180 Great books for Toddlers, Children and Teens

Need reading ideas for you and your students or children? Wanting books to up your student’s reading motivation? Enjoy 18 lists of the top ten books for each category. Bedtime Stories, ABC books, learning to read books, picture books, poetry books, beginner chapter books, young adult novels and even some nonfiction! Happy Reading!

Check out my 2020 reading program once you've picked a book!

1. Bedtime Stories

If You Were My Bunny by Kate McMullan

This is a book with sweet little songs that a parent can sing to their child. The songs could just be read as a poem or you can look up the tunes online. A very peaceful way for a parent and child to end the day.

Go to Sleep Little Groundhog By Patricia Jensen

The little groundhog doesn’t want to go to sleep, he tries to get advice from all the other animals about how to fall asleep...will he EVER go to bed?

Good Night Gorilla By Peggy Rathmann

The pictures in this story make it fun even for toddlers just learning to talk. The Zookeeper says good night to all the animals, but doesn't notice the Gorilla opening each cage. All the animals follow the zookeeper to his house and kids love the page when the zookeeper realizes what has happened!

Good Night Already By Jory John

As soon as on character gets tired the other is wide awake! A great way for kids to learn about making connections to the text...if you have two little ones who like to keep each other up at night.

I’ll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

This is a wonderful story to show the patterns of love created within family. The mother's love for her boy is unchanging despite him growing up, then he passes that love back to her and to his own child.

How to Catch a Star by Olver Jeffers

Ever looked longingly at the night sky and wished you could pick a star and keep its light right with you through the night? Enjoy an imaginative tale of a boy who wishes to catch a star.

Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier

This may seem like a strange pick for a bedtime story, but it's the perfect length for a quick, but interactive parent to child story time. It also ends with the ending of many stories, so for kids who always want one more book before bed, it's a great way to read lots of “books" while really just reading one.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg does a wonderful job telling stories through illustrations. This book is just many lost pictures found in an old house that are supposed to prompt the reader to imagine the story. A great book for storytelling as a bedtime story.

I Need my Monster By Amanda Noll

Is your child scared of monsters in their closet or under their bed? This book has a fun take on monsters and just how important it is to this little boy that HIS monster helps him stay in bed!

The Dark By Lemony Snicket

What is it about the dark that keeps us on edge? Even as an adult, you may find yourself checking behind the shower curtain before a middle of the night bathroom break, or hurrying up the stairs after putting a load of laundry in the basement. Most adults can relate to little Leo in the story who interacts with the personified Dark in this story ...and through his bravery, he makes a new friend...maybe the dark isn't so bad after all?

2-ABC Books

A My Name is Alice by Jane Bayer

Fun alliteration and continuation from one letter to the next.

A is for Zebra By Mark Shulman

The focus letter is at the end of the word instead of the beginning of the word.

Q us for Duck By Mary Elting and Michael Folsom

As you read the book, you determine why each word represents that letter.

ABC by Dr. Suess

Fun alliteration in traditional Dr. Suess style.

Ashanti to Zulu by Margaret Musgrove

The book uses African words to represent letters of the alphabet and is good for older children.

The Hand Alphabet by Laura Rankin

Sign Language books to teach kids the alphabet in writing and sign language.

The Z was Zapped By Chris Van Allsburg

An alphabet book written as a play with 26 different acts.

Anamilia By Graeme Base

An alphabet book that contains a poem and many illustrations for each letter.

Antics by Cathi Hepworth

Really creative words for each letter of the alphabet. A great alphabet for older kids

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom By by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

This book is great for teaching lowercase and uppercase letters.

3-Wordless Picture Books

Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson

This wordless ABC book shows letters in everyday events and uses photos to show the world in a different way.

Flora and Her Feathered Friends (three books the Peacocks, the Flamingo and the Penguin) by Molly Idle

Enjoy the flaps and pop-outs as young Molly mimics the movements of these beautiful birds.

Frog Goes to Dinner by Mercer Mayer

Find out what happens when a frog sneaks into dinner in a boys pocket.

Sector 7 by David Wiesner

Join this boy and his new cloud friend as you see the factory where clouds are made.

Flotsam by David Wiesner

Ever had a beach day and regretted not having an underwater camera? The pictures from this underwater camera will leave you entranced and eager for more!

