The Reading List

Goodnight Moon

Margaret Wise Brown

Our most reliable wind-down. Sleepy in one read.

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Anna Dewdney

One more cuddle before lights out. They'll finish the rhymes.

Potty

Leslie Patricelli

The potty book that actually did the trick.

Yummy Yucky

Leslie Patricelli

Baby's first giggles at opposites.

How I Feel

Lovevery

First feelings, shown in real baby faces. A sweet early talker.

Max and Nana Go to the Park

Lovevery

A tumble, a hug, and back to playing. Real photos toddlers love.

Bea Gets a Checkup

Lovevery

Read it before the doctor visit. Takes the mystery right out.

Graham Turns Two

Lovevery

Big turning-two feelings, gently named. It really helps them land.

Clifford the Big Red Dog

Norman Bridwell

Big dog, bigger heart. A first favorite they hug through the pages.

Curious George Pat-A-Cake

H.A. Rey

George claps with everyone he meets. Little hands join right in.

Once Upon a Potty

Alona Frankel

The frank, funny potty classic. It gets the conversation going.

My Big Wimmelbooks

Various

No words, just wonderfully busy scenes. They pore over every page.

It's You I Like

Fred Rogers

Mister Rogers' song as a snuggly board book. Pure warmth.

The Spot Collection

Eric Hill

Lift the flaps, find the puppy. First-book magic.

The Snowy Day

Ezra Jack Keats

Bundle up and slow down. Made for a snow day in.

The Seven Silly Eaters

Mary Ann Hoberman

Every picky-eater mom will laugh. So fun aloud.

Miss Rumphius

Barbara Cooney

Leave the world lovelier. The one I hope they take to heart.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Judith Viorst

For the grumpy days. We all feel better after.

If I Built a House

Chris Van Dusen

Sparks the 'what if we...' talk at dinner.

Curious George

H.A. Rey

Small mischief, big heart. A toddler forever-favorite.

Nature Anatomy

Julia Rothman

We keep it out to page through together.

Amelia Bedelia

Peggy Parish

The mix-ups get real belly laughs here.

The Magic School Bus

Joanna Cole

Sneaky science they don't notice they're learning.

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Patricia Polacco

A tender one for any child who's struggling.

Rattletrap Car

Phyllis Root

Silly sounds the whole car shouts along to.

The First Notes

Julie Andrews

The story behind do-re-mi. Sweet for little music lovers.

The Glorious Flight

Alice & Martin Provensen

A quiet adventure for dreamers. Gorgeous to look at.

Finding Winnie

Lindsay Mattick

The real bear behind Pooh. Melts me every time.

Finding Narnia

Caroline McAlister

For the big imaginers. Where Narnia began.

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

Marjorie Priceman

A trip around the world for one pie. Fun before baking.

We Are the Gardeners

Joanna Gaines

Sweet for families dreaming up a garden.

Harlem Grown

Tony Hillery

A vacant lot becomes a garden. Hopeful and true.

Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee

Chris Van Dusen

Rhymey, jaunty, and made to read aloud.

Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Two brave women, one moonlit flight. True-ish and lovely.

The Corgi and the Queen

Caroline L. Perry

A whole life through a corgi's eyes.

The Oldest Student

Rita Lorraine Hubbard

Learned to read at 116. Never too late, we tell them.

The Crayon Man

Natascha Biebow

The story behind the crayon box they empty.

Girl Running

Annette Bay Pimentel

She ran when women couldn't.

Hello, Neighbor!

Matthew Cordell

Mister Rogers' gentle world for the littlest hearts.

Planting Stories

Anika Aldamuy Denise

The librarian who shared her stories. For book-loving kids.

Penny and Her Sled

Kevin Henkes

Small, tender, and just right for the youngest.

Hello Lighthouse

Sophie Blackall

Hushed and beautiful. A bedtime kind of book.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Philip C. Stead

Kindness comes back around. A gentle favorite.

My First Little House Books

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House, sized for the very youngest.

God Made All of Me

Justin & Lindsey Holcomb

A gentle, faith-filled body-safety talk to have early.

Little Bear Collection

Else Holmelund Minarik

Cozy first readers, illustrated by Sendak.

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka Collection

Maj Lindman

Vintage sisters and sweet, simple days.

Randy Riley's Really Big Hit

Chris Van Dusen

Baseball, robots, retro fun. My boys adore it.

Paper Chase

Julia Donaldson

A friendship story about how paper is made.

Parks for the People

Elizabeth Partridge

The man who dreamed up our great parks.

Brave Irene

William Steig

A blizzard, a dress box, and one determined girl.

