New Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books (Jan 2021)

Guess what? I have lots of new fantastic easy readers and early chapter books to tell you about. These books will keep your growing readers stocked up on good books to read.

As always, I’ve added these books to the following lists:

Best Easy Reader Books for 5- and 6-Year-Olds
Best Books for 6-Year-Olds
Best Books for 7-Year-Olds

Good books are essential.

But, sometimes kids still don’t want to read. Even with good books!

EASY READERS

Frog Meets Dog by Janee Trasler
FRIENDSHIP
While this is not a phonics book but possibly controlled text, it’s simple and cute. You’ll find it reminiscent of Dick and Jane with very short word sentences like, “Frogs jump. Can dog jump too?”

First Day of Unicorn School by Jess Hernandez, illustrated by. Mariano Epelbaum
UNICORN
Milly can’t wait to attend Unicorn School! Even though she’s a donkey in a party hat. Soon, Milly realizes all the other animals aren’t unicorns either, they’re other animals disguised as unicorns. Funny!

Fox + Chick #2: The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier
FRIENDSHIP
Fox and Chick remind me of an updated Frog and Toad or George and Martha. The humorous stories revolve around two friends who have different personalities and don’t always communicate well but remain the best of friends. Growing readers will love these two friends whose low-key adventures are illustrated in comic panels with dialogue bubbles.

EARLY CHAPTER BOOKS

Charlie & Mouse #3 Even Better by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Emily Hughes
WHOLESOME / TRADITIONAL FAMILY / SIBLINGS
Sweet stories with a dash of humor show a loving family and a close sibling relationship. I like the repeated use of phrases in each story that provide a familiar cadence and set children up for reading success.

Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue by Paula Harrison, illustrated by Jenny Lovlie
SUPERHERO
Kittie’s mom is a superhero with cat powers but Kitty isn’t ready to do what her mom does. However, when her mom is gone, a cat named Figaro comes to her that needs help. Kitty wants to help so she decides to be brave. Wearing her cat costume, she travels through the night to help her new cat friends— and discovers she can do more than she thought possible.

Kitty and Dragon by Meika Hashimoto, illustrated by Gillian Reid
FANTASY / MAGICAL CREATURES
In three sweet friendship stories, meet Kitty and her new friend, Dragon who live together in a cave. Buy the book and/or read the darling stories on the popular Epic website.

Real Pigeons Fight Crime by Ben Wood
HUMOR / MYSTERY
In the first of three silly stories, Rock Pigeon is a crime-fighting pigeon who helps Grandpouter and the other park pigeons solve the problem of the vanishing bread crumbs. Hilarious disguises, charming illustrations, quirky characters, and funny mysteries, this is an entertaining romp that is sure to entice even the most reluctant of readers.

Bots #5: A Tale of Two Classrooms by Russ Bolts, illustrated by Jay Cooper
SCI-FI / HUMOR
I’m late to the Bot books craze so I started with a story about Bot school. It’s funny, adventurous, and engaging, narrated in comic panels. I can see why this beginning chapter book series has gained such a big fan base in the last year.

Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song
HUMOR
Norma and Belly are squirrel friends who really, really want a donut. Can they work together, sneak in a food truck, and have the biggest ever donut party ever? Minimal text, plenty of silliness, and a lovely surprise ending!

Bips and Roses: Zoey and Sassafras #8 by Asia Citro
FANTASY / STEM
The Zoey books never disappoint. In this story, the hippogriffs usually eat roses but something is wrong with the forest’s roses. Will the hippogriffs starve? It’s up to Zoey to use the scientific method to solve the problem with the roses.

Wondrous Rex by Patricia MacLachlan
WHOLESOME / WRITING
Maxwell the Magicial brings Grace and her writer aunt Lily his dog Rex to be aunt’s assistant when Aunt Lily and Grace both have writer’s block. Rex is a kind and magical dog who reads, writes, and gives wonderful wisdom about life and writing. His guidance helps both Lily and Grace grow in confidence, inspiration, and love. Absolutely charming!

Twig and Turtle: Big Move to a Tiny House by Jennifer Richard Jacobson, illustrated by Paula Franco
WHOLESOME
It’s Twig’s third first day of third grade. Her family is now living in a tiny house in Colorado. Not only does she have to deal with being the new girl again, but she’s also worried about her grandma’s Great Dane who won’t fit in their small home. Twig dreams up the idea of a therapy dog at school but she still needs to find a better home solution for this sweet dog. Warm-hearted and wholesome, this is a story about friends, family, and a love of animals.

Unicorn Academy: Sophia and Rainbow by Julie Skyes, illustrated by Lucy Truman
UNICORNS
Well-written and charming, this unicorn book series is sure to entrance many young readers. In this story, Sophia arrives at Unicorn Academy and is paired with the lovely Rainbow. But, she feels guilty for making a new friend and leaving her best pony, Clover, back at home. On top of that, the unicorns’ magic is wonky because the lake is being poisoned. When someone accuses Sophia, she and her new friends decide to investigate.

Albert Hopper Science Hero by John Himmelman
SCI-FI / STEM
Albert Hopper and his niece and nephew use his wormlike ship to dig into the center of the earth…but the ship gets stuck! The story contains lots of science, particularly geology vocabulary, which makes me think it will be on the challenging side for many beginning readers. Nevertheless, it’s an exciting science adventure with engaging black and green illustrations.

Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown
ENTREPRENEUR
A warm-hearted, sweet story about a Latinx girl who’s an entrepreneur and devoted daughter and granddaughter. When her grandpa (tata) tells Sarai Gonzalez that his rental house is being sold, she determines to help by selling more cupcakes than ever. Even her sisters join in to help and so do her cousins. A darling start to a new series inspired by Sarai’s own life!