Tuesday by David Wiesner

A group of frogs are able to enjoy flying lily pads for a night...what mischief might they encounter and who will see it?

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

This book has two sets of pages that open out from the middle. The pictures show families from two very different places who share commonalities...an excellent commentary on culture, with beautiful picture representation.

Flashlight by Lizi Boyd

Beautiful black and white pictures of a night campout brought to color through the light of a boy’s flashlight.

Inside Outside by Lizi Boyd

Window picture book that shows the wonderful activities children do in the many seasons of the year.

Chalk by Bill Thomas

Beautiful story of a magical bag of chalk. Enjoy this artistic interpretation of children’s imagination.

4-Learning to Read Book Series

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons By Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox and Elaine Burner

This book does a wonderful job of breaking down the steps of sounding out words and understanding phonics rules. A wonderful place to start with a student who needs to begin to learn to read.

Bob Books by Bob Lynn Maslen

Book sets focused on teaching specific reading skills with a foundation in phonics.

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

These books are very engaging for young readers with a basic understanding of phonics and sight words.

Pete the Cat by James Dean and Eric Litwin

Kids love Pete the Cat! I like these books for the practice with the silent e, the characterization of Pete (the books are very relatable to kids, but he is so nice to his mom and his friends), and it introduces more difficult words, but assists kids through the context of pictures.

Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems

These books are all about the dialog! Kids love them as read alouds. I like to be one character and let the students be the other. The personalities of these characters is bursting through every word they say!

Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

A boy who finds a pet fly and a fly that calls the boy by his name (Buzz). The unlikely friends have many fun and exciting experiences together.

No David by David Shannon

These books are very relatable to kids. A great way to talk about family interactions and why consequences are important. Kids always can make connections to these books.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr.

The pictures in these stories really captivate the students. The repetition solidifies sight words and the rhythm makes it enjoyable even for toddlers.

Llama Llama by Anna Dewdney

The rhyme in these books is amazing and the relatable situations can be a great way to talk about social and emotional issues facing students.

I Can Read Books

There are so many books through the I Can Read Books rating system. If you are finding your student or child is lacking motivation I would highly suggest looking through some of these books and finding ones that relate to their interests.

5-Beginner Read Picture Books

Milk and Cookies by Frank Asch

Sometimes it can be scary to sleep in a new place...but things aren’t always what they seem. Enjoy a story about a boy who visits his grandpa and fights a dragon in the basement...well, sort of!

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett

This is a great read aloud for the pictures. Sam and Dave dig hoping to find something Spectacular. The whole book you see them digging around diamonds, but they never find them! The kids are always so excited when they see the diamonds and I like to point out that sometimes we miss “diamonds” in our search for the spectacular. Great way to teach new vocabulary words!

Good News Bad News by Jeff Mack

This is a story of a picnic gone wrong. The rat always sees the glass half empty and the rabbit sees it half full. Wonderful way to talk about how attitude affects outcome!

I want my hat back! By Jon Klassen

Another wonderful story for reading aloud to young children because the pictures allow the reader to know more than the characters. The bear spends the whole book looking for his hat...did you spot it before the bear did?

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelman

The pictures bring this story to life. I find children enjoy the story a lot more when I make the connection for them about being sick and helping others when they are sick.

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

There are multiple versions of this story. Will the cows and farmer ever come to a consensus? What will those farm animals do next?!

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

It can be fun to be wild for a little while...but we all long to be back in the comfort of our home with the people that we love!

I Don’t Want to be a Frog by Dev Petty

This little frog would like to be ANYTHING else...but then he discovers being a frog might not be so bad after all….

! by Amy Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

Wonderful book for teaching reading expressions and punctuation. The characters are all punctuation marks and the personification helps teach just how important each mark is in writing!

The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak

This is my ABSOLUTE favorite read aloud book! Kids love it! There are no pictures ...but so many silly words the kids will be laughing and engaged through the whole story.

6-Mid Level Picture Books Series

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

Two friends and their amazing adventures together.

Amilia Badilia by Peggy Parish

She is always up to her elbows in some difficult task...will she be able to get the job done? Great book for teaching literal and figurative speech.

Froggy by Jonathan London

These books are very relatable to kids. The pictures help characterize Froggy and kids love watching how silly he is in everyday situations.

Berenstain Bears by Stand and Jan Berenstain

These are classic stories and the characters are built through many interactions over many books. The implied characterization helps bring depth to these simple stories.

