100 (Plus 5) Must-Read Books for Young Readers
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While we at the Riot take some time off to rest and catch up on our reading, we’re re-running some of our favorite posts from the last several months. Enjoy our highlight reel, and we’ll be back with new stuff on Tuesday, January 3rd.
This post originally ran October 10, 2016.
This post is sponsored by Look Past by Eric Devine
Look Past is a gripping murder mystery involving a transgender teen and a fundamentalist religious sect. Avery is a trans boy who was in love with his friend Mary, but was shunned by her conservative reverend father. Mary is murdered in a brutal way because of her love for Avery, and he could be next. With the entire town caught in the grip of fear, the killer remains at large. Avery is torn between finding the killer and saving himself—not just from the hands of a vicious murderer, but from everyone who thinks he should try to be “normal.”
Those moments when a child begins to read can be the most magical time in a young child’s life. So many kids fall in love with reading during that time and become more independent and confident in their literacy skills. However, the problem I ran into when my daughters were just learning to read was the large amount of books available to young readers in drastically different levels of difficulty. Numbered readers often varied in level from one publisher to another. Then there were readers geared for beginning readers that had sophisticated words and themes. As my kids progressed in their reading, I found some great books for their reading levels shelved with middle grade books while others were shelved in early chapter books. In this list of 100 best books for young readers, I found it easiest to categorize the books in three groups: In Beginning Readers, I put books that were very heavy with illustrations and contained words that beginning readers would be able to sound out or be familiar with. An example of a book in this category is The Fire Cat by Esther Averil.
In Intermediate Readers, I listed books that still mostly had pictures on every page but contained more advanced words as well as longer, more complex paragraphs. An example of a book in this category is The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale.
In Early Chapter Books, I put books that had a lot more text and fewer (if any) illustrations, but with content that was still relatable to young readers. This category is also great for read alouds, in addition to younger advanced readers who are ready for more complex reading but may not prepared the more mature themes of middle grade literature. An example of a book in this category is Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke.
As always, the person best equipped to know what books are appropriate are the adults who are closest to the child: parents, guardians, family members, caretakers, and teachers. This list is meant as a guide, not a definitive reading list. If you find your child is connecting with one of these books and you would like additional recommendations, find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser !
Enjoy, and happy reading!
Beginning Readers
1. Ling and Ting (series) by Grace Lin
2. The Fire Cat by Esther Averil
3. What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig by Emma J. Virjan
4. A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske
5. Bink and Gollie (series) by Kate DiCamillo
6. Mouse and Mole (series) by Wong Herbert Lee
7. Henry and Mudge (series) by Cynthia Rylant
8. Mr. Putter and Tabby (series) by Cynthia Rylant
9. Little Bear (series) by Elsa Holmelund Minarik
10. Elephant and Piggie (series) by Mo Willems
11. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa (series) by Erica Silverman
12. Houndsley and Catina (series) by James Howe illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
13. Dodsworth (series) by Tim Egan
14. Frog and Toad (series) by Arnold Lobel
15. Rabbit and Robot (series) by Cece Bell
16. Mercy Watson (series) by Kate DiCamillo
17. Poppleton (series) by Cynthia Rylant
18. Ballet Cat (series) by Bob Shea
19. Horrible Harry (series) by Suzy Kline
20. Pete the Cat (I Can Read) series by James Dean
21. Mac and Cheese by Sarah Weeks
22. Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel
23. Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel
24. Pigsticks and Harold (series) by Alex Milway
25. Sammy the Seal, The Horse in Harry’s Room, Oliver, Danny and the Dinosaur, and many other books by Sid Hoff
Intermediate Readers
26. Princess in Black (series) by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
27. Lulu and the Brontosaurus (series) by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lane Smith
28. The Chicken Squad by Doreen Cronin
29. Daisy Dawson (series) by Steve Voake
30. The School for Cats (series) by Esther Averil
31. Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot (series) by Anna Branford
