A list of books organized alphabetically by theme, including units such as FAIRYTALES, BEARS, OCEANS and COWBOYS, and behavior management issues, including INTERRUPTING, TATTLING and FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS.
Topics include: Diversity, Learning Differences, Being True to Yourself, Holidays, Rhyming, Fluency, Honesty, Manners, Math, Perseverance, Writing and many more.
Alphabet
B is for Buckaroo: A Cowboy Alphabet by Gleaves Whitney
Animalia by Graeme Base
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Becoming Writers
The Best Story by Eileen Spinelli
Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills
Bear Has A Story To Tell by Philip Stead
Arthur Writes a Story by Marc Brown
Dr. Seuss (Rookie Biographies) by Dana Meachen Rau
J.K. Rowling (Welcome Books) by Mary Hill
You Can Write A Story: A Story-Writing Recipe for Kids by Lisa Bullard
Being True to Yourself/Be an Individual
Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle
Dumpy La Rue by Elizabeth Winthrop
✯Dumpy La Rue Comprehension Page
Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis
Odd Velvet by Mary E. Whitcomb
Biography/Memoir (also see Historical Biographies)
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
The Rag Coat by Lauren A. Mills
Bugs
*See Insects
Chapter Books To Read Aloud
*For classics I try to find abridged or updated versions, the originals can be wordy, have outdated language and are difficult for the little ones to understand.
Bear Stays up for Christmas by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
Christmas for 10 by Carthryn Falwell
Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman
Tree of Cranes by Allen Say
Growing Up With Tamales by Gwendolyn Zapada
A Pinata in a Pine Tree by Pat Mora
Circle of Wonder: A Native American Christmas Story N. Scott Nomaday
Grandma’s Gift by Eric Velasquez
N is for Navidad by Susan Middleton Elya
The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Patricia C. McKissack
How Santa Got His Job by Steven Krensky
The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer
Olive the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh
The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes by Nancy Cote
Chunks/Word Families/Digraphs
Ook the Book: And Other Silly Rhymes by Lissa Rovetch
Color Words
The Deep Blue Sea: A Book of Colors by Audrey Wood
Dog’s Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors and Counting
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Eric Carle
Mary Wore Her Red Dress And Henry Wore His Red Sneakers by Merle Peek
A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
Little Blue and Yellow by Leo Lionni
The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Crying
Why Do You Cry?: Not a Sob Story by Kate Klise
✯Questions for Why Do You Cry?
Dealing with Death and Other Traumas
I Miss You: A First Look At Death by Pat Thomas
Tear Soup by Pat Schwiebert
The Next Place by Warren Hanson
A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret Holmes
I Said No! A Kid-to-Kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private by Kimberly King
The Rag Coat by Lauren A. Mills
Diversity
*See Friendship
Drawing
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Dog Loves Drawing by Louise Yates
Earth Day/The Environment
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland
Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel
Michael Recycle Meets Literbug Doug by Ellie Bethel
Where Once There Was A Wood by Denise Fleming
Fairy Tales Characters and Fairy Tale Comparisons
Beauty and the Beast by Jan Brett
Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci
Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella by Susan Lowell
The Uglified Ducky: A Maynard Moose Tale by Willy Claflin
The Wolf Who Cried Boy by Bob Hartman
The Stinky Cheese Man: And Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka
Family
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
The Rag Coat by Lauren A. Mills
Sloppy Joe by Dave Keane and Denise Brunkus
Russell and the Lost Treasure by Rob Scotton
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Fibbing
*See Honesty
First Days of Schools
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Cookies: Bite Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood
The Loud Book by Deborah Underwood
David Goes to School by David Shannon
Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton
Friendship/Acceptance/Diversity (Also see Learning Differences)
Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat
The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff (dwafism)
The Shortest Kid in the World by Corinne Demas Bliss (being different)
Priscilla and the Pink Planet by Nathanial Hobbie (diversity)
Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems
I Broke My Trunk! by Mo Willems
I’m Bored by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Funny Books
Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs: A Maynard Moose Tale by Willy Claflin
