Keys to Reading Success Resource Guide
List of Popular Children’s Books by Readability Level
How to Use This Resource Guide
After taking the Keys to Reading Success Passage Reading Tests to determine a student’s
instructional and independent word reading level and comprehension level, this guide use can be
used to find popular children’s books written at those reading levels. For instructional purposes,
students can read books at their instructional level. For independent reading, they can read books
at their independent level. For books not listed here, some have a rating on the back of the book
cover called RL, which stands for “reading level” and can help you determine if the book is the
matching level for the student.
Pre-Primer Reading Level Suggested Book List (first three months of first grade)
Title
Author
All by Myself
Babar’s Picnic
A House for Little Red
A Kiss for Little Bear
Kit and Kat
Clifford and the Big Red Dog
Fun Days
Happy Birthday, Cookie
Monster!
Nate the Great
The Three Goats
Tom Thumb
Decodable Series:
Bob Books (Decodable Books)
Merrill Linguistic Readers:
(Decodable Books)
I Can
Dig In
Catch On
My First I Can Read Books:
Mine’s the Best
The Day I Had to Play with
My Sister
Oh, Cats!
Sid and Sam
Bathtime for Biscuit
Biscuit
Mercer Mayer
Lauren deBrunhoff
Margaret Hillert
Else H. Minarik
Tomie de Paola
Norman Bridwell
Margaret Hillert
Felice Haus
Readability
Level
PP
PP
PP
PP
PP
PP
PP
PP
Marjorie Sharmat
Margaret Hillert
Margaret Hillert
PP
PP
PP
PP
PP
PP
Bonsall
Bonsall
Buck
Buck
Capucilli
Capucilli
Capucilli
Biscuit Finds a Friend
I See, You Saw
Go Away, Dog
Keys to Reading Success:
80 Make-It-Yourself Books
found in Phonics Lesson Plans
A, B, and C
Capucilli
Karlin
Nodset
Ricki Linksman
PP
Primer Reading Level Suggested Book List (middle three months of first grade)
Title
Author
The Baby Bunny
Big Dog…Little Dog
Just for You
The Magic Nutcracker
Clifford and the Big Storm
Clifford’s Good Deeds
Curious George
Curious George Flies a Kite
Four Good Friends
A Friend for a Dear Dragon
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Frog and Toad All Year
Frog and Toad Together
The Funny Baby
The Golden Goose
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish,
Blue Fish
Hop on Pop
Lucky Dog Days
One in the Middle…Kangaroo
Pinocchio
Pumpkin Pumpkin
Ronald Morgan Goes to Bat
Snug Bug
Who Will Be My Friends?
Why Can’t I Fly?
Decodable Books:
Merrill Linguistic Readers:
Levels D and E
Margaret Hillert
P.D. Eastman
Mercer Mayer
Margaret Hillert
Norman Bridwell
Normal Bridwell
H.A. Rey
Margret Rey
Margaret Hillert
Margaret Hillert
Arnold Lobel
Arnold Lobel
Arnold Lobel
Margaret Hillert
Margaret Hillert
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Judy Delton
Judy Blume
Margaret Hillert
Jean Titherington
Patricia Rei Giff
Cathy E. Dubowski
Syd Hoff
Rita Gelman
Readability
Level
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
Grade 1 Reading Level Suggested Book List (last three months of first grade)
Title
Author
Arthur’s Tooth
The Candy Corn Contest
The Cat in the Hat Comes
Back
Harold and the Purple Crayon
The First Book of Henry and
Mudge
Just Going to the Dentist
Mean Soup
Milo’s Toothache
Clifford’s Pals
Curious George at the Beach
Curious George Visits the Zoo
Daniel’s Dog
Danny and the Dinosaur
Days with Frog and Toad
Fire Fighters
Great Day for Up!
Little Bear
Marc Brown
Patricia Rei Giff
Dr. Seuss
Readability
Level
1
1
1
Crockett Johnson
Cynthia Rylant
1
1
Mercer Mayer
Betsy Everitt
Ida Luttrell
Norman Bridwell
Margret Rey
Margret Rey
Jo Ellen Bogart
Syd Hoff
Arnold Lobel
Ray Broekel
Dr. Seuss
Else Holmelund
Minarik
Cyndy Szekeres
Stan Berenstain`
Syd Hoff
Arnold Lobel
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Moving Day
Ready, Get Set Go!
