“What are the best books to read in 1st Grade?” We looked at 535 of the top First Grade books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 23 books, all appearing on 4 or more, “Best 1st Grade” book lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The books include images, descriptions, and links. The remaining 500+ books, as well as the lists we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.

For more Best School Year book lists, check below!

The Best Books To Read In Kindergarten
The Best Books To Read In 1st Grade
The Best Books To Read In 2nd Grade
The Best Books To Read In 3rd Grade
The Best Books To Read In 4th Grade
The Best Books To Read In 5th Grade
The Best Books To Read In 6th Grade
The Best Books To Read In 7th Grade
The Best Books To Read In 8th Grade
The Best Books To Read As A Freshman In High School
The Best Books To Read In High School
The Best Books To Read After High School Or Before College
The Best Books To Read In College

Happy Scrolling!

Top 23 Books To Read In 1st Grade Books

23 .) Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

Lists It Appears On:

• The Ranker
• 123 Homeschool 4 Me
• Goodreads
• First Grade Reading List

A baby bird goes in search of his mother in this hilarious board book edited by Dr. Seuss. When a mother bird’s egg starts to jump, she hurries off to make sure she has something for her little one to eat. But as soon as she’s gone, out pops the baby bird. He immediately sets off to find his mother, but not knowing what she looks like makes it a challenge. The little hatchling is determined to find his mother, even after meeting a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a Snort.

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22 .) Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Lists It Appears On:

• My Frugal Adventures
• Your Dictionary
• Common Sense Media
• Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

“Clementine is having not so good of a week.
On Monday she’s sent to the principal’s office for cutting off Margaret’s hair.
Tuesday, Margaret’s mother is mad at her.
Wednesday, she’s sent to the principal again.
Thursday, Margaret stops speaking to her.
Friday starts with yucky eggs and gets worse.
And by Saturday, even her mother is mad at her.
Okay, fine. Clementine is having a DISASTROUS week.”

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21 .) Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss

Lists It Appears On:

• 123 Homeschool 4 Me
• The Ranker
• Your Dictionary
• Goodreads

“Do you like green eggs and ham?” asks Sam-I-am in this Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss. In a house or with a mouse? In a boat or with a goat? On a train or in a tree? Sam keeps asking persistently. With unmistakable characters and signature rhymes, Dr. Seuss’s beloved favorite has cemented its place as a children’s classic. In this most famous of cumulative tales, the list of places to enjoy green eggs and ham, and friends to enjoy them with, gets longer and longer. Follow Sam-I-am as he insists that this unusual treat is indeed a delectable snack to be savored everywhere and in every way.

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20 .) Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Lists It Appears On:

• Your Dictionary
• Benicia Public Library
• Education World
• Goodreads

Mrs. Mallard was sure that the pond in the Boston Public Gardens would be a perfect place for her and her eight ducklings to live. The problem was how to get them there through the busy streets of Boston. But with a little help from the Boston police, Mrs. Mallard and Jack, Kack, Lack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack arive safely at their new home.

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19 .) Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater, Florence Atwater

Lists It Appears On:

• The Ranker
• Your Dictionary
• Common Sense Media
• Goodreads

A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.

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18 .) Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Lists It Appears On:

• Love To Know
• Benicia Public Library
• The Ranker
• Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

Nate the Great has a new case! His friend Annie has lost a picture. She wants Nate to help her find it. Nate the Great must get all the facts, ask the right questions, and narrow the list of suspects so he can solve the mystery.

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17 .) No, David! by David Shannon

Lists It Appears On:

• First Grade Reading List
• Benicia Public Library
• Goodreads
• We Are Teachers

“When David Shannon was five years old, he wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were these words: NO, DAVID! . . . and a picture of David doing things he was not supposed to do.
Now David is all grown up. But some things never change. . . “

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16 .) Ramona series by Beverly Cleary

Lists It Appears On:

• My Frugal Adventures
• The Ranker
• Your Dictionary
• Great! Schools

Kids everywhere feel connected to Ramona’s unique way of looking at the world as she tries to adjust to new teachers, feels jealous about Susan’s curls, and is secretly pleased by Yard Ape’s teasing. The scrapes she gets herself into—like wearing pajamas to school or accidentally making egg yolk shampoo—are funny and heartwarming, and sometimes embarrassing. No matter what—Ramona’s lively, curious spirit shines through.

