Kindergarten reading list

Kindergarten students in US schools are commonly assigned 280 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 kindergarten 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. Big

    Vashti Harrison

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

    Get it on Amazon

  2. 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

  3. Blue

    Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

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

    Get it on Amazon

  4. Are You Ready to Play Outside?

    Mo Willems

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

    Get it on Amazon

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

    Geoffrey Hayes

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

    Get it on Amazon

  6. Bink and Gollie: Two for One

    Kate DiCamillo

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

    Get it on Amazon

  7. Charlie & Mouse Even Better

    Laurel Snyder

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

    Get it on Amazon

  8. Don't Throw It to Mo!

    David A. Adler

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

    Get it on Amazon

  9. Fox the Tiger

    Corey R. Tabor

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

    Get it on Amazon

  10. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

    Laura Numeroff

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

    Get it on Amazon

  11. Juana and Lucas

    Juana Medina

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

    Get it on Amazon

  12. Officer Buckle and Gloria

    Peggy Rathmann

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

    Get it on Amazon

  13. See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog

    David LaRochelle

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

    Get it on Amazon

  14. The Snowy Day

    Ezra Jack Keats

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 2. Covers winter and seasons, city childhood, first-person exploration. Lexile measure 500L.

    Get it on Amazon

  15. 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

  16. Traction Man Is Here!

    Mini Grey

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

    Get it on Amazon

  17. Boogie Boogie, Y’all

    C.G. Esperanza

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

    Get it on Amazon

  18. Grandfather's Journey

    Allen Say

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

    Get it on Amazon

  19. I Talk Like a River

    Jordan Scott

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

    Get it on Amazon

  20. 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

  21. Mr Tiger Goes Wild

    Peter Brown

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

    Get it on Amazon

  22. Pocketful of Posies

    Salley Mavor

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

    Get it on Amazon

  23. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

    Mordicai Gerstein

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

    Get it on Amazon

  24. Where the Wild Things Are

    Maurice Sendak

    Cited in 2 curricula, taught from grade K to 3. Covers imagination, anger and tantrums, home and family. Lexile measure 740L.

    Get it on Amazon

  25. A Mischief of Mice

    Christie Matheson

    Cited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade K to 3. Covers mystery, nature and friendship.

    Get it on Amazon

  26. Buffalo Fluffalo

    Bess Kalb

    Cited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade K to 2. Covers humor, identity and friendship.

    Get it on Amazon

  27. Butt or Face?

    Kari Lavelle

    Cited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade K to 2. Covers humor, nature and animals.

    Get it on Amazon

  28. Dadaji's Paintbrush

    Rashmi Sirdeshpande

    Cited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade K to 3. Covers grief, family and art.

    Get it on Amazon

  29. Don't Think of Tigers

    Alex Latimer

    Cited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade K to 3. Covers imagination, humor and bedtime.

    Get it on Amazon

  30. Farmhouse

    Sophie Blackall

    Cited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade K to 4.

    Get it on Amazon

280 books with a kindergarten citation

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

Show all 280 titles

Reading the whole Kindergarten 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 5 states have cited kindergarten assignments:

Browse kindergarten by theme

Browse kindergarten by genre

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

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

Frequently asked questions

What books do kindergarten students read in US schools?

280 books are commonly assigned to kindergarten 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 kindergarten reading list?

This page lists 280 kindergarten titles, of which 280 have a verified state or national curriculum citation at the kindergarten level.

Are these kindergarten books in Common Core?

Many kindergarten 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 kindergarten 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 kindergarten students.

Reading guides for parents

Was this page helpful?

Browse by another angle

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