32. Doodle Adventures: The Search for the Slimy Space Slugs (series) by Mike Lowery
33. My Happy Life (series) by Rose Lagercratz, illustrated by Eva Eriksson
34. Detective Gordon: The First Case (series) by Ulf Nilsson, illustrated by Gitte Spee
35. Amelia Bedelia “I Can Read” books by Herman Parish and Lynne Avril
36. Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade (series) by Stephanie Greene and Stephanie Roth Sisson
37. 26 Fairmount Avenue (series) by Tomie dePaola
38. Lulu and the Duck in the Park (series) by Hilary McKay
39. Nate the Great (series) by Marjorie Weinman
40. Jaden Toussaint (series) by Marti Dumas
41. Tales From Deckawoo Drive (series) by Kate DiCamillo
42. Sofia Martinez (series) by Jacqueline Jules
43. The Flying Beaver Brothers (series) by Maxwell Eaton III
44. The Chicken Squad (series) by Doreen Cronin and Kevin Cornell
45. The Pirate Pig by Cornelia Funke
46. Katie Woo (series) by Fran Manushkin
47. Pedro’s Big Goal (series) by Fran Manushkin
48. Digby O’Day (series) by Shirley Hughes and Clara Vulliamy
49. Cam Jansen (series) by David A. Adler and Susanna Natti
Early Chapter Books (57)
50. Clementine (series) by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee
51. The Contract (series) by Derek Jeter
52. Dumpling Days by Grace Lin
53. The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng
54. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
55. Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon M. Draper
56. Marty McGuire (series) by Kate Messner, illustrated by Brian Floca
57. Ruby and the Booker Boys (series) by Derrick Barnes
58. Donavan’s Word Jar by Monalisa DeGross illustrated by Cheryl Hanna
59. Dory Fantasmagory (series) by Abby Hanlon
60. The Doll’s House by Rumer Godden
61. Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems by Eloise Greenfield
62. Grandpa’s Face by Eloise Greenfield
63. Anna Hibiscus (series) by Atinuke
64. Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins
65. Gooney Bird Greene (series) by Lois Lowry
66. Amber Brown (series) by Lois Lowry
67. The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
68. Ranger in Time (series) by Kate Messner
69. The Vanishing Coin (series) by Kate Egan
70. Woundabout by Lev Rosen, illustrated by Ellis Rosen
71. Ruby Lu (series) by Lenore Look
72. Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han
73. The World According to Humphrey (series) by Betty G. Birney
74. My Name is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada
75. The Report Card by Andrew Clements
76. Ivy and Bean (series) by Annie Barrows
77. The Hamster Princess (series) by Ursula Vernon
78. My Father’s Dragon (series) by Ruth Stiles Gannett
79. The Magical Animal Adoption Agency (series) by Kallie George
80. The Buddy Files (series) by Dori Hillestad Butler
81. Pony Pals (series) by Jeanne Betancourt
82. The Boxcar Children (series) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
83. The Lucky Stone by Lucille Clifton
84. Gooseberry Park (series) by Cynthia Rylant
85. Tumtum and Nutmeg (series)
86. Nurse Matilda: The Collected Tales by Christianna Brand, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone
87. Milly Molly Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brinkley
88. Mostly Monty (series) Johanna Hurwitz
89. Lady Lollipop by Dick King-Smith
90. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (series) by Betty MacDonald and Alexandra Boiger
91. The Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
92. Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew (series) by Carolyn Keene and Macky Pamintuan
93. Judy Moody (series) by Megan McDonald
94. Sophie the Awesome (series) by Lara Bergen
95. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
96. Nikki and Deja by Karen English, illustrated by Laura Freeman
97. Heidi Heckelbeck (series) by Wanda Coven
98. The Worst Witch (series) by Jill Murphy
99. Sugar Plum Ballerinas (series) by Whoopi Goldberg
100. June Peters, You Will Change the World One Day by Alika Turner, illustrated by Naafi Rohma
101. Who Was Jackie Robinson? (“Who Was?” series) by Gail Herman and Nancy Harrison
102. The Puppy Place (series) by Ellen Miles
103. The Carver Chronicles (series) by Karen English
104. Hook’s Revenge (series) by Heidi Schulz
105. Lola Levine is Not Mean (series) by Monica Brown, illustrated by Angela Dominguez
This post is sponsored by Look Past by Eric Devine
Look Past is a gripping murder mystery involving a transgender teen and a fundamentalist religious sect. Avery is a trans boy who was in love with his friend Mary, but was shunned by her conservative reverend father. Mary is murdered in a brutal way because of her love for Avery, and he could be next. With the entire town caught in the grip of fear, the killer remains at large. Avery is torn between finding the killer and saving himself—not just from the hands of a vicious murderer, but from everyone who thinks he should try to be “normal.”
