Picture Book Brain

Picture book library lesson plans, games and activities & book lists

  • Picture Book Brain
  • Home
  • $1 TRIAL
  • Blog
  • Log In
  • Themed Book Lists
    • Games
  • About
    • Contact
You are here: Home / Read Alouds / 32 Best Read Alouds for 1st Graders to Read This Year

32 Best Read Alouds for 1st Graders to Read This Year

July 3, 2022

Looking for the best read alouds for 1st graders? These fun picture book read alouds for 1st grade students are engaging. Fiction, narrative nonfiction and holiday books with lesson plans and activities linked. These are the best diverse picture book read alouds for 1st graders. Many of these are award winning children’s books about diverse characters, friendships, relationships, and for the whole year!

If you’re a member of the Picture Book Brain Trust Community, you already have access to EVERY lesson plan and activity for these books! Just click on the Lesson Plans button in the menu!

Read Alouds for 1st Graders by Genre

Narrative Nonfiction:

How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett

How This Book Was Made
Find me on Amazon!

A book about what it’s actually like to be an author told in the funniest, truest way possible? Sign me up! You may think you know how this book was made, but you don’t. Sure, the author wrote many drafts, and the illustrator took a long time creating the art, but then what? How’d it get into your hands? Well, open the cover and read through these pages to find out. Just beware of the pirates and angry tiger. Budding writers and artists will laugh at the mix of reality and the absurd as the story makes its way to a shelf…and eventually, to a reader. Looking for children’s books about perseverance? Look no further than the real the true experience of publishing a children’s book.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman

Misunderstood Shark
Find me on Amazon!

The filming of an underwater TV show goes awry when the crew gets interrupted by a… SHARRRK! Poor Shark, he wasn’t trying to scare them, he’s just misunderstood! Then he’s accused of trying to eat a fish. Will Shark ever catch a break? After all, he wasn’t going to eat the fish, he was just showing it his new tooth! Or was he? Explosively funny, extraordinarily clever, and even full of fun shark facts, this surprisingly endearing story gets to the heart of what it feels like to be misunderstood by the people around you. With a surprise twist ending, our Misunderstood Shark will have kids rolling with laughter! A hilarious book about the ocean!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Looking for the best read alouds for 1st graders? These fun picture book read alouds for 1st grade students are engaging. Fiction, narrative nonfiction and holiday books with lesson plans and activities linked. These are the best diverse picture book read alouds for 1st graders. Many of these are award winning children's books about diverse characters, friendships, relationships, and for the whole year!

Knut by Juliana Hatkoff

Knut
Find me on Amazon!

When Knut was born, the first polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoo in more than thirty years, he was no bigger than a snowball and unable to care for himself. His mother, a rescued East German circus bear, didn’t know how to take care of Knut and rejected him. Knut would have died if it weren’t for Thomas Dorflein, a zookeeper who nurtured Knut, feeding him, sleeping with him, and giving him the love and attention Knut needed to thrive. But Thomas wasn’t the only one who adopted Knut. The adorable little polar bear captured the world’s attention, and now Knut is loved around the globe. A great story for studies about arctic animals!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

The Oldest Student by Rita Lorraine Hubbard

The Oldest Student
Find me on Amazon!

In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she was freed, and by age 20, she was married and had her first child. By age 68, she had worked numerous jobs, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to raise money for her church. At 114, she was the last remaining member of her family. Later, at 116, she learned to read. From Rita Lorraine Hubbard and rising star Oge More comes the inspirational story of Mary Walker, a woman whose long life spanned from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, and who–with perseverance and dedication–proved that you’re never too old to learn. Also a great book to read during Black History Month!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Salt In His Shoes by Deloris Jordan

Salt in His Shoes
Find me on Amazon!

Michael Jordan. The mere mention of the name conjures up visions of basketball played at its absolute best. But as a child, Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he’d never grow tall enough to play the game that would one day make him famous. That’s when his mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into the making of a champion—patience, determination, and hard work. Another great book for social emotional learning to talk to students about perseverance and grit.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Shark Lady by Jess Keating

Shark Lady
Find me on Amazon!

Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks from the first moment she saw them at the aquarium. She couldn’t imagine anything more exciting than studying these graceful creatures. But Eugenie quickly discovered that many people believed sharks to be ugly and scary―and they didn’t think women should be scientists.

Determined to prove them wrong, Eugenie devoted her life to learning about sharks. After earning several college degrees and making countless discoveries, Eugenie wrote herself into the history of science, earning the nickname “Shark Lady.” Through her accomplishments, she taught the world that sharks were to be admired rather than feared and that women can do anything they set their minds to. A great book about women in science and to encourage the budding marine biologist in your students!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Fiction:

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett

Extra Yarn
Find me on Amazon!

A young girl and her box of magical yarn transform a community in this stunning picture book. With spare, gently humorous illustrations and a palette that moves from black-and-white to a range of color, this modern fairy tale has the feel of a new classic. This is an amazing book about how one person can change a community completely. With the snowy setting, it makes it one of my favorite winter read alouds!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Find me on Amazon!

Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find . . . nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary — and finding it in a manner you’d never expect.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Journey by Aaron Becker

Journey by Aaron Becker
Find me on Amazon!

A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire?

An amazing wordles picture book!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Quest by Aaron Becker

Quest by Aaron Becker
Find me on Amazon!

A king emerges from a hidden door in a city park, startling two friends sheltering from the rain. No sooner does he push a map and some strange objects into their hands than he is captured by hostile forces that whisk him back through the enchanted door. Just like that, the children are caught up in a quest to rescue the king and his kingdom from darkness, while illuminating the farthest reaches of their imagination. Colored markers in hand, they make their own way through the portal, under the sea, through a tropical paradise, over a perilous bridge, and high in the air with the help of a winged friend. An amazing wordless picture book about sharing a quest with a friend.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Return by Aaron Becker

Return by Aaron Becker
Find me on Amazon!

Failing to get the attention of her busy father, a lonely girl turns back to a fantastic world for friendship and adventure. It’s her third journey into the enticing realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes. This time, it will take something truly powerful to persuade her to return home, as a gripping backstory is revealed that will hold readers in its thrall. An amazing wordless picture book!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

The Mitten by Jan Brett

The Mitten
Find me on Amazon!

When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax. As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki’s snowy outing in the borders of each page. As you plan out your year of books to read aloud to your first graders, this is definitely one of the best books to read in winter!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Love Monster by Rachel Bright

Love Monster
Find me on Amazon!

Mortimer is looking for love. And he’s looking everywhere! He’s worked out at the gym (if only his arm wouldn’t keep falling off). He also tried ballroom dancing lessons (but the ladies found him to be a bit stiff). He’s even been on stalemate.com. How’s a guy supposed to find a ghoul? When it seems all hope has died, could the girl of Mortimer’s dreams be just one horrifying shriek away?

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Duck For President by Doreen Cronin

Duck for President
Find me on Amazon!

My fellow Americans:

It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for President. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land. But the Oval Office isn’t all it’s quacked up to be. This is an excellent book to read around Presidents Day or for important elections!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio

Gaston
Find me on Amazon!

This is the story of four puppies: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston. Gaston works the hardest at his lessons on how to be a proper pooch. He sips—never slobbers! He yips—never yaps! And he walks with grace—never races! Gaston fits right in with his poodle sisters. But a chance encounter with a bulldog family in the park—Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and Antoinette—reveals there’s been a mix-up, and so Gaston and Antoinette switch places. The new families look right…but they don’t feel right. Can these puppies follow their noses—and their hearts—to find where they belong?

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! by Dr. Seuss

I Can Read with My Eyes Shut
Find me on Amazon!

The Cat in the Hat can read in purple and in brown, in a circle and even upside down! Can he teach Young Cat to do the same? A perfect stepping stone for emerging readers to show off their skills, this book will show kids all the wonderful ways and wonderful things you can read.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Flight School by Lita Judge

Flight School
Find me on Amazon!