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

This silly bird reminds us all that the best thing you can be is YOURSELF!

Parts by Tedd Arnold

Another great book for literal and figurative speech...how do we keep track of all those idioms?

If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

Wonderful cause and effect stories. Has there been a time when you’ve gotten a little sidetracked when trying to complete a task?

Curious George By H.A. Rey and Margret Rey

These stories have wonderful characterization and show adult to child interaction and how fun ordinary situations can be!

History News Series by Philip Steele, Michael Johnstone, Anton Powell, Philip de Souza, Scott Steedman

Very engaging picture books that teach about historic events and people.

Bad Guys by Finneas O'Connell

A wonderful transition from picture books to chapter books. These comic book like stories about a group of convict carnivores trying to save the world has just a little bit of potty humor, but enough silliness and excitement to keep kids reading chapter after chapter.

7-Animal Fictional Picture Books

The Velveteen Rabbit By Margery Williams

A sad, but sentimental story about sacrifice and love.

Skippyjon Jones by Judith Byron Schachner

A great commentary on children’s imagination. What adventures did your students or child experience that day?

But No Elephants By Jerry Smath

Alright, I admit it...I was always the kid begging for a dog! Just like the woman in this story, my mother let me try almost every other animal...but when the poor elephant is left in the snow ...how can she say no?!

Stellaluna By Janell Cannon

The little bat baby loses his mom and is raised by a family of birds...Now he doesn’t know where he fits in!

Diary of a Worm By Doreen Cronin

A worm would have problems very different than ours...and yet, he seems to find himself in all sorts of situations that are humorous and relatable to students!

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School By Mark Teague

A wonderful story to illustrate point of view...has your dog ever made you feel guilty?

Dogzilla By Dav Pilkey

This little pooch may seem cute to you...but he is wreaking havoc on the little city of mice! How will they save their town from this monstrosity?

The Night I Followed the Dog By Nina Laden

Have you ever wondered what your dog does all day? So did this little boy and you may be surprised by what he found out!

Ragweed’s Farm Dog Handbook by Anne Kennedy

Hear about the good and the bad parts about life on a farm, from a farm dog’s point of view.

Sailor Moo Cow at Sea by Lisa Wheeler

A brave young cow leaves the other cows grazing in the pasture to experience adventure on the open sea!

8-Mid Level Picture Books

How I Became a Pirate By Melinda Long

What would you do if you could be a pirate for a day?

The Day the Crayons Quit By Drew Daywalt

These poor crayons have had enough! Are the crayons in your crayon box overworked?

The King's Chessboard By David Birch

A classic tale that illustrates the power of a small thing to grow into something great.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs By Judi Barrett

What would life be like if the weather were different? If it rained food, what would you want for dinner?

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day By Judith Viorst

Some days just aren’t so good...but is it possible Alexander can find a way to turn things around?

Falling for Rapunzel By Leah Wilcox

A play on words book with a surprise ending!

Do Not Open This Book By Andy Lee

A very engaging story for kids with lots of great dialog...the book uses the reader as one of the characters.

Don’t Push the Button By Bill Cotter

Another silly story that engages young students by using them as a character within the story.

The Giving Tree By Shel Silverstein

A simple story with many layers of meaning. It can be as touching for adults as it is for young readers.

Mr. Bumble by Kim Kennedy

Mr. Bumble may begin the story as a clumsy and timid bee, but with a little bravery and the help of his new friends he is destined for great things! A great book to teach about Growth Mindset.

9-Beginner Chapter Books Series

Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami

Follow this mouse journalist on another crazy adventure that always takes him a little far out of his comfort zone! These chapter books embed colorful pictures throughout the text as the words POP right off the page!

The Notebook of Doom by Troy Cummings

Monsters are all around us and Alexander found a notebook that teaches us all about them! Will he be able to use his new knowledge to save his town?

I Survived by Lauren Tarshis

These historical fiction books will keep you on the edge of your seat as you experience some of history's most dangerous events through the eyes of these beloved fictional characters.

Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne

Learn with Jack and Annie through their adventure within the books in the magic tree house!

Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson

Follow the self-proclaimed Head of Ranch Security as he tells his adventures on the farm.

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Enjoy this comic book/chapter book about the dog who fights crime!

