1st grade reading list

1st grade students in US schools are commonly assigned 367 books across Common Core Appendix B, AP, IB, Cambridge, and state ELA curricula. Each title links to its grade citations.

Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Most-assigned nationally: across every US state’s official reading and award lists, the Elementary (K–5) titles appearing in the most states are Wonder (29 states), Because of Winn-Dixie (26 states), and Shiloh (25 states). From our 2026 study of 13,258 source-cited assignments (as of 2026-07-13).

Start here — the most-assigned 1st grade titles

Ranked by how many curricula actually cite each title for this grade, then read against the Common Core Appendix A complexity band. Reading level is not the same as thematic maturity — several of these sit below the band and are assigned for discussion.

  1. Buffalo Fluffalo

    Bess Kalb

    Cited in 3 curricula across 3 states, taught from grade K to 2. Covers humor, identity and friendship.

    Get it on Amazon

  2. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

    Laura Numeroff

    Cited in 3 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade K to 3. Covers humor, imagination, cause and effect. Lexile measure 410L.

    Get it on Amazon

  3. Balloons over Broadway

    Melissa Sweet

    Cited in 3 curricula, taught from grade 1 to 4.

    Get it on Amazon

  4. Big

    Vashti Harrison

    Cited in 3 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  5. Last Stop on Market Street

    Matt de la Peña

    Cited in 3 curricula, taught from grade K to 3. Covers grandparent relationship, urban community and gratitude. Lexile measure 610L.

    Get it on Amazon

  6. Blue

    Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

    Cited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade K to 4.

    Get it on Amazon

  7. Home in a Lunchbox

    Cherry Mo

    Cited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade K to 1.

    Get it on Amazon

  8. The Yellow Bus

    Loren Long

    Cited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade K to 3. Covers growing up, kindness and memory.

    Get it on Amazon

  9. A Green Place to be

    Ashley Benham Yazdani

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  10. An American Story

    Kwame Alexander

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 3.

    Get it on Amazon

  11. Are You Ready to Play Outside?

    Mo Willems

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2.

    Get it on Amazon

  12. Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!

    Geoffrey Hayes

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2.

    Get it on Amazon

  13. Bink and Gollie: Two for One

    Kate DiCamillo

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2.

    Get it on Amazon

  14. Charlie & Mouse Even Better

    Laurel Snyder

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2.

    Get it on Amazon

  15. Don't Throw It to Mo!

    David A. Adler

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2.

    Get it on Amazon

  16. Fox the Tiger

    Corey R. Tabor

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2.

    Get it on Amazon

  17. Juana and Lucas

    Juana Medina

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 3.

    Get it on Amazon

  18. Make Way for Ducklings

    Robert McCloskey

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 3. Covers family, urban nature and community helpers. Lexile measure 730L.

    Get it on Amazon

  19. Officer Buckle and Gloria

    Peggy Rathmann

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 3.

    Get it on Amazon

  20. Otis and Will Discover the Deep

    Barb Rosenstock

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  21. See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog

    David LaRochelle

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2.

    Get it on Amazon

  22. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

    William Steig

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 3.

    Get it on Amazon

  23. The Great Stink

    Colleen Paeff

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  24. There Is a Bird On Your Head! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)

    Mo Willems

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2.

    Get it on Amazon

  25. There Was a Party for Langston

    Jason Reynolds

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  26. Traction Man Is Here!

    Mini Grey

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  27. Boogie Boogie, Y’all

    C.G. Esperanza

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  28. Grandfather's Journey

    Allen Say

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  29. I Talk Like a River

    Jordan Scott

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

  30. Mr Tiger Goes Wild

    Peter Brown

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 5.

    Get it on Amazon

367 books with a 1st grade citation

Titles whose grade range covers 1st grade in a state ELA curriculum or a national reference (Common Core Appendix B, AP, IB).

Show all 367 titles

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Reading the whole 1st grade reading list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Know a parent or teacher who needs this? Share it:FacebookPinterest

Narrow by curriculum

Full curriculum guides: Common Core State Standards (ELA)

Grade lists overlap more than they look: the median assigned book is taught across four grade levels, so a title here may well appear a year either side.

Cross-check by state

Some titles are cited nationally, others only in one state’s standards. These 9 states have cited 1st grade assignments:

Browse 1st grade by theme

Browse 1st grade by genre

Browse 1st grade by decade

When a book was written changes what it asks of a reader. These 8 decades have cited 1st grade assignments:

▸Embed this list on your site

Copy + paste this snippet into any school newsletter, classroom blog, library site, or homeschool resource page. The embed shows the top 12 titles and links back to the full list. Updates automatically when ReadingList’s data changes.

<iframe src="https://readinglist.school/embed/grade/1" width="100%" height="540" style="border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);border-radius:6px;max-width:640px" loading="lazy" title="1st grade reading list — ReadingList.school"></iframe>

Preview: /embed/grade/1 · License: CC BY 4.0 (please credit “ReadingList.school”).

Frequently asked questions

What books do 1st grade students read in US schools?

367 books are commonly assigned to 1st grade students across US schools — sourced from Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and 50 state curricula. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations.

How many books are on the 1st grade reading list?

This page lists 367 1st grade titles, of which 367 have a verified state or national curriculum citation at the 1st grade level.

Are these 1st grade books in Common Core?

Many 1st grade books on this list appear in the Common Core State Standards Appendix B exemplar texts. Each book card links to its full citation history including which states + curricula reference it. Look for the "Common Core" tag on individual book pages.

How do I pick a 1st grade book for my student?

Filter by curriculum using the pivots above (Common Core, AP, IB, Cambridge, state-specific). Each book page shows its grade range, themes, and which curricula list it. For homeschool or differentiation, books with overlapping grade ranges (±2 grades) work for 1st grade students.

Reading guides for parents

Was this page helpful?

Browse by another angle

Canonical URL: https://readinglist.school/grade/1