Charlotte's Web

E.B. White

A spider, a pig, and a friendship they never forget.

The Boxcar Children

Gertrude Chandler Warner

Cozy and resourceful. They'll want the next one.

The Adventures of Sophie Mouse

Poppy Green

Gentle woodland stories for brand-new readers.

Magic Tree House

Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie's time-travel adventures. The books that hook new readers.

Stuart Little

E.B. White

A little mouse, a wide world. Classic bedtime chapters.

The Ramona Collection

Beverly Cleary

Spirited, funny, and so real. June reads this series over and over.

The Littles Collection

John Peterson

A tiny family in the walls. Brave and inventive.

The Little House Collection

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Frontier days, warm and vivid. A family read-aloud.

Jane Austen Children's Stories

Jane Austen

Austen, gently abridged. A first taste of the classics.

The Mary Poppins Collection

P.L. Travers

The magical nanny, just as she should be.

The Chronicles of Narnia

C.S. Lewis

Step through the wardrobe into a magical world. A read-aloud we return to.

Nate the Great

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Pancakes and small mysteries. Great for new readers.

The Imagination Station

Marianne Hering

Time-travel history with heart. Faith-friendly.

The Campground Kids

C.R. Fulton

National-park mysteries. Cousins and adventure.

Hardy Boys Clue Book

Franklin W. Dixon

Kid-sized mysteries. A gentle start to the classics.

Nancy Drew Clue Book

Carolyn Keene

The girl detective, sized for new readers.

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls

M.J. Thomas

A magic scroll and history comes alive.

Science Comics

Various (First Second)

Deep dives in comic form. Reluctant readers love these.

American Girl BeForever

Various (American Girl)

Spirited girls across history, each worth knowing.

Anna Hibiscus

Atinuke

Warm, sunlit family stories from Africa.

Cam Jansen

David A. Adler

Click! A photographic memory cracks the case.

Baby-Sitters Little Sister

Ann M. Martin

Karen's little dramas. A perfect on-ramp to the BSC.

Pony Camp Diaries

Kelly McKain

One dreamy week of camp for the pony-mad.

Winnie: The Early Years

Dandi Daley Mackall

Horse-loving and faith-filled. Full of heart.

The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan

Jasmine Warga

A rescue dog and a cheetah cub find courage.

The Penderwicks

Jeanne Birdsall

Four sisters, one golden summer. Old-fashioned charm.

The Adventures of Miss Petitfour

Anne Michaels

Whimsical and Poppins-ish, off on the wind with her cats.

Gooseberry Park

Cynthia Rylant

Animal friends, a storm, and real bravery.

In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen

Cynthia Rylant

A cozy cousins' summer. Sweet and small.

The A to Z Mysteries Collection

Ron Roy

A mystery for every letter. Early-reader catnip.

The Ivy & Bean Collection

Annie Barrows

Unlikely friends and the best kind of trouble.

WellieWishers Collection

Valerie Tripp

Garden friends in wellies. Gentle for the youngest.

Zoey and Sassafras

Asia Citro

Magical creatures cared for with real science.

The Wild Robot

Peter Brown

A robot learns to belong. Mine couldn't put it down.

A Rover's Story

Jasmine Warga

A Mars rover with feelings. Surprisingly moving.

Escape from Terikiak

Benjamin Lueders

Three brothers stranded on an island of talking creatures. Pure adventure.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl

Golden tickets and pure imagination. A read-aloud win.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Roald Dahl

The sequel that shoots Charlie into space.

Eight Cousins

Louisa May Alcott

One girl, seven boy cousins. Warm, old-fashioned Alcott.

Show Me History Collection

Various (James Buckley Jr.)

Graphic-novel biographies kids actually finish.

The Lighthouse Family

Cynthia Rylant

Gentle tales of a cat who gathers a family.

Horse Diaries Series

Various

History from the saddle. A must for horse-crazy kids.

Cul-de-sac Kids Collection

Beverly Lewis

Neighborhood friends and small adventures.

The Magic School Bus Chapter Books

Various (Scholastic)

Ms. Frizzle, longer-form. Science for new readers.

Mercy Watson Collection

Kate DiCamillo

A toast-loving pig who saves the day. So funny.

The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh

A.A. Milne

The original Hundred Acre Wood. Timeless.

Emma Every Day Collection

C.L. Reid

Emma is Deaf and signs. Warm everyday stories.

The Tuttle Twins

Connor Boyack

Big ideas about freedom, made playful.

The Happy Hollisters

Jerry West

Five siblings solving wholesome vintage mysteries together.

The Story of All Stories

Word on Fire

Scripture told as one sweeping story. Beautiful to read together.