The Best Chapter Books for 1st Graders

Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark look scary, and they have a reputation for being bad guys, but Mr. Wolf has a plan to rebrand their reputation by doing some good deeds such as rescuing a cat stuck in a tree and breaking two hundred dogs out of a Dog Pound. He just needs to make sure Mr. Snake doesn’t swallow Mr. Piranha. This hilarious chapter book breaks the fourth wall often and will crack up young readers ages 5-8.

In this forthcoming early chapter book by Kate DiCamillo, Orris is a mouse who lives alone in an abandoned barn with his three favorite collectibles: a pair of red velvet slippers, one sardine can, and a bright yellow marble ball. Enter Timble. One night, Orris hears an owl’s cry for help and rescues him. The two become hesitant friends in this first installment of the series (after all, owls eat mice). This book feels like a classic waiting to happen, and the illustrations are gorgeous, as is DiCamillo’s spare prose and rich characterization.

Meet Gabby Gomez, gum lover! Gabby loves chewing gum, even if her Mami has warned her many times to stop. Well, one day, Gabby gets gum stuck in her hair, and Mami’s had it: No more gum for Gabby! When Gabby tries to sneak a piece of gum one day, an accident involving a gum bubble and electricity leads to her developing stretch-tastic superpowers. Now, Gabby has to hide both her love for gum and her powers. This chapter book is funny and will make for an exciting readaloud for 1st graders. It includes monochrome (red and white) illustrations on nearly every page.

Who doesn’t love a secret superhero, especially when she’s a princess too? Princess Magnolia has two identities. She’s a pink-wearing princess who drinks tea with the Duchess, but she’s also the Princess in Black, a monster-fighting superhero who saves the day at the ring of her monster alarm. Will the Duchess learn her secret? This is a fun romp of a series, and the pictures are charming.

In this adorable chapter book series, kids meet a cute owl named Eva! One day when she’s bored, she comes up with a grand idea to organize a spring festival. But she quickly realizes that she’s in over her head and has to learn for help. I liked the diary format, bright illustrations, and handwriting font and I think it’s a great way to introduce younger readers to the format.

Bink and Gollie are unlikely friends, one short, one tall. Both girls are strong-willed and disagree often. Yet, what they share is a love for speeding by on rollerskates and, of course, each other. Readers join them on three adventures in this first book: a pair of blindingly bright socks, a perilous Andes hike, and a goldfish who might take Gollie’s place. This is so quirky and though has some complex words, kids will love having it read to them.

Camila who has always wanted to be una estrella discovers that one way she can do this is by breaking a world record, but which one? After much thought and many failed tries, she finally finds the perfect thing for her. She’s not going to break any previously set records; she’ll set hers instead! With highlighted Spanish words and phrases interspersed throughout the story and a useful glossary at the end of the book, this is a great way to help kids learn and remember simple Spanish words.

Cranky Chicken is, well, cranky. With one cranky eyebrow, cranky eyes, and even cranky, scratchy feet. But then, one day, Cranky meets a very friendly worm named Speedy, who wants nothing more than to be friends. Young readers will love seeing the mismatched friendship grow over the course of three charming and laugh-out-loud short adventures as Chicken and Speedy become BFFs (Best Feathered Friends) and Speedy shows Chicken how to look on the bright side.

The duck in this story wants to be a detective so badly that all her friends know her penchant for solving mysteries. Detective Duck is not your average duck. Her dad is a beaver, and her friends at the Dogwood Pond where she lives include a dragonfly, frogs, and a book-loving salamander. When a huge object lands in the pool, disrupting the residents’ daily lives, it’s up to Duck to solve the case and save their home. This one is fantastic on audio and has inspiring environmental connections without being TOO on the nose.