Finding the best books for early readers can be quite an undertaking. Literally thousands of new books are published monthly, and most of them are truly good books. Thousands more books are being self published on a daily basis. And with that knowledge, I have always felt like there are way too many books in the world and not nearly enough time in my life to read them.
So how do we pick the best books for early readers? Choosing the best quality books, is, of course, top priority. Next, choose books that you know your early readers will be captivated by but will also teach them great life skills at the same time. Finding books that do all of these things is masterful.
I did quite a bit of research into the books that are currently available and came up with this list of books for boys, girls, and both that will help you to select the books that your early readers will treasure and look fondly upon for many years. And finally, at the end of the list, I gave several steps that you can follow to be sure that you are picking the perfect early reader books for your own students, whether you are a parent or teacher.
Table of Contents
Best Early Reading Books for Boys
1. What Should Danny Do? by Ganit and Adir Levy
This book was one of my sons’ all time favorites. It is part of the Power to Choose Series, written by Ganit and Adir Levy. ( I really wish they had about 10 more books in this series and hope they are forthcoming.)
What Should Danny Do is actually 9 books in one because the reader has to make choices regarding events happening in the book. And that is what makes this book the best early reader book for boys.
Readers learn in a very fun way about the power and responsibility of making choices. And honestly, the earlier they learn this concept, the better choices they will learn to make as they get older. And most importantly, they will become more comfortable with making choices. By the time they get to an age of having to make critical life choices, they will have plenty of experience behind them.
2. World of Reading Marvel Meet the Super Heroes!
This series of 12 books features superheroes from Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spiderman, and more.
The series capitalizes on the following early reader criteria:
- Picture reading
- Short Sentences
- Age appropriate vocabulary
- Word Repetition
3. World of Reading Star Wars Boxed Set
This gift box set is published by Disney Book Group and comes in a Level 2 for when your boys finish Level 1. And honestly, my girls loved Star Wars as much as my boys, so this one could very well go in the both boys and girls category.
This is a set of six books that feature the following titles:
- Escape from Darth Vader
- AT-AT Attack!
- Ewoks Join the Fight
- Finn & Poe Team Up!
- Chaos at the Castle
- BB-8 Finds a Friend
The description says that it is appropriate for grades 1-3, but I found it better for the K-1 age range. Second and third graders would definitely enjoy reading them, but they would have more entertainment value and less educational value at that age.
4. Dragon’s Breath by Michael Gordon
This is a wonderful book because all boys love dragon stories and pretty much all boys hate brushing their teeth.
One other great benefit to these books is that they are hardcover, so much more durable for kids who are rough with books. Plus, honestly, if there is a hardcover option for any book, that is always the one I choose.
5. Stephen Curry: The Boy Who Never Gave Up by Anthony Curcio
This book is the most inspirational book on my list of the best early reading books for early readers.
While most young boys aren’t necessarily looking to make it big in the NBA, what this book will do is inspire them to do what they WANT to do if they just set their mind and heart on it.
Mr. Curry was told that there was no way he could see his dream of being in the NBA fulfilled because he simply wasn’t ever going to be tall enough. He didn’t let that stop him, and he went on to not only make it into the NBA but also became one of the greatest players.
Your boys will find this book inspirational regardless of what their dream is by learning to apply the same mindset and commitment to their dream that Stephen Curry did.
**This book is available as a free ebook with a subscription to Amazon Kindle Unlimited. Click on the book or title for more information.
Best Early Reading Books for Girls
1. Hero Mom by Melinda Hardin
This is one of my all-time favorite books. Unfortunately, my girls at home were already too old by the time I found this book. But it sure makes a perfect book for the class or school library. And it would be a perfect read aloud for career day or Mother’s Day.
In contrast to what our children believe are superheroes, this book shows them what a hero looks like in real life. It follows the work of several different moms who do various jobs.
What I would add to this book is a discussion on the fact that many different factors make moms a hero and a time for students/children to think about what makes their own mom a superhero in her own right. And you could actually add dads to the mix, either on career day or a separate day.
This book is a hardcover book being sold for the price of a paperback! Check it out!
2. Disney Princess Reading Adventures Disney Princess Level 1 Boxed Set
Each book is only 16 pages, so early readers will easily be able to get through the whole story without facing reader fatigue. Also included with these books is 83 stickers, an achievement certificate, and letter to parents with tips on how best to use this set. Disney Reading Adventures is a curriculum based set, which means your girls are learning how to read with the best time-tested strategies.
The titles are as follows:
- Family
- What is a Friend?
- The Snowy Day
- Belle’s Wedding Day
- In the Castle
- Safe!
- We like…
- Belle’s Tea Party
- Rapunzel Can
- Cinderella’s Wedding
3. Junie B. Jones’s First Boxed Set Ever! (Books 1-4)
This book series is so unique because it is for early readers but in the form of chapter books.