Sammy the Seal
Small Pig
1
1
1
1
Grade 2 Reading Level Suggested Book List
Title
Author
Abraham Lincoln
Airplanes
Amelia Bedelia and the Baby
Amelia Bedelia and the
Surprise
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping
Amigo
Arthur Meets the President
Arthur’s Eyes
Arthur’s First Sleepover
Astronauts
Berenstain Bears and the
Missing Dinosaur
The Berenstain Bears and the
Truth
The Berenstain Bears Blaze a
Trail
The Berenstain Bears Moving
Day
The Berenstain’s Bears
Trouble with Pets
Babar’s Little Circus Star
Baby Animals
A Bargain for Frances
Baseball
The Bear Scouts
The Bears’ Picnic
Berenstain Bears and Too
Much TV
Best Friends for Frances
The Best Worst Day
The Bike Lesson
The Boxcar Children
Bravest Dog Ever: The True
Story
The Bremen-town Musicians
Caps for Sale
Chester
Clifford the Firehouse Dog
Come Back, Amelia Bedelia
Computers
Augusta Stevenson
David Peterson
Peggy Parish
Peggy Parish
Readability
Level
2
2
2
2
Peggy Parish
Byrd Baylor
Marc Brown
Marc Brown
Marc Brown
Carol Greene
Stan/J Berenstain
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Stan/J Berenstain
2
Stan/J Berenstain
2
Stan/J Berenstain
2
Stan/J Berenstain
2
Lauren DeBrunhoff
Illa Podendorf
Russell Hoban
Ray Broekel
Stan/J Berenstain
Stan/J Berenstain
Stan/J Berenstain
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Russell Hoban
Bonnie Graves
Stan/J Berenstain
Gertrude C Warner
Natalie Standiford
2
2
2
2
2
Ruth B. Gross
Esphyr Slobodkina
Syd Hoff
Norman Bridwell
Peggy Parish
Karen Jacobsen
2
2
2
2
2
2
Dad’s Dinosaur Day
Dinosaurs
Dogs
Earthquakes
Endangered Animals
Experiments with Light
Football
Fox in Socks
Fox on the Job
Freckle Juice
The Frog Prince
Froggy Goes to School
A Girl Named Helen Keller
Gym Teacher from the Black
Lagoon
Happy Birthday, Martin
Luther King, Jr.
Henry and Mudge Take the
Big Test
Horrible Harry’s Secret
I Am Not Ready to Get Up
Today!
I Can Read with My Eyes
Shut!
Ice Cream Soup
If the Dinosaurs Came Back
Junie B. Jones and a Little
Monkey
Just Me and My Little Brother
Just Me and My Little Sister
Let’s Go Home, Little Bear
Like Jake and Me
Lionel in the Fall
Lionel in the Spring
Little Bear’s Friend
Little Bear’s Visit
The Little Drummer Boy
The Lucky Baseball Bat
May I Bring a Friend?
Mike Mulligan and His Steam
Shovel
Miss Nelson Is Missing
Moon, Sun and Stars
Mouse Tales
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters
Diane Hearn
Mary Lou Clark
Elsa Posell
Helen Challand
Lynn M. Stone
Ray Broekel
Ray Broekel
Dr. Seuss
James Marshall
Judy Blume
Edith Tarcov
Jonathan London
Margo Lundell
Mike Thaler
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Jean Marzollo
2
Cynthia Rylant
2
Suzy Kline
Dr. Seuss
2
2
Dr. Seuss
2
Gail Herman
Bernard Most
Barbara Park
2
2
2
Mercer Mayer
Mercer Mayer
Martin Waddell
Mavis Jukes
Stephen Krensky
Stephen Krensky
Else H. Minarik
Else H. Minarik
Ezra Jack Keats
Matt Christopher
Beatrice DeRegniers
Virginia L. Burton
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Harry Allard
John Lewellen
Arnold Lobel
John Steptoe
2
2
2
2
Nate the Great Goes
Undercover
New Friends in a New Land
No Room for Francie
The Own and the Pussycat
The Patchwork Quilt
Peace at Last!
A Picture for Harold’s Room
Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia
The Poky Little Puppy
Principal from the Black
Lagoon
Rosa Parks
Schoolhouse Mystery
Science Experiments
Seasons
Snakes
Snow Lion
Something Queer in Outer
Space
Song Lee and the Hampster
Hunt
Sound Experiments
Stanley and the Magic Lamp
Stone Fox
Surprise Island
Sylvester and the Magic
Pebble
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia
The Teacher from the Black
Lagoon
Teddy Roosevelt
There is a Carrot in My Ear
Three Up a Tree
Trains
Weather Experiments
Whales and Other See
Mammals
When Will I Read?
Young Cam Jansen and the
Dinosaur
Marjorie Sharmat
2
Judith B. Stamper
Maryann MacDonald
Edward Lear
Valerie Flournoy
Jill Murphy
Crockett Johnson
Peggy Parish
Janette Lowrey
Mike Thaler
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Eloise Greenfield
Gertrude C. Warner
Vera Webster
Illa Podendorf
Ray Broekel
David McPhail
Elizabeth Levy
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Suzy Kline
2
Ray Broekel
Jeff Brown
John Gardiner
Gertrude C. Warner
William Steig
2
2
2
2
2
Peggy Parish
Mike Thaler
2
2
Edd Winfield Parks
Alvin Schwartz
James Marshall
Ray Broekel
Vera Webster
Elsa Posell
2
2
2
2
2
2
Miriam Cohen
David A. Adler
2
2
Grade 3 Reading Level Suggested Book List
Title
Author
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew
Cubbins
Albert Einstein
Aldo Ice Cream
Aliens for Breakfast
Aliens For Lunch
Alistair’s Time Machine
Amazing Grace
At the Ball Game
The Berenstain’s Bears Don’t
Pollute
The Berenstain’s Bears Go to
School
Babar Learns to Cook
Babe Ruth
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Baseball Pals
Baseball’s Greatest Pitchers
Benjamin Franklin
Benny Uncovers a Mystery
Betsy and the Circus
Big Base Hit
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
Cam Jansen and the Dinosaur
Bones
The Chocolate Touch
Corduroy
Crow Boy
Curious George Gets a Medal
Dinosaur Hunters
Dirt Bike Racer
Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book
Eddie and the Fire Engine
Eddie’s Green Thumb
Einstein Anderson, Science
Sleuth
Encyclopedia Brown Boy
Detective
Feelings
Fire! Fire!