The Princess in Black By Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

She is no ordinary princess! Follow this strong protagonist through every adventure that life throws her way!

Secrets of Droon Tony Abbott

There's a fantasy world right under Eric’s basement! Will he and his friends be able to save Droon...and be home in time for dinner?

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes By Anne Mazer

This realistic fiction book takes the reader through simple everyday life issues as our resilient Abby works to pursue her many hobbies!

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

He’s as flat as a pancake(consider the possibilities)! Read about how he continues his normal (or not so normal) childhood!

10-ONE MORE SET of Beginner Chapter Book Series

Beasts of Olympus by Lucy Coats

The main character is an 11 year old boy who is half human and half god, who is in charge of taking care of the many mythical beasts who live on Mount Olympus. Follow young

Pandemonious in this fun and adventures series woven with Greek mythology.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Four siblings who live in a boxcar in the woods and their many adventures together.

Junnie B. Jones by Barbara Park

Life as seen by a spunky kinder, than 1st than 2nd grader. Her voice and personality shine through these stories as she faces the many struggles that elementary school can bring.

A to Z Mysteries Ron Roy

Kids who love mysteries will love solving one for each letter of the alphabet in this engaging series.

Pixie Tricks by Tracey West

Pixies here on earth?! How will the kids keep those tricky little creatures under control?

Bailey School Kids by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Jones

Follow these students who seem to find mythical teachers...I mean creatures...hiding in plain sight!

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

These two unlikely friends stubble upon each other and make all sorts of mischief! Many kids really like this book, but the girls do engage in lots of naughty behavior between their siblings. The story is very relatable to kids who feel misunderstood and it has great qualities of friendship between the protagonists.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Read the diary of Greg...a middle school student with opinions all of his own!...This book can be super motivating to students who are what I call “picky readers” (kids who THINK they don’t like to read, but really just haven’t found the right book), but keep in mind the students are in junior high...you may want to preread it to your child and make sure you are comfortable with the content and attitude of these spunky characters.

Goosebumps by R. L. Stine

These scary stories are very engaging to students who like a little mystery and spooky during their reading time!

Time Warp Trio Jon Scieszka

Follow three friends through time as they solve mysteries, fight battles and get into a whole lot of mischief.

11-Beginner Chapter Books

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Why is poetry so confusing! Read a story about a boy who can’t stand poetry who has a change of heart throughout his second grade journal.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

A reflective story about machine and nature and the way we interact...though the robot doesn’t have feelings, you sure will as you read about his story!

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

A historical fiction book about a girl escaping from Denmark during WWII.

Because of Winndixie by Kate DiCamillo

A coming of age story about a girl and her dog...and so much more!

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

A coming of age story about a boy with a disfigured face and the issues he faces at school. This story is great for teaching kindness and tolerance and the relationships in the story will warm your heart strings!

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

Being a daughter of a traveling preacher makes can get pretty lonely...until Ollie meets a boy who just might need her help!

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

Every chapter is about a different character in room 30 (in a school that is 30 stories high with only one class on each story)! Read about the wacky happenstances at this strange school.

Max and the Midknights By Lincoln Peirce

All 10-year old apprentice wants is to become a knight! Will he be able to rescue his uncle from the evil King Gastley?

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie By Julie Sternberg

A sweet realistic fiction story about a girl who just lost her favorite babysitter and must now brave summer break with a new one….

Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

A trilogy about an adventures mouse who can speak to humans.

12-Transition Books from Beginner Chapter books to Young Adult

Roald Dahl Books

SO many good books! Have your child start with one of the shorter books like Fantastic Mr. Fox and then go for a longer book like the BFG or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in order to make the jump into longer stories.

Judy Bloom Books

Again...ENDLESS great books here! These books can be really motivating to kids, with their creativity and mischief, while addressing applicable problems through realistic fiction.

Harry Potter Books by J.K. Rowling

Honestly, if you don’t already know about these books, two sentences isn’t going to do it justice! They grow with the reader starting short and fun and getting long and intense, but they are creative and wonderful!

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer

These kids literally fall into a fantasy world and find themselves on a quest! An engaging story with similar concepts to easy reader books, but longer and a little more complex plot!

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

These are classic stories that teach deep life lessons! They are right in the middle of short and long chapter books, but are wonderful for teaching good character/morals and plot.