A persevering penguin is determined to fly in this adorably inspiring picture book from the creator of Red Hat and Red Sled.

Although little Penguin has the soul of an eagle, his body wasn’t built to soar. But Penguin has an irrepressible spirit, and he adamantly follows his dreams to flip, flap, fly! Even if he needs a little help with the technical parts, this penguin is ready to live on the wind.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry

The Scarecrow
Find me on Amazon!

This tender and affectionate story reminds us of the comforting power of friendship and the joy of helping others—a tale that will inspire and delight children for generations to come. All the animals know not to mess with old Scarecrow. But when a small, scared crow falls from midair, Scarecrow does the strangest thing.… He saves the tiny baby crow. Soon a loving bond grows between the two unlikely friends. But is it strong enough to weather the changing of the seasons?

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Realistic Fiction:

Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie

Thunder Boy Jr.
Find me on Amazon!

Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name…one that’s all his own. Dad is known as Big Thunder, but little thunder doesn’t want to share a name. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he’s done like Touch the Clouds, Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth, or Full of Wonder.

But just when Little Thunder thinks all hope is lost, dad picks the best name…Lightning! Their love will be loud and bright, and together they will light up the sky. Also an excellent book for Native American Heritage Month!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard

Miss Nelson is Missing
Find me on Amazon!

The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again. Spitballs stuck to the ceiling. Paper planes whizzing through the air. They were the worst-behaved class in the whole school.

So begins this quirky classic, first published in 1977 and still relevant today as a lighthearted reminder to show our appreciation to those we value. The students don’t proffer a shred of respect for their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson, but when the witchy substitute Miss Viola Swamp appears on the scene, they start to regret their own wicked ways.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Last Stop On Market Street by Matt de la Pena

Last Stop on Market Street
Find me on Amazon!

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them. An amazing diverse picture book!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Oliver Button Is A Sissy by Tomie DePaola

Oliver Button is a Sissy
Find me on Amazon!

Oliver Button is a sissy. At least that’s what the other boys call him. But here’s what Oliver Button really is: a reader, and an artist, and a singer, and a dancer, and more. What will his classmates say when he steps into the spotlight? A great anti bullying book.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

City Green by Dyanne DiSalvo-Ryan

City Green
Find me on Amazon!

Right in the middle of Marcy’s city block is a vacant lot, littered and forlorn. Sometimes just looking at it makes Marcy feel sad. Then one spring, Marcy has a wonderful idea: Instead of a useless lot, why not a green and growing space for everyone to enjoy?

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

How to Heal a Broken Wing
Find me on Amazon!

“No one saw the bird fall.” In a city full of hurried people, only young Will notices the bird lying hurt on the ground. With the help of his sympathetic mother, he gently wraps the injured bird and takes it home. In classic Bob Graham style, the beauty is in the details: the careful ministrations with an eyedropper, the bedroom filled with animal memorabilia, the saving of the single feather as a good-luck charm for the bird’s return to the sky. Wistful and uplifting, here is a tale of possibility — and of the souls who never doubt its power.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

My Name Is Yoon by Helen Recorvits

My Name is Yoon
Find me on Amazon!

Yoon’s name means Shining Wisdom, and when she writes it in Korean, it looks happy, like dancing figures. But her father tells her that she must learn to write it in English. In English, all the lines and circles stand alone, which is just how Yoon feels in the United States. Yoon isn’t sure that she wants to be YOON. At her new school, she tries out different names – maybe CAT or BIRD. Maybe CUPCAKE!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

Amazing Grace
Find me on Amazon!

Grace loves stories, whether they’re from books, movies, or the kind her grandmother tells. So when she gets a chance to play a part in Peter Pan, she knows exactly who she wants to be. Remarkable watercolor illustrations give full expression to Grace’s high-flying imagination. Amazing Grace is an amazing diverse picture book!

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers

How to Catch a Star
Find me on Amazon!