The Five Chinese Brothers
Dr. Seuss
Readability
Level
3
Marie Hammontree
Johanna Hurwitz
Jonathan Etra
Jonathan Etra
Marilyn Sadler
Mary Hoffman
S. A. Kramer
Stan J/Berenstain
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Stan J/Berenstain
3
Lauren deBrunhoff
Guernsey VanRiper
Dr. Seuss
Matt Christopher
S.A. Kramer
Augusta Stevenson
Gertrude C. Warner
Carolyn Haywood
Dean Hughes
Susan Jeffers
David Adler
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Patrick Catling
Don Freeman
Taro Yashima
H.A. Rey
Kate McMullan
Matt Christopher
Dr. Seuss
Carolyn Haywood
Carolyn Haywood
Seymour Simon
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Donald J. Sobol
3
Aliki
Gail Gibbons
Claire Bishop
3
3
3
Football Fugitive
Fudge
George Washington
The Giving Tree
Helen Keller
Henry and Ribsy
Henry and the Clubhouse
Herbie Jones and the Class
Gift
The Hit-Away Kid
The Hope
Horton Hatches the Egg
Horton Hears a Who!
Hunches in Bunches
If I Ran the Circus
If I Ran the Zoo
Imogene’s Antlers
Jackie Robinson
Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Long Legs
The Josefina Story Quilt
Jumanji
Karen’s Home Run
Karen’s New Friend
Karen’s Pizza Party
Kitty in the Middle
Liang and the Magic
Paintbrush
Little House in the Big Woods
The Lorax
Madeline in London
Magic School Bus Inside the
Earth
Magic School Bus Out of this
World
Make Way for Ducklings
Making the Team
Many Moons
Meet Babar and His Family
Most Beautiful Place in the
World
The Mud Pony
My Teacher is an Alien
The Mystery in Washington,
D.C.
Matt Christopher
Charlotte Graeber
Clara Judson
Shel Silverstein
Katharine Wilkie
Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary
Suzy Kline
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Matt Christopher
Ann Tomchek
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
David Small
Jim O’Connor
Steven Kellogg
Matt Christopher
Eleanor Coerr
Chris Van Allsburg
Ann M. Martin
Ann M. Martin
Ann M. Martin
Judy Delton
Demi
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Laura Ingall Wilder
Dr. Seuss
Ludwig Bemelmans
Joanna Cole
3
3
3
3
Joanna Cole
3
Robert McCloskey
Dean Hughes
James Thurber
Lauren De Brunhoff
Ann Cameron
3
3
3
3
3
Caron L. Cohen
Bruce Coville
Gertrude C. Warner
3
3
3
The Mystery of the Lost
Village
The Navajo
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
One Fine Day
The Pee Wee Jubilee
Penguin Pete
Penguin Pete’s New Friends
The Pizza Mystery
A Pocket for Corduroy
The Princess and the Pea
The Purple Coat
Ramona the Brave
Robots
Rocks and Minerals
Rookie Star
Safe at First
Saint George and the Dragon
Samantha Learns a Lesson
The Snack Attack Mystery
The Sneetches and Other
Stories
Soccer Sam
Somebody Loves You, Mr.
Hatch
Space
Space Shuttles
Strega Nona
Superstar Team
Tales of a Fourth Grade
Nothing
Thomas A. Edison
Tikki Tikki Tembo
The Tortoise and the Hare
Total Soccer
Up to Bat
A Very Young Gymnast
A Very Young Skater
Watch Out, Ronald Morgan
Wilbur and Orville Wright
Wizards Don’t Need
Computers
Gertrude C. Warner
3
Alice Osinski
Dr. Seuss
Nonny Hogrogian
Judy Delton
Marcus Pfister
Marcus Pfister
Gertrude C. Warner
Don Freeman
Hans Christian
Anderson
Amy Hest
Beverly Cleary
Carol Greene
Illa Podendorf
Dean Hughes
Dean Hughes
Margaret Hodges
Susan S. Adler
Elizabeth Levy
Dr. Seuss
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Jean Marzollo
Eileen Spinelli
3
3
Illa Podendorf
Margaret Friskey
Tomie DePaola
Dean Hughes
Judy Blume
3
3
3
3
3
Sue Guthridge
Arlene Mosel
Janet Stevens
Dean Hughes
Dean Hughes
Jill Krementz
Jill Krementz
Patricia Rei Giff
Augusta Stevenson
Jones/Dadey
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3