This vibrant and engaging series of chapter books for first grade is truly delightful. With colorful illustrations and simple, repetitive text, each short chapter tells the silly and fun tales of two best friends, Unicorn and Yeti, who despite their differences can agree on their fondness for sparkly things. Share these very beginning chapter books for first graders with newly independent readers to boost their confidence.

Buy it: Unicorn and Yeti: Sparkly New Friends

These titles use limited, repetitive vocabulary and sweetly detailed illustrations to tell compelling stories about a group of animal friends. Hand them to kids who still need just one or two sentences per page but want to try out longer books. The content is authentic enough for comprehension discussions too.

Buy it: Bat, Cat & Rat series

Poppleton and his friends share adventures and the ups and downs of daily life together. With a book for each season, these are fun to share and discuss as class reads throughout the year. Or suggest them to readers who want to read longer books but will still benefit from the support of repetitive vocabulary and illustrations on every page.

Buy it: Poppleton

Reminiscent of Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie, kids love the funny antics and banter of pals Snail and Worm. Joyful, bright illustrations and easier vocabulary make these ideal for handing to first graders just transitioning to longer books. Plus, call their attention to the playful punctuation and line breaks to help them practice reading with expression.

Buy it: Snail & Worm: Three Stories About Two Friends

These charming tales of a dynamic and imaginative ocean-dwelling duo explore lots of themes related to friendship. The fun-fact bonus sections weave in knowledge-building about about ocean-related topics too. Hand these funny chapter books for first graders to those who will feel reassured by fewer words on a page. We also like using them to teach kids how to navigate the panels of a graphic novel from top to bottom and left to right.

Buy it: Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea!

Frog and Toad’s loyal companionship is a classic children’s literature model for friendship. These lighthearted stories make for lovely small-group and class discussions about characters; you might even compare these animals to those in Arnold Lobel’s other books. Since each chapter is its own short story, these beginning chapter books for first grade also work well for practicing identifying story elements and retelling.

Buy it: Frog and Toad Are Friends

These easygoing, funny stories depict everyday events in the lives of two brothers, like walking to a playground in the neighborhood or eating a banana for a bedtime snack. Emotive illustrations and short, concise sentences make this series both accessible and satisfying. We like using them when discussing characters’ emotions—they offer lots of possibilities for making connections.

Buy it: Charlie & Mouse

Facing common dilemmas like dealing with younger twin siblings and struggling to name her new doll, Penny is a relatable protagonist from a favorite children’s book creator. Share these with your younger first grade readers on the cusp of tackling longer chapter books who enjoy sweetly illustrated stories.

Buy it: Penny and Her Doll

After a big storm blows his stuffed dog Muddy away, Hedgehog must search far and wide for his beloved friend. Along the way, he discovers new friends who help him on his journey. This title is perfect to hand to a thoughtful reader ready for a longer, but still gentle, friendship tale. It’s also a joy to read aloud. Be sure to check out the sequel too!

Buy it: Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us

This prolific series of chapter books for first graders includes dozens of titles and is a reliable hit. Realistic portrayals of Katie’s friendship dilemmas and entertaining adventures are written with basic vocabulary to support students’ fluency and comprehension development. This is a great choice to boost first grade students’ confidence with lots of reading practice.

Buy it: Boo, Katie Woo!

This endearing three-book series is an absolute delight. When an unassuming monster accidentally swallows a boy, together the two of them must figure out a way to make things right again. Young readers will laugh at the absurd premise and eagerly anticipate the resolution. This is a fun series to read in a small book group so kids can share their predictions about how things may turn out.

Buy it: Monster and Boy

BIghearted Ava Lin begins first grade at the start of this series. Kids will enjoy reading about her hopes and mishaps. These books make a great first “real” chapter book series. Double-spaced text and uncluttered illustrations with speech bubbles help first grade readers decode and comprehend these confidently.

Buy it: Ava Lin, Best Friend!

Extra Cheese Scratchy Paws Sniffs-a-Lot (aka “Ratnip”) lives in a city pizza parlor with his siblings and a racoon named Cookie. Kids will giggle over the slightly gross food references and funny details about life from a rat’s perspective. Pass these to kids who will feel reassured by the larger, double-spaced font. Encourage them to make inferences using both the text and the cartoon-style illustrations.