It is also very educational, but in a very different way. Parents will notice that many times incorrect grammar is used. So they are able to teach context and writing style while also emphasizing what correct grammar would look like. 
This book set contains 4 books. The titles are as follows:
- Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus
- Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
- Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth
- Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying
This box set has tons of amazing reviews, which makes it stand the test of time. And it has been on the New York Times Best Seller List at #1. You can’t go wrong with this one!
And when you are done with this set, there are 3 more 4-book sets, or you can buy the whole collection in one huge bus-themed box. You can check that out here:
4. What Should Darla Do? Featuring the Power to Choose by Adir and Ganit Levy
This is the girls’ counterpart to What Should Danny Do, the first book in the boys’ list above. And it is every bit as good.
It also has the 8 books in one feature and allows your early reader girls to follow Darla’s journey to fulfilling her dream of being an astronaut.
Your girls will love the experience of getting to make their own choices. And they will especially love when you show them how that relates to making their own real-world choices.
5. Ivy and Bean’s Treasure Box Set
This is only the second chapter books series for early readers that I have on this list. It is among my list of best books for early readers because it is so funny and entertaining for young readers that they won’t even realize they are learning new concepts.
This series is one of the highest rated series available right now. It has spent a good amount of time on the New York Times Best Seller List. It follows the adventures of two second grade girls who don’t know what it’s like to have a boring moment.
Ivy is quiet and reserved and Bean is loud and proud. Together they strike the perfect balance. 
Here are the titles of the three books in the first set:
- Book 1: Ivy & Bean
- Book 2: Ivy & Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go
- Book 3: Ivy & Bean Break the Fossil Record
This box set also comes with a special surprise in the box. There are also two other box sets that includes Books 4-6 and 7-9. There are 11 books total in the series as of the writing of this article.
Best Early Reading Books for Boys and Girls
1. My Magical Words by Becky Cummings
This first book in the Magic of Me Series is really one of the best books for early readers as well as elementary school aged students. While the reading and grammar are designed for children that are new at learning to read, the concepts and ideals that are encouraged are such a great message for kids throughout elementary school. And the best news is that while these books are great in hardcover form, they are also all free with a trial of Kindle Unlimited (click on the title or picture for more info on this)!
Okay, so let’s take a look now at the book. This first book is perfect to teach young readers that their words have power. And that is why it is such a perfect book for older readers as well. It is such a good reminder for them of the consequences of their words, good and bad.
Each page contains an “I am” statement. For younger kids you can add an action to the word to reinforce it in their mind. Then discuss ways that it can apply directly to them.
For older kids, you can ask them how they have displayed that statement in their own lives and how they can further live out that statement in the following days or weeks. It makes such a perfect dialog with great direct counsel on emotional maturity.
At the time I wrote this article, there were 4 books in the series. There are 8 books now! You can buy the first 6 books as a collection (see below). But you still have to buy the last two books separately. Hopefully, they will have the whole boxed set available soon! It is such a good series to teach kids the emotional health they need to function well in all of life.
2. First Little Readers Parent Pack
This series is by far the best selling early reader series on the market. The Amazon ratings and reviews are through the roof, and for good reason.
This is a super affordable set of 25 books that were designed to perfectly work with your little ones’ brains as they are learning the intricacies of reading. And once they get these 25 books down, they have 4 more sets to go!
The topics are super engaging for students and just the right amount of learning without any of the overwhelm. It also includes an informative parent guide with tons of great tips.
Here are the 25 titles of Set A:
- Hello, Beach
- What Can I See?
- Cold Rose
- Birthday Surprise
- Fun With Mud
- I Like School!
- What is for Supper?
- Fun at the Playground
- Look What I Found!
- What Shines?
- Bubbles
- What Do I Need?
- Where is Petey?
- Hide and Seek
- Hats, Hats, Hats
- Shapes for Lunch
- Winter is Here
- What is Read
- I Like Stripes
- When Night Comes
- Sweet Treat
- I Can Draw!
- Almost Spring
- Hurry Up! Hurry Up!
- Class Pets
There are about a dozen more sets. Click through here to see the rest of them.
3. Guided Science Readers Parent Pack by Liza Charlesworth
![Guided Science Readers: Level a (Parent Pack): 16 Fun Nonfiction Books That Are Just Right for New Readers [With Sticker(s) and Activity Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vwqymaBGL._SL500_.jpg)
While this series has not sold as much or gotten as many reviews as the First Little Readers Parent Packs above, I actually liked them even better. It is actually listed as a Teachers’ pick on Amazon.
I loved the topics and the way the kids connected with them. While the ones above were great for the experiential value, I loved these for the real world value. And for this reason, I think these sets actually connect better with the kids.
