Recommended Book List: Lower Grades
Guest post by Rebecca Redinger, Redwood’s Librarian
Finding the right book for the young readers in your life can be a challenge. Finding reading material for reluctant readers and students with dyslexia can be even harder. At Redwood, we use leveling to help us best match students’ interests and reading level. The following list of books are for students in the lower grades (K-3rd grade) or B-P Fountas & Pinnell reading levels. You will also see a column with Lexile numbers, which are the most common leveling used by library catalogs and online retailers. As you dig deeper and discover your child’s favorite books and authors, refer to the Reading A-Z correlation chart to switch between leveling systems.
This book list has been curated with Redwood students in mind. The titles and series feature engaging and diverse themes, plots, settings, and characters. They are listed in Lexile level order. Enjoy, and happy reading!
FICTION (Lower grades)
Title, Author, Lexile Range, Fountas & Pinnell
I See a Cat
Paul Meisel
50
B-C
You Are (Not) Small
Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant
60
B-C
The Adventures of Otto series
David Milgrim
80-220
B-D
Gus series
Frank Remkiewicz
130-190
C-D
Andy series
Maxwell Eaton
150-180
C-D
Elephant & Piggie series
Mo Willems
150-330
C-F
HiLo series
Judd Winick and Guy Major
150-460
C-G
Fish Boy
M.G. Higgins
160
C-D
Max series
Adria F. Klein and Mernie Gallagher-Cole
170-360
D-F
Snail & Worm series
Tina Kügler
180-370
D-F
A Pig, a Fox, and a Box
Jonathan Fenske
210
D-E
Up, Tall and High!
Ethan Long
220
D-E
Robot and Rico series
Anastasia Suen and Mike Laughead
260-350
D-F
We Are Growing
Laurie Keller
270
D-E
Fly Guy series
Tedd Arnold
270-530
E-J
Nate the Great series
Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
280-500
E-I
The Cookie Fiasco
Dan Santat
290
E
Penny and Her Marble
Kevin Henkes
290-470
E-H
Pete the Cat series (I Can Read! Books)
James Dean
290-470
E-H
Ling & Ting series
Grace Lin
300-390
F-G
Margaret and Margarita
Lynn Reiser
320
F
Frog and Toad series
Arnold Lobel
330-480
F-I
Duck, Duck, Porcupine! Series
Salina Yoon
340-390
F-G
Amelia Bedelia series (I Can Read! Books)
Peggy Parish
340-510
F-I
Princess in Black series
Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
340-510
The Watermelon Seed
Greg Pizzoli
350
F-G
Mo Jackson series
David Adler
350-390
F-G
Sofía Martínez series
Jacqueline Jules and Kim Smith
350-540
F-J
Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories
Sergio Ruzzier
370
F-G
Ballet Cat series
Bob Shea
370-420
F-G
Pinkalicious series (I Can Read! Books)
Victoria Kann
380-540
G-J
Zelda and Ivy series
Laura McGee Kvasnosky
380-560
G-K
King & Kayla series
Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers
390-450
G-J
Pearl and Wagner series
Kate McMullan
390-480
G-J
Calvin Coconut series
Graham Salisbury
390-490
G-J
Magic Treehouse series
Mary Pope Osborne
390-590
G-K
Charlie & Mouse series
Synder, Laurel
400-420
F-G
Danny and the Dinosaur series (I Can Read! Books)
Syd Hoff
400-510
F-J
Pets on the Loose series
Victoria Jamieson
400-540
F-J
The Berenstain Bears series (I Can Read! Books)
Stan and Jan Berenstain
410-610
F-K
Charlie the Ranch Dog series (I Can Read! Books)
Ree Drummond
430-470
H-I
Henry and Mudge series
Cynthia Rylant
440-540
H-J
Judy Moody series
Megan McDonald and Erwin Madrid
440-600
H-M
Bones Mysteries series
David A. Adler and Barbara Johansen Newman
450-520
G-K
Mercy Watson series
Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen
450-550
I-L
Bink and Gollie series
Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
450-570
I-L
Mouse and Mole series
Wong Herbert Yee
460-510
I-J
Yasmin series
Saadia Faruqi and Hatem Aly
460-530
I-L
Don't Throw It to Mo!