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15 .) The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Lists It Appears On:

• The Ranker
• Your Dictionary
• Goodreads
• We Are Teachers

Poor Dick and Sally. It’s cold and wet and they’re stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process!

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14 .) The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

Lists It Appears On:

• Your Dictionary
• Great! Schools
• Goodreads
• Nerdy Book Club

“Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw – she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. “”There!”” she says.

That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.”

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13 .) The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Lists It Appears On:

• First Grade Reading List
• The Ranker
• Goodreads
• Nerdy Book Club

“Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.’

So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk…and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.”

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12 .) The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Lists It Appears On:

• The Ranker
• Your Dictionary
• Great! Schools
• My Frugal Adventures

The little house first stood in the country, but gradually the city moved closer and closer.

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11 .) The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• First Grade Reading List
• Your Dictionary
• Education World

“You thought you knew the story of the “The Three Little Pigs”… You thought wrong.

In this hysterical and clever fracture fairy tale picture book that twists point of view and perspective, young readers will finally hear the other side of the story of “The Three Little Pigs.””

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10 .) Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Lists It Appears On:

• Love To Know
• The Ranker
• Goodreads
• We Are Teachers
• Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

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9 .) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Lists It Appears On:

• The Ranker
• My Frugal Adventures
• What We Do All Day
• Common Sense Media
• Daddy Read

Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

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8 .) If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Lists It Appears On:

• First Grade Reading List
• Your Dictionary
• Benicia Public Library
• Education World
• Goodreads

If a hungry little mouse shows up on your doorstep, you might want to give him a cookie. And if you give him a cookie, he’ll ask for a glass of milk. He’ll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn’t have a milk mustache, and then he’ll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim….

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7 .) Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald

Lists It Appears On:

• The Ranker
• Daddy Read
• My Frugal Adventures
• Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
• Common Sense Media

Judy Moody rules! Boys and girls everywhere are relating to Judy’s many moods and laughing at her hilarious adventures.

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6 .) Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant

Lists It Appears On:

• Love To Know
• Your Dictionary
• Great! Schools
• Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
• The Ranker
• We Are Teachers

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5 .) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Lists It Appears On:

• The Ranker
• Your Dictionary
• Benicia Public Library
• Education World
• Great! Schools
• Common Sense Media
• Goodreads

“Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair.
And it got worse…
His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV!”

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4 .) Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

Lists It Appears On:

• The Ranker
• Your Dictionary
• Common Sense Media
• Goodreads
• My Frugal Adventures
• Nerdy Book Club
• We Are Teachers

“Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte’s Web, high up in Zuckerman’s barn. Charlotte’s spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur’s life when he was born the runt of his litter.

E. B. White’s Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. It contains illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E. B. White’s Stuart Little and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, among many other books.”

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3 .) Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel

Lists It Appears On:

• Love To Know
• The Ranker
• Your Dictionary
• Great! Schools
• Goodreads
• We Are Teachers
• Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other—just as best friends should be.

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2 .) Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows

Lists It Appears On:

• Great! Schools
• What We Do All Day
• Common Sense Media
• My Frugal Adventures
• Your Dictionary
• The Ranker
• Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn’t be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hidequickIvy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. Vibrant characters and lots of humor make this a charmingand addictiveintroduction to Ivy and Bean.

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1 .) Junie B. Jones Series by Barbara Park

Lists It Appears On:

• My Frugal Adventures
• The Ranker
• Love To Know
• Benicia Public Library
• We Are Teachers
• Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
• Goodreads

Laugh yourself silly with the world’s funniest kindergartner—Junie B. Jones!

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The Additional Best First Grade Books

20 Best First Grade Book Sources/Lists