This set also has several different levels, but each pack has only 16 books instead of 24. 
- Hello Whales
- A Frog Grows Up
- Beautiful Butterflies
- Bat Facts
- Penguins Can Go!
- Wolf Countdown
- I Love Fall
- Fall Leaves!
- An Owl
- This Pumpkin
- Counting Bats
- Harvest Time
- A Bunny Can Hop
- Counting Chicks
- What Puppies Love
- The Kitten
There are several sets, going from A to F, but you can find the whole set in a bucket here:
4. Scribble Stones by Diane Alber
This is such an amazing book because it puts into perfect perspective what a child’s place is in the world. It does a great job of showing balance between thinking they are nothing in the world’s economy and thinking they are the center of the world.
Children learn that they are indeed important wherever they are and to hold their head high no matter where they find themselves.
And then it inspires children to make their own special stones. Young children love crafts and this is one you can do with your kids with little to no preparation and no special skills that you would need to learn. And this is a great way to help your children learn to exercise their creativity!
*This book is available as a free e-book with a subscription to Amazon Kindle Unlimited. Click on the book or title for more information.
5. Share, Big Bear, Share by Maureen Wright
This is the perfect book to end my list of best books for early readers because it is so perfectly adorable and students will absolutely fall in love with it.
It takes readers on the journey from Big Bear being a selfish and self absorbed bear to being considerate and generous with his friends. Because young children are generally selfish in nature, this could be the perfect eye-opener for them.
The illustrations are beautifully done by Will Hillenbrand and is perfect for ages 3-7. It is also a perfect read aloud book with a chance for discussion afterwards.
*This book is available as a free e-book with a subscription to Amazon Kindle Unlimited. Click on the book or title for more information.
Suggestions to Find Your Own Best Books for Early Readers
While these books are all great options for your classroom or home library, you will most likely find yourself needing to add to this list.
So how do you go about finding the best books for early readers? Here are the criteria that I used to pick the best books I could find:
1. Think about what kids in that age group love to do.
2. What are your students’ favorite shows or movies right now?
3. Did you just have a special field trip or classroom event that your students loved? Is there a book related to that event, place, or trip that can help reinforce what they learned, help reinforce their reading skills, and just be super fun for them?
4. Have students bring in their favorite book from home. Keep in mind that some students may not be comfortable doing this or may not have a favorite book at home that they want to share. For that reason, this can’t be a required assignment, although it will be something some students will be excited to share.
There are tons more ways that you can find your own best books for early readers. What were some of your favorite ways? What worked best for your students or kids? I would love to hear your thoughts.
If you liked this article, I think you will also love the following articles:
9 Fun Games to Teach Long Vowel Sounds
When Should a Child be Able to Read in Their Head?
My 10 Golden Rules for Teaching Tone in Literature
Step by Step: How to Teach Imagery in Literature
These are all such great picks. I’ve always said that the key to getting kids excited about reading is to give them materials they can get excited about. I started reading at a very early age because I had access to books I loved. By the time I was 10, I read The Stand. So starting at a young age works.
I fully agree, Ben. My experience was very similar to yours.
Those all look like wonderful books for early readers. I remember reading these Louis Pasteur children’s books when I was little in the early 80s. One title was The Value of Believing in Yourself, which was so great!
That’s really cool. I have good memories of books from the early 80’s as well, but I never heard of the ones you are talking about!
What a great list of books for early readers. I really like the What Would Danny/Darla Do series. I have those books too.
Those are a couple of my favorites, too, Christine! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
All of these books sound and look amazing for early readers! I may have to get a bunch of these for my kids!
Let me know which ones you decide to get, Kileen! ♥
Really good list for kids’ books . I was planning to buy a gift for my nephew now i know what i want. thanks
I hope he loves them, Rm!
Those are some wonderful selection of books. I’d love to check some of those out.
Thank you, Lyanna!
Such an amazing list of books for early readers especially the enthusiast reader. I loved the Marvel book of Black Panther and the Star Wars series as these two looks really great.
Those were my sons’ favorites as well! Boys love their superheroes!
The books , they read help them to understand the world better and form ideas. I think these list are great choice for early readers that can easily and love to read.
Thank you, Yudith!
Wow what a great list books for early readers I will recommend these books to my sister for her children thanks to this!
My nephews will love the World of Reading Star Wars Boxed Set! I’m a big Star Wars fan so they also watched it with me. They will be excited to see this!
I hope you get a chance to read them with your nephews! You’ll be their favorite uncle!!!
These are some awesome books for young readers. I am going to look for these books for my 6 year daughter who loves to read books….Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Mayuri! If you are interested in any of them, the links are on the books and titles. 🙂
You have some amazing books on this list. My son will really enjoy the “Dragon’s Breath” by Michael Gordon
I will buy it right now