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L.Konigsburg

The kids in this story run away from home and live in a museum! They make a new friend and learn some important lessons.

Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler and Brett Helquist

I love this off the wall series because of the teamwork and loving relationships between the siblings! So often in children’s books the characters fight with their siblings, but this book they work as a team to get away from the evil Count Olaf!

Midnight for Charlie Boon by Jenny Nimmo

A great fantasy story that I would recommend to children who enjoyed the Harry Potter Series.

Leven Thumps by Obert Skye

A world within our world, with evil hiding in plain sight. A boy and a girl with extraordinary abilities must fight evil at every turn!

13-Young Adult Books and Series

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

A coming of age story about a girl caught in a mutiny on her passage across the sea

Dangerous Skies: Suzanne Fisher Staples

A great read for anyone who loved The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

A poor farm boy, a dragon, a quest for revenge...need I say more?

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

A classic book series...two unlikely heroes, set forth on a quest against all odds. A fantasy world of elves, hobbits, trolls, orks, and more!

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

A timid princess who speaks to birds is set off to a distant land to marry her never before seen betrothed prince, tragedy falls her on her journey and she ends up working as a palace servant...will her true identity ever be discovered?

Aurella the Witch by Anni Sezate

A few teenagers who discover they are a witch and a warlock find themselves accidentally starting a nationwide witch hunt! Now what?!

Perfect By Natasha Friend

Natasha Friend writes several books that are great with telling the story of really difficult things some youth go through. Perfect describes the journey of a teenage girl who develops an eating disorder after the death of her father. Her interactions with her family and classmates gives insight and empathy to the readers about the struggles some people quietly endure.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

A poor orphan girl is taught to read and discovers a love for reading! Set in the time of WWII, Liesel and her family struggle as they secretly house a Jewish boy.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Two teens with cancer fall in love, despite the difficult circumstances...beautiful lessons about the meaning of life and the profound change that love can make even for a brief moment.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

A high school age girl and her friends are sent through time and space to save their brilliant scientist father from an evil on another planet.

14-Dystopian

The Giver by Lois Lowry

A society where no one knows pain or sorrow...but at what cost?

1984 by George Orwell

The government has total control, but right is right, even if you’re the only one who understands it.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

A society where everyone is beautiful, but no one sees life clearly.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

A small group of teens are stuck in the middle of a large maze, will they ever make it to freedom?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

A teenage girl volunteers to be a gladiator to save her sister, and inadvertently begins a revolution.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

A commentary on the sad cycle of power and corruption, told through the story of an animal revolution.

Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

Forever defined by one trait and trained in one skill, a group of teens searches for more meaning in life and a way to break free.

Cinder Series by Marissa Meyer

A twist on several traditional fairy tales, read this series and join the futuristic sci fi earth from the invading people on Mars.

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Two teenagers who live in the city of Ember a place created to enable humanity to survive the apocalypse.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In a society where reality is hollow and empty, what will you give to keep your virtual reality from falling apart?

15-Poetry Books for Kids

Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissinger

A clever story about a family on a fishing trip; written completely in poems.

You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You by Jack Fleshman

All the poems are written to be read back and forth in two different parts, great for student engagement or partner reading.

Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers

Words, art and rhythm working together to tell the story of a boy in the city.

Poetry for Young People Series

Small picture books with some of the best poems from famous poets, great way for students to get exposed to the classics.

The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight by Jack Prelutsky

A book full of suspenseful and “scary” poems!

Mirror Mirror by Marlyn Singer

Reverso Poems to show that there are two sides to every fairy tale. Marlyn also wrote Follow Follow.

Verse Novels -Heartbeat (Sharon Creech) and The Crossover (by Alexander Kwame)

Both coming of age novels told in verse poetry.

Should You Be a River by Ed Young

A beautiful poem about nature, with vivid images made through torn paper, written for Young’s two daughters.

Poems to Learn by Heart by Caroline Kennedy

More than 100 poems with wisdom applicable to anyone. Written in hopes to encourage people to memorize meaningful poems.

Edgar Allen Poe Pie by Lewis/Slack

Parodies of famous poems with numbers and riddles embedded within the story. Great for kids who have a hard time with figurative speech and prefer math...they’re reading poems and enjoying numbers all at once!

I’m Just No Good At Rhyming by Chris Harris

A poetry book full of fun and silly poems that can be enjoyed and cause reflection.