Buy it: Ratnip: Lost and Found in the City

Kind and thoughtful Sophie Mouse is the star of this 22-book series, along with her friends Hattie Frog and Owen Snake. Endlessly charming, these chapter books for first graders are filled with heartwarming stories of friendship and family. Share these longer books with individuals, reading partners, or groups ready to discuss common first grade experiences like dealing with jealousy and understanding and overcoming differences.

Buy it: The Adventures of Sophie Mouse: A New Friend

Hank is an endearing character with a great sense of humor who struggles in school. The text is published in a readable font designed for readers with dyslexia, making it extra-approachable. Share this series to help kids in your class build empathy or feel seen. The series opener also works well as a read-aloud for starting important discussions about learning differences.

Buy it: Here’s Hank: Bookmarks Are People Too!

An updated kid-version of the beloved character Amelia Bedelia stars in this series of chapter books for first graders. Like the originals, these stories are filled with plenty of humor and wordplay to enjoy. Share them with first graders who have a bit of chapter-book reading experience and are ready for more detailed plots and vocabulary.

Buy it: Amelia Bedelia Means Business

Sofia is a spunky 7-year-old girl who tries to stand out among her sisters and family by asserting herself and coming up with creative ways to solve problems. Hand these to first graders who have some experience with realistic fiction already, and who will enjoy the books’ thoughtful integration of cultural elements and Spanish words.

Buy it: Sofia Martinez: My Family Adventure

With an unforgettable and hilarious main character, these chapter books for first graders display storytelling at its best. Readers will greatly enjoy following Dory’s silly antics as she tries to play with her older siblings and uses her imagination to be brave. Share these with your equally imaginative first grade friends.

Buy it: Dory Fantasmagory

Find dragons, wizardry, and magic galore in this imaginative and fast-moving series. In the first installment, Drake becomes a dragon master in training, as he and his dragon train together while discovering special powers that will help them fight evil. Share these books with readers whom you’d love to hook into a compelling (and long!) fantasy series.

Buy it: Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon

For Audrey L, second grade is not shaping up like she’d imagined, as she struggles to find a supportive friend. When another Audrey joins her class, she learns what it means to be kind, even when she feels like she doesn’t measure up to her new classmate. These realistic stories are a wonderful choice for first graders grappling with similar friendship and school dynamics.

Buy it: Audrey L & Audrey W: Best Friends-ish

Eight-year-old Eugene McGillicuddy copes with his challenges, including moving to a new school, in a classic kid lit way: He transforms into a superhero! Hook reluctant readers—especially boys—with this funny and comic-themed series. It’s ideal for comprehension discussions about characters and events.

Buy it: Captain Awesome to the Rescue!

After getting a disastrous haircut from his mom, J.D. decides to take matters into his own hands. He gives himself a haircut, and before long he’s started his own successful barbering business. Although this series is slightly more advanced than others on our list, we highly recommend it for kids ready to read a more detailed portrayal of an 8-year-old boy’s family dynamics, school experiences, and struggles with bullying—all with a good dose of humor and fun.

Buy it: J.D. and the Great Barber Battle

Written almost 80 years ago, this is one of those award-winning chapter books for first graders that is still guaranteed to captivate. After telling a stray cat about his dream to fly, a boy named Elmer travels to a wild island to help a dragon in trouble. On his way there, he confronts many unruly animals in his path. We suggest reading this aloud and pausing for discussions about what students visualize. There are two other titles to enjoy in this trilogy as well.

Buy it: My Father’s Dragon

Zoey uses scientific experiments to gather information she needs to care for sick magical animals who find their way to her barn. These titles build so much background knowledge about the scientific method for kids. We love reading at least the first title aloud to the whole class and then encouraging interested readers to continue with the series.

Buy it:  Zoey and Sassafras series

When Keith’s family stays in a motel during a road trip, he meets an unusual young mouse with a penchant for toys. So begins a memorable adventure. While some of the dated language and content require some explaining to today’s kids, we love reading this title aloud to introduce first graders to a classic author.

Buy it: The Mouse and the Motorcycle