Books that Caught My 1st Grader’s Eye

Well, as much as I want it to slow down, time keeps passing. My youngest is now a first grader and a precocious one at that. He enjoys a mix of picture and chapter books, with the occasional comic sneaking in as well. Here are a few that he loves and my thoughts on them.

Lives of the Scientists: Experiments, Explosions (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull and Kathyrn Hewitt

The “Lives of” books are actually a series, one that my youngest loves so much that he begged for them at Christmas last year. Some of them are tough to find, but they’re worth the hunt. He loves the pictures and the history (if you’ve read my blog for a while, you know he’s a little history buff. You should see the walls of the house. They’re so covered with “history people” coloring pages, it looks a little like a murder board on a police procedural). I like the delivery: it doesn’t talk down to kids, but it doesn’t overload them either.

Bunnicula by James Howe

I’ve waited YEARS to share this one with my youngest! I have loved it since I was young, and both my kids also fell in love with the silly dog, paranoid cat, and (vampire?) rabbit. My son was on the edge of his seat and we split the reading time, which was awesome. He learned several new words and was proud of his ability to read a “big kid chapter book”. We’re continuing the series and are currently on book three.

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

My youngest loves the Dog Man books. I mean, he absolutely loves them. He knows when the next one is set to be released (March 28, 2023) and has to bring at least three books each time we go anywhere in the car. What do I think of them? To be honest, I’m not a big fan. The grammar is often purposefully wrong, which is difficult when I’m trying to teach him proper grammar (homeschool mom here). He loves them, though, and that’s what matters. You can be sure he’ll get a brand new copy of the latest Dog Man come March.

He also really enjoys Cat Kid Comic Club by the same author.

Bailey’s Story: A Dog’s Purpose Puppy Tale by W. Bruce Cameron

My youngest loves dogs. Unfortunately, our landlord won’t let us own one, so my son lives the dog-owner life through books. He read this on his own and I’m so proud: it’s meant for grades 4-6, so he’s reading above his age level. and happily sounding out new words!

Nate the Great Talks Turkey by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat

These books bring me back to my own childhood. They weren’t favorites of mine, but they were always floating around the house. The same seems to be true now that I’m an adult. My youngest has read this a few times over the past month and is asking for a trip to the library to grab more.

What about you, parents and teachers? What do your first graders enjoy reading?