Other great poets: Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, Myra Cohn Livingston

16-Social/Emotional Books

How Full is Your Bucket? By Tom Rath

Great metaphor for teaching how our actions affect others.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

A really meaningful story about how bullying can make people feel.

Peter H. Reynolds Books: The Dot, Ish, and I’m Here

Self-reflection books that teach about relationships and self-expression.

What Do You Do With a Problem?...Chance? Idea? By Kobi Yamada

Beautiful pictures and personification about how to handle problems, opportunities and ideas. Kids may need prompting to make connections to times when they have dealt with a problem or had and idea or taken a chance.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Wonderful story about sharing and contributing to a community.

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

A creative book about being true to yourself!

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

A good way to help students who struggle with anxiety (especially about going to school) and equip them with strategies to overcome that anxiety.

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

A great book about seeing the strengths in others and trying new things. We are all capable of success, we just might be listening to the wrong music.

Elmer the Patchwork Elephant by David McKee

A wonderful book about a patchwork Elephant and his community who learns to accept and appreciate his uniqueness.

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson

What do you do when there is someone who you don't like? Be their friend for a day and make them enemy pie!

17-Picture Books Biographies

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

The story of a farmer who photographed snowflakes.

The Noisy Paintbox by Barb Rosenstock

An artist who had Kinesthesia (ability to hear color), who painted what color made him feel and was one of the first to paint abstract art.

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine

About a slave who mailed himself to freedom

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwaba

A boy who made a windmill and brought electricity to his village.

Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille by Jen Bryant

Did you know that Louis Braille began creating the writing system when he was very young?

Who Was Series by multiple authors

Books with details and facts about many famous and influential people throughout history.

Ordinary People Change the World Series by Brad Meltzer

Another great biographical series that is engaging for students.

Teammates by David Halberstam

The story of Jackie Robinson with beautiful illustrations

Let it Begin Here Lexington and Concord by Dennis Brindell Fradin

Learn who Paul Revere was and why is ride so important.

18-Science and Math Books

Who Would Win Series by Jerry Pallotta

This book series takes two animals and compares them throughout the book to answer the question, “who would win?” If the two animals where to fight.

Magic School Bus Series Published by Scholastic

Learn about science concepts while enjoying the adventures of Mrs. Frizzle and her class.

National Geographic Kids Reading Sets

Many sets at different reading levels, teaching about animals and other science topics.

Weird but True books, World Record books, and Experiment books

If your student is having a hard time with nonfiction books, try some of these book styles. They are more interactive and have quick facts so students don’t have to get too bogged down with long text, but they are still learning information.

How Much is a Million By David Schwartz

A great book to teach students the meaning and value of numbers.

In the Next Three Seconds by Rowland Morgan

A book about time and statistics.

Spaghetti and Meatballs for All By Marilyn Burns

A book about a dinner party that teaches area and perimeter.

Give Me Half! By Stuart Murphy

A book about sharing...and fractions!

The Greedy Triangle By Marilyn Burns

The triangle that wanted to be a shape with more sides. Explore all the shapes you can see in our world and the qualities of each of those shapes.

Sir Comference Series by Cindy Neuschwander

Learn about geometry through this middle aged book that is chocked full of puns!

I hope you find some enjoyable reads on this book list for you and your child! Check out my Reading Across the World 2020 book challenge and help us travel the world through stories!

Related Questions

How do I increase reading motivation for my students?

Learning to read is such a daunting and difficult task it can be difficult to foster a love for reading within a child while still requiring the practice and effort that is necessary to improve reading skills. Some important elements to encourage a love for reading...keep tasks within reach of a child, help them read the words or read with you if it is getting too frustrational, include student choice and allow them to read on topics that interest them, and take time to enjoy and comprehend the story (even if it is mostly through pictures) no matter how well your child/student can read the story. For more strategies click here.

What are the steps for teaching children to read?

Reading can be broken up into three major components; decoding (phonics and sight words), fluency, and comprehension. Students first need to know what word a group of letters represents. They figure this out by memorizing the word (sight words) or memorizing rules to sound out the word (phonics). Once the child knows how to read enough words, they start working on fluency (reading the words accurately, quickly and with expression). If students are fluent they move from learning to read and start reading to learn (comprehension). The final step in reading is to be able to understand the text. For more information check out my blog post here.