A Good Place to Start
These books will make great read-alouds for your K-2 child.
Remember these are guidelines and only a beginning.

PICTURE BOOKS

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Judith Viorst): We've all had days like this!

Amazing Grace (Mary Hoffman): Grace loves to act and desperately wants to play Peter Pan, even though her classmates tell her she can't.

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (Eric Kimmel): In this African folktale, a wily spider tries to trick the other animals.

And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon (Janet Stevens): When Dish and Spoon run away, their nursery rhyme friends Cat, Cow, and Dog set out to rescue them in time for the next evening's reading of their rhyme.

Baloney (Henry P.) (Jon Schieszka): A transmission received from outer space in a combination of different Earth languages tells of an alien schoolboy's fantastic excuse for being late to school again.

Bony Legs (Joanna Cole): Bony Legs is a wicked old witch, but she can be outsmarted by a kind girl.

Buttons (Brock Cole): Total silliness!

A Chair for My Mother (Vera Williams): After a fire, a little girl watches her Mother save up her tips to buy a chair--a very special chair.

Click, Clack, Moo. Cows that Type (Doreen Cronin): For the young activist.

Crickwing (Janell Cannon): Another wonderful story with lovely illustrations by the author of Stella Luna and Verdi.

Erandi's Braids (Antonio H. Madrgal): The barber says Mama's hair is not long enough to sell so for the money she needs for a new fishing net. Then he sees Erandi's beautiful, thick braid.

The Empty Pot (Demi): The Emperor is looking for a successor to the throne. Each child is given a seed to plant. The most beautiful gardener will be the next Emperor.

A Fine, Fine School (Sharon Creech): When a principal loves his school so much that he wants the children to attend classes every day of the year, it's up to his students to show him free time is a good thing, too.

The Frog Principal (Stephanie Calmenson): After the principal of P.S. 88 is turned into a frog by a bumbling magician, the frog bargains for the chance to act as principal until Mr. Bundy returns from his "family emergency."

George and Martha (James Marshall): A story of two very good friends!

Gus and Grandpa at Basketball (Claudia Mills): Gus enjoys basketball practice, but the noise and pace of real games bother him, until his grandpa gives him some good advice.

Heckety Peg (Audrey Wood): Seven children, left alone, get in trouble with a wicked witch.

Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins (Eric Kimmel): Can Herschel save the Hanukkah celebration?

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Simms Taback): Joseph truly recycled!!

Lady Lollipop (Dick King-Smith): A quick-witted swineherd and a pig named Lollipop are royally rewarded after they reform a spoiled princess.

Milo's Hat Trick (Jon Agee): Milo, a magician, has a hat trick involving a bear which jumps in and out of hats.

Officer Buckle and Gloria (Peggy Rathmann): These two make a great pair of safety officers, until Officer Buckle finds out what Gloria has been doing. Can this friendship be saved?

Oh, Brother (Arthur Yorinks): Two orphaned boys can't seem to get along...can they?

Olivia (Ian Falconer): Olivia is a very special little pig.

Olivia Saves the Circus (Ian Falconer): At school, Olivia tells about her summer vacation and how, when she went to the circus and all the performers were out sick, she saved the day, becoming Olivia the Tattooed Lady, Olivia the Lion Tamer, The Amazing Flying Olivia, and more.

The Other Dog (Madeleine L'Engle): The family poodle protests at first when the master and mistress bring home a new "dog" to share the household - an inferior breed called "baby."

The Other Side (Jacqueline Woodson): Two girls, one white and one African-American, gradually get to know each other as they sit on the fence that divides their town.

The Stray Dog (Marc Simont): A family befriends a stray dog, names him Willy, and decides to keep him.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (William Steig): Sylvester finds a magic pebble and is turned into a stone! How will he turn back into the sweet donkey he was?

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (Judith Viorst): Barney, a cat, has died. The family holds a funeral.

There's a Nightmare in My Closet (Mercer Mayer): Turn nightmares into laughter.

True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Jon Scieszka): This is the old fairy tale told from a different point of view-- by A. Wolf.

The Tub People (Pam Conrad): The adventures of a family of tub toys.

Uncle Jed's Barbershop (Margaree King Mitchell): Uncle Jed has finally saved enough money to open his own shop, but then his young niece needs surgery.

Waiting for Wings (Lois Ehlert) The metamorphosis of the butterfly. Beautifully illustrated with large, colorful pictures.

The Web Files (Margie Palatini): Ducktective Web and his partner try to quack the case of the pilfered peck of perfectly picked pickled peppers.

Wemberly Worried (Kevin Henkes): Wemberly worried about everything, but especially about starting school.

Widget (Lyn Rossiter McFarland): A small stray dog is accepted into a household full of cats by learning to "fint in", but when his owner is hurt, he demonstrates that being a dog is not all bad.

Yoko's Paper Cranes (Rosemary Wells): When Yolo moves from Japan to california, she decides to make and send origami cranes to her grandmother for her birthday.

CLASSICS

Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes: Have fun!

Fairy Tales: Skip Disney and read the traditional tales!

The BFG (Roald Dahl): These letters stand for "Big Friendly Giant."

Catwings (Ursula LeGuin): Just as the title suggests, these kittens are very special.

Charlotte's Web (E.B. White): Charlotte, the spider, saves Wilbur, the pig, as only she can.

My Father's Dragon (Ruth S. Gannett): Elmer tries to save an overworked baby dragon. Try the sequels, Elmer and the Dragon, The Dragons of Blueland.

Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak): Max has been naughty and sent to his room. His room turns into a jungle...

EASY CHAPTER BOOKS

Cam Janson (David Adler): Cam is short for camera. Cam uses her camera-like brain to solve mysteries. (Series)

Frog and Toad (Arnold Lobel): Friendship abounds. (Series)  

Henry and Mudge (Cynthia Rylant): Henry is a boy, Mudge his largedog. (Series)

Horrible Harry (Suzy Kline): The funny escapades of an energetic classroom of characters. (Series)

The Stories Julian Tells (Ann Cameron): Huey often finds himself in trouble, thanks to his big brother, Julian.

Jacob Two-Two and the Hooded Fang (Mordecai Richler): Jacob Two-Two says everything twice and that gets him into twice the trouble!

Junie B. Jones (Barbara Park): The misadventures of a kindergartner. (Series)

The Kids of the Polk Street School (Patricia Reilly Giff): Another series of classroom capers. (Series)

Magic Tree House (Mary Pope Osborne): Jack and Mary are transported back to different times in the past. Great introduction to historical fiction. (Series)

Nate the Great (Marjorie Sharmat): Nate is the "Sam Spade" of the primary set! (Series)

Rats on the Roof and Other Stories (James Marshall): Seven very different animal stories.

The Seven Treasure Hunts (Betsy Byars): Two friends set up treasure hunts for each other, with very funny results!

Time Warp Trio (Jon Scieszka): Three boys are transported through time by a magic book. Kids love these funny stories, laced with the humor they love best!

Tornado (Betsy Byars): While waiting out a tornado, a family listens to stories of a dog that came into another family by way of a tornado.

FAVORITE AUTHORS

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