Frank Was A Monster Who Wanted to Dance by Keith Graves
Halloween
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda D. Williams
Shake Dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-LIsa
The Hallo-weiner by Dav Pilkey
Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis
By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson
Julius’s Candy Corn by Kevin Henkes
Frank Was A Monster Who Wanted to Dance by Keith Graves
Historical Biographies for Early Readers
Abraham Lincoln
Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters and Nancy Carpenter
Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers by Karen B. Winnick
Abe Lincoln’s Hat by Martha Brenner
My First Biography: Abraham Lincoln by Marion Dane Bauer
A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln by David A. Adler
The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln by Mike Reiss and David Catrow
George Washington
A Picture Book of George Washington by David A. Adler
George Washington (Welcome Books) by Phillip Abraham
George Washington (Rookie Biographies) by Lynea Bowdish
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by Linda Lowery
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (First Biographies) by Lola Schaefer
My First Biography: Christopher Columbus by Marion Dane Bauer
Honesty
Imagination
Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward (it’s a song, if you can find the one with the CD, get it)
We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephaine Stuve-Bodeen (down-syndrome)
The Best Worst Brother by S.A. Bodeen (down-syndrome/learning sign language)
In Jesse’s Shoes by Beverly Lewis (offers a biblical perspective to having friends with special needs)
Learning to Read
How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr
I Don’t Like to Read! by Nancy Carlson
Come Along Daisy! by Jane Simmons
I’m the Boss by Steve Metzger
Long Vowels
Love of Reading
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Lying
*See Honesty
Main Idea
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Six-Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
✯Six-Dinner Sid Comprehension Page
Making Mistakes/Having a Bad Day:
Making Predictions
Manners
Math
A Fair Bear Share by Stuart J. Murphy
Animals on Board by Stuart J. Murphy
Beep Beep, Vroom Vroom! by Stuart J. Murphy
Give Me Half! by Stuart J. Murphy
A Pair of Socks by Stuart J. Murphy
Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy
Circus Shapes by Stuart J. Murphy
Seaweed Soup by Stuart J. Murphy
The Greatest Gymnast of All by Stuart J. Murphy and Cynthis Jabar
It’s About Time! by Stuart J. Murphy and John Speirs
3 Little Firefighters by Stuart J. Murphy and Bernice Lum
Jack The Builder by Stuart J. Murphy and Michael Rex
✯Questions for Looking for a Moose
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joff Numeroff
Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs: A Maynard Moose Tale by Willy Claflin
Never Give Up/Perseverance
Try It and Stick With It by Cheri J. Meiners
You Can Do It! by Tony Dungy (religious themes)
Never Give Up! A Children’s Picture Book by Adriana Cerrotti
Princesses Are Not Quitters! by Kate Lum
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Ocean and Sea Animals
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
Baby Sea Turtle by Audrey Lang and Wayne Lynch
Baby Sea Otter Story by Martha E.H. Rustad
Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck
Ocean (DK Eyewitness Books) by Miranda MacQuitty
Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan
Poetry/Songs
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Falling Up by Shel Silverstein
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
If You’re Not Here Please Raise Your Hand: Poems About School by Kalli Dakos
Honey, I Love and Other Poems by Eloise Greenfield and Leo and Diane Dillon
Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young by Jack Prelutsky and Marc Brown
My Very First Mother Goose by Rosemary Wells and Iona Opie
Reading Together
You Read Yo Me, I Read To You by Mary Ann Hoberman |
You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
I Want My Hat Back by J. Klassen
For Just One Day by Laura Leuck
Reading with Expression
Repetition/Shared Read Alouds
Panda Bear, Panda Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Eric Carle
Rhyming
Sharing
Llama, Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney
Shyness
Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Melanie Watt
Tattling
(We made “Don’t Squeal Unless It’s a Big Deal” into a class poster. And a class rule. And our class motto.)
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Julie Cook and Anita DuFalla
Trying New Things
Writing Letters
Writing
*See Becoming a Writer
Spider-Man versus the Green Goblin (I Can Read Book 2) by Susan Hill
This is so helpful! I can't tell you how many times I've had to refer back to this list. Thanks for the updates too.