiving books for kids share the early history of the United States, gratitude, and thankfulness. Did you know that thankfulness is a habit–something to practice and make a regular part of your day? (Kind of like exercise!) We practice thankfulness each night in our family prayers. For other people, they might share gratitude at a family […]

Reading and Writing Gifts for Kids

Are you looking for reading and writing gifts for kids? Sometimes all it takes for kids (and me) to want to write or read are creative literacy gifts like a new journal or a playful word game. These literacy gifts for kids will inspire them to read more, write more, and appreciate words and stories. […]