David Adler
470
H-J
Rabbit & Robot series
Cece Bell
470-490
I-J
Flat Stanley series (I Can Read! Books)
Jeff Brown
470-520
I-K
Little Rhino series
Ryan Howard and Krystle Howard
480-640
I-M
Narwhal and Jelly series
Ben Clanton
490-510
I-J
Junie B. Jones series
Barbara Park
490-560
I-L
Detective Gordon series
Ulf Nilsson
510-550
J-L
Flora and Ulysses
Kate DiCamillo
520
J-K
Ivy and Bean series
Annie Barrows
520-600
J-M
Fergus and Zeke
Kate Messner and Heather Ross
530
J-L
Time Warp Trio series
Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
530-690
J-N
The Unicorn Rescue Society series
Adam Gidwitz, Jesse Casey, and Christopher Smith
540-660
K-N
Cam Jansen Mysteries series
David Adler
550-620
L-M
Alvin Ho series
Lenore Look and LeUyen Pham
560-600
K-M
Ruby Lu series
Lenore Look and Anne Wilsdorf
560-620
K-M
Jasmine Toguchi series
Debbi Michiko Florence and Elizabet Vukovic
560-640
K-M
Zoey and Sassafras series
Asia Citro and Marion Lindsay
560-640
K-M
Dory Fantasmagory series
Abby Hanlon
560-650
K-M
Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker series
Shelley Johannes
570-620
K-M
Ada Lace Adventures series
Emily Calandrelli and Tamson Weston
570-680
K-N
The Infamous Ratsos series
Kara LaReau and Matt Myers
580-600
K-M
Anna Wang series
Andrea Cheng
590-690
K-N
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Roald Dahl
600
K-M
Shelter Pet Squad series
Cynthia Lord
600-670
K-N
All-of-a-Kind Family series
Sydney Taylor
600-750
K-N
Clementine series
Sara Pennypacker and Marla Frazee
600-790
K-N
Dyamonde Daniel series
Nikki Grimes
620-630
K-M
Keena Ford series
Melissa Thomson
620-660
K-M
Lola Levine series
Monica Brown and Angela Dominquez
630-710
L-N
Ellray Jakes series
Sally Warner and Jamie Harper
650-840
M-R
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Patricia McLachlan
660
L-N
The Tale of Despereaux
Kate DiCamillo
670
L-N
Clubhouse Mysteries series
Sharon Draper and jesse Joshua Watson
670-780
L-N
Charlotte's Web
E.B. White
680
L-N
Charlie Bucket series
Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake
720-810
L-O
Dragons in a Bag
Zetta Elliot
740
M-N
Kimchi and Calamari
Rose Kent
750
M-N
The Melendy Family series
Elizabeth Enright
750-820
M-P
Ramona Quimby series
Beverly Cleary
750-860
M-Q
Sylvia & Aki
Winifred Conkling
760
M-N
A Boy Called Bat
Elana K. Arnold and Charles Santoso
760
M-N
NON-FICTION (Lower grades)
Title, Author, Lexile Range, Fountas & Pinnell
Step into Reading non-fiction books
(various authors)
200-850
D-M
Ready-to-Read non-fiction books
(various authors)
250-740
E-M
Penguin Young Readers non-fiction books
(various authors)
360-770
F-N
DK Readers books
(various authors)
440-1010
G-R
Scholastic True or False series
(various authors)
490-820
I-M
I Can Read! Books non-fiction books
(various authors)
500-650
I-M
Ordinary People Change the World series
Brad Meltzer
510-610
I-M
National Geographic Kids Readers series
(various authors)
520-810
I-M
Fly Guy Presents series
Tedd Arnold
540-870
J-N
Magic Tree House: Fact Tracker series
Mary Pope Osborne, etc.
550-840
L-N
Who Was/What is/Where is . . . ? Series
(various authors)
710-930
M-Q