Once there was a boy, and that boy loved stars very much. So much so that he decided to catch one of his very own. But how? Waiting for them to grow tired from being up in the sky all night doesn’t work. Climbing to the top of the tallest tree? No, not tall enough. The boy has a rocket ship . . . but it is made of paper and doesn’t fly well at all. Finally, just when the boy is ready to give up, he learns that sometimes things aren’t where, or what, we expect them to be.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Holidays:

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

The Polar Express
Find me on Amazon!

A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical train to the North Pole. The Polar Express makes its way to the city atop the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish. This is a story for all who believe in the spirit of Christmas and those who treasure the sound of a reindeer’s silver bell. This classic is definitely one of the best read aloud books for 3rd grade and just Christmas in general.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares

Red and Lulu
Find me on Amazon!

Red and Lulu make their nest in a particularly beautiful evergreen tree. It shades them in the hot months and keeps them cozy in the cold months, and once a year the people who live nearby string lights on their tree and sing a special song: O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree. But one day, something unthinkable happens, and Red and Lulu are separated. It will take a miracle for them to find each other again. Luckily, it’s just the season for miracles. . . . From Matt Tavares comes a heart-tugging story combining the cheer of Christmas, the magic of New York City, and the real meaning of the holiday season: how important it is to be surrounded by love.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Dasher by Matt Tavares

Find me on Amazon!

Another new Christmas story that takes a closer look at reindeer and where they live and how Santa Claus helped change Christmas. Dasher is an adventurous young reindeer with a wish in her heart. She spends her days with her family under the hot sun in a traveling circus, but she longs for a different life — one where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head.

One day, when the opportunity arises, Dasher seizes her destiny and takes off in pursuit of the life she wants to live. It’s not long before she meets a nice man in a red suit with a horse-drawn sleigh — a man named Santa. And soon, with the help of a powerful Christmas wish, nothing will be the same.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Santa in the City by Tiffany D. Jackson

Find me on Amazon!

It’s two weeks before Christmas, and Deja is worried that Santa might not be able to visit her–after all, as a city kid, she doesn’t have a chimney for him to come down and none of the parking spots on her block could fit a sleigh, let alone eight reindeer! But with a little help from her family, community, and Santa himself, Deja discovers that the Christmas spirit is alive and well in her city.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Find me on Amazon!

The Christmas classic about how Christmas is not about WHAT you have, but WHO you share it with that matters.

Lesson Plan and Activities
Check Prices on Amazon
Check Prices on Books-A-Million

Best Read Alouds for 1st Graders

What are some of your favorite read alouds for 1st graders? Are there any must read read alouds for 1st graders that I left out? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it!

If you’re a member of the Picture Book Brain Trust Community, you already have access to EVERY lesson plan and activity for these books! Just click on the Lesson Plans button in the menu!

Looking for the best read alouds for 1st graders? These fun picture book read alouds for 1st grade students are engaging. Fiction, narrative nonfiction and holiday books with lesson plans and activities linked. These are the best diverse picture book read alouds for 1st graders. Many of these are award winning children's books about diverse characters, friendships, relationships, and for the whole year!
PIN ME!

Other Great 1st Grade Read Aloud Stories

Looking for other great 1st grade read alouds? Here are a few more to explore:

Narrative Nonfiction Books for 1st Grade

38 Amazing Read Aloud Books for 1st Grade

17 Black History Month 1st Grade

Summer Reading List for 1st Grade

Realistic Fiction Books For 1st Graders

First Grade Earth Day Books and Activities

22 New Back to School Books for First Grade

signature
«
»

Filed Under: Book Lists, Picture Books, Read Alouds 1 Comment

Trackbacks

  1. First Grade Earth Day Books and Activities to Quickly and Easily Engage Your Kids says:
    August 5, 2022 at 10:16 pm

    […] 32 Best Read Alouds for 1st Graders […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

$1 Trial hundreds of library lesson plans and read aloud lesson plans for elementary librarians

Search

Themed Book Lists button
Join a Free Training

Copyright © 2023
There may be affiliate links on this page
Terms · Privacy