Books for Kids

Suggested Books

The DC Public Library and the D.C. Public Schools have teamed up to suggest books students might enjoy. The lists include a variety of books, suggested by grade level from pre-kindergarten to 6th grade, to satisfy every reading interest.

Themed Book Suggestions

Award Winners

Find an award-winning book to read by visiting the links below. Please note that the library may not always have every title available. Award lists are updated annually.

Suggested Books for Pre-K

  • Let’s Play Soccer!by Heather Adamson
  • Bear Shadow by Frank Asch
  • An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston
  • When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang,
  • Building a House by Byron Barton
  • Snip Snap! What’s That? by Mara Bergman
  • The Mitten by Jan Brett
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
  • Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Eileen Cousins
  • Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
  • Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
  • Polo’s Book: The Runaway Book by Régis Faller
  • Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
  • Possum Magic by Mem Fox
  • The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
  • Chester’s Way by Henkes, Kevin
  • Mother Goose Picture Puzzles by Hillenbrand, Will
  • Be Boy Buzz by Hooks, Bell
  • