Books make perfect gifts! Books can be opened over and over again and take your child on an adventure to a far away land, or to meet a dog named Biscuit or one named Mudge. A book can introduce your child to characters from long ago or to a character that may be experiencing many of the same things that your child is today.
Many publishers are now putting some type of a level on the back cover of books. For instance, The I Can Read Series is leveled using the numbers: 1, 2, 3, etc.
A level 1 book is approximately written at the grade level of 1.8- 2.0.
A level 2 book is written at the grade level of approximately 3.4 - 3.6.
The following books are wonderful for reading aloud to your young children and school age children between kindergarten and grade 2. Children in grades one and two will be able to chime in to read known sight words, and perhaps the entire book.
Read-alouds
Books by Jan Brett, such as:
The Mitten
The Gingerbread Baby
Annie and the Wild Animals
The Wild Christmas Reindeer
Books by Audrey Wood:
The Napping House
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
Silly Sally
The Alphabet Mystery
The Alphabet Adventure
The Alphabet Rescue
Books by Laura Numeroff:
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
If You Give a Pig a Pancake
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
Skippyjon Jones Series (there are several books about Skippyjon Jones) by Judy Schachner
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Many children enjoy the "I SPY" books. They may also enjoy a series of books titled:
Can You See What I See? Some of the titles include:
Can You See What I See? Treasure Ship,
Can You See What I See? Read and Seek Games,
Can You See What I See? Dinosaurs,
Can You See What I See? Seymour and the Juice
The list below gives some book titles that are listed by grade level.
Early first grade level:
Bathtime for Biscuit
Biscuit Visits the Big City
Mid first grade level:
Biscuit
Biscuit Wants to Play
Biscuit Finds a Friend
Sam Gets Lost
Sam's First Halloween
Sam's Snowy Day
A Friend for Sam
Pizza for Sam
End first grade level:
Biscuit Goes to School
Biscuit Wins a Prize
Biscuit and the Baby
Biscuit's New Trick
Biscuit's Picnic
Hello Biscuit
Bunny Bungalow
High Rise Private Eyes series:
Case of the Desperate Duck
Freckle Face Strawberry
Freckle Face Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully
Early second grade level:
Henry and Mudge series
Mr. Putter and Tabby series
Poppleton series
Young Cam Jansen series
High Rise Private Eyes series
Nate the Great series
Magic School Bus: Liz on the Move
Magic School Bus: Liz Makes a Rainbow
Magic School Bus: Liz Takes Flight
Mid second grade level:
Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia
High Rise Private Eyes series:
Case of the Baffled Bear
Pinky and Rex series
Horrible Harry series
Poppleton Series
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End second grade level:
Amelia Bedelia
Amelia Bedelia, Rocket Scientist?
Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia
Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia
A-Z Mysteries titles:
The Jaguar's Jewel
The Kidnapped King
The Lucky Lottery
Arthur Chapter books
Bailey School Kids series
Cam Jansen series
Cobble Street Cousins series
Junie B. Jones series
Magic Tree House series
Polk Street Kids series
The Littles series
Matt Christopher series titles:
Shadow Over Second
You Lucky Dog
Man Out on First
Katie Kazoo series
Jake Drake series:
Jake Drake: Teacher's Pet
Jake Drake: Bully Buster
Jake Drake: Class Clown
Magic School Bus Science Chapter book #1: The Truth About Bats
Magic School Bus Science Chapter book # 24: Taking Flight
Early third grade level:
A-Z Mysteries: The Falcon's Feathers
Abracadabra series
Amber Brown series
Babysitters Little Sister series
Emily Windsnap and the Monster of the Deep by Liz Kessler
Matt Christopher: Return of the Home Run Kid
Secrets of Droon series
Mid third grade level:
A-Z Mysteries: The Goose's Gold
The Boxcar Children Series
Jake Drake: Know It All
Jigsaw Jones Mystery series
Judy Moody Series
Matt Christopher: Undercover Tailback
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
Ralph Runs Away by Beverly Cleary
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Ramona Quimby Series by Beverly Cleary * some titles are written at the early 4th grade level
End third grade level:
Matt Christopher titles:
Inline Skater
On the Field with Derek Jeter
Tough to Tackle
Wheel Wizards
A-Z Mysteries titles:
The Haunted Hotel
The Invisible Island
Calendar Mysteries titles:
January Joker
February Friend
March Mischief
April Adventure
Magic School Bus Science Chapter book # 2: The Case of the Missing Bones
Magic School Bus Science Chapter book # 3: The Wild Whale Watch
Magic School Bus Science Chapter book #8: Penguin Puzzle
Magic School Bus Science Chapter book # 11 Insect Invaders
Magic School Bus: Whales Magic School Bus: Space and Planets
Early fourth grade level:
The Fudge Book Series by Judy Bloom
The Best Halloween Ever
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The Little House on the Prairie and related titles by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*some titles are written at mid to end of fourth grade
Mid to end of fourth grade:
Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Sarah Plain and Tall Under the Perfect Moon by Patricia MacLachlan
Caleb's Story by Patricia MacLachlan
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Shiloh
The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
Mid to end of fifth grade:
Saving Shiloh