Those moments when a child begins to read can be the most magical time in a young child’s life. So many kids fall in love with reading during that time and become more independent and confident in their literacy skills. However, the problem I ran into when my daughters were just learning to read was the large amount of books available to young readers in drastically different levels of difficulty. Numbered readers often varied in level from one publisher to another. Then there were readers geared for beginning readers that had sophisticated words and themes. As my kids progressed in their reading, I found some great books for their reading levels shelved with middle grade books while others were shelved in early chapter books. In this list of 100 best books for young readers, I found it easiest to categorize the books in three groups: In Beginning Readers, I put books that were very heavy with illustrations and contained words that beginning readers would be able to sound out or be familiar with. An example of a book in this category is The Fire Cat by Esther Averil.
In Intermediate Readers, I listed books that still mostly had pictures on every page but contained more advanced words as well as longer, more complex paragraphs. An example of a book in this category is The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale.
In Early Chapter Books, I put books that had a lot more text and fewer (if any) illustrations, but with content that was still relatable to young readers. This category is also great for read alouds, in addition to younger advanced readers who are ready for more complex reading but may not prepared the more mature themes of middle grade literature. An example of a book in this category is Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke.
As always, the person best equipped to know what books are appropriate are the adults who are closest to the child: parents, guardians, family members, caretakers, and teachers. This list is meant as a guide, not a definitive reading list. If you find your child is connecting with one of these books and you would like additional recommendations, find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser !
Enjoy, and happy reading!
Beginning Readers
1. Ling and Ting (series) by Grace Lin
2. The Fire Cat by Esther Averil
3. What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig by Emma J. Virjan
4. A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske
5. Bink and Gollie (series) by Kate DiCamillo
6. Mouse and Mole (series) by Wong Herbert Lee
7. Henry and Mudge (series) by Cynthia Rylant
8. Mr. Putter and Tabby (series) by Cynthia Rylant
9. Little Bear (series) by Elsa Holmelund Minarik
10. Elephant and Piggie (series) by Mo Willems
11. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa (series) by Erica Silverman
12. Houndsley and Catina (series) by James Howe illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
13. Dodsworth (series) by Tim Egan
14. Frog and Toad (series) by Arnold Lobel
15. Rabbit and Robot (series) by Cece Bell
16. Mercy Watson (series) by Kate DiCamillo
17. Poppleton (series) by Cynthia Rylant
18. Ballet Cat (series) by Bob Shea
19. Horrible Harry (series) by Suzy Kline
20. Pete the Cat (I Can Read) series by James Dean
21. Mac and Cheese by Sarah Weeks
22. Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel
23. Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel
24. Pigsticks and Harold (series) by Alex Milway
25. Sammy the Seal, The Horse in Harry’s Room, Oliver, Danny and the Dinosaur, and many other books by Sid Hoff
Intermediate Readers
26. Princess in Black (series) by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
27. Lulu and the Brontosaurus (series) by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lane Smith
28. The Chicken Squad by Doreen Cronin
29. Daisy Dawson (series) by Steve Voake
30. The School for Cats (series) by Esther Averil
31. Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot (series) by Anna Branford
32. Doodle Adventures: The Search for the Slimy Space Slugs (series) by Mike Lowery
33. My Happy Life (series) by Rose Lagercratz, illustrated by Eva Eriksson
34. Detective Gordon: The First Case (series) by Ulf Nilsson, illustrated by Gitte Spee
35. Amelia Bedelia “I Can Read” books by Herman Parish and Lynne Avril
36. Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade (series) by Stephanie Greene and Stephanie Roth Sisson
37. 26 Fairmount Avenue (series) by Tomie dePaola
38. Lulu and the Duck in the Park (series) by Hilary McKay
39. Nate the Great (series) by Marjorie Weinman
40. Jaden Toussaint (series) by Marti Dumas
41. Tales From Deckawoo Drive (series) by Kate DiCamillo
42. Sofia Martinez (series) by Jacqueline Jules
43. The Flying Beaver Brothers (series) by Maxwell Eaton III
44. The Chicken Squad (series) by Doreen Cronin and Kevin Cornell
45. The Pirate Pig by Cornelia Funke
46. Katie Woo (series) by Fran Manushkin
47. Pedro’s Big Goal (series) by Fran Manushkin
48. Digby O’Day (series) by Shirley Hughes and Clara Vulliamy
49. Cam Jansen (series) by David A. Adler and Susanna Natti
Early Chapter Books (57)
50. Clementine (series) by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee
51. The Contract (series) by Derek Jeter
52. Dumpling Days by Grace Lin
53. The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng
54. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
55. Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon M. Draper
56. Marty McGuire (series) by Kate Messner, illustrated by Brian Floca
57. Ruby and the Booker Boys (series) by Derrick Barnes
58. Donavan’s Word Jar by Monalisa DeGross illustrated by Cheryl Hanna
59. Dory Fantasmagory (series) by Abby Hanlon
60. The Doll’s House by Rumer Godden
61. Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems by Eloise Greenfield
62. Grandpa’s Face by Eloise Greenfield
63. Anna Hibiscus (series) by Atinuke
64. Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins
65. Gooney Bird Greene (series) by Lois Lowry
66. Amber Brown (series) by Lois Lowry
67. The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
68. Ranger in Time (series) by Kate Messner
69. The Vanishing Coin (series) by Kate Egan
70. Woundabout by Lev Rosen, illustrated by Ellis Rosen
71. Ruby Lu (series) by Lenore Look
72. Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han
73. The World According to Humphrey (series) by Betty G. Birney
74. My Name is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada
75. The Report Card by Andrew Clements
76. Ivy and Bean (series) by Annie Barrows
77. The Hamster Princess (series) by Ursula Vernon
78. My Father’s Dragon (series) by Ruth Stiles Gannett
79. The Magical Animal Adoption Agency (series) by Kallie George
80. The Buddy Files (series) by Dori Hillestad Butler
81. Pony Pals (series) by Jeanne Betancourt
82. The Boxcar Children (series) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
83. The Lucky Stone by Lucille Clifton
84. Gooseberry Park (series) by Cynthia Rylant
85. Tumtum and Nutmeg (series)
86. Nurse Matilda: The Collected Tales by Christianna Brand, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone
87. Milly Molly Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brinkley
88. Mostly Monty (series) Johanna Hurwitz
89. Lady Lollipop by Dick King-Smith
90. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (series) by Betty MacDonald and Alexandra Boiger
91. The Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
92. Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew (series) by Carolyn Keene and Macky Pamintuan
93. Judy Moody (series) by Megan McDonald
94. Sophie the Awesome (series) by Lara Bergen
95. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
96. Nikki and Deja by Karen English, illustrated by Laura Freeman
97. Heidi Heckelbeck (series) by Wanda Coven
98. The Worst Witch (series) by Jill Murphy
99. Sugar Plum Ballerinas (series) by Whoopi Goldberg
100. June Peters, You Will Change the World One Day by Alika Turner, illustrated by Naafi Rohma
101. Who Was Jackie Robinson? (“Who Was?” series) by Gail Herman and Nancy Harrison
102. The Puppy Place (series) by Ellen Miles
103. The Carver Chronicles (series) by Karen English
104. Hook’s Revenge (series) by Heidi Schulz
105. Lola Levine is Not Mean (series) by Monica Brown, illustrated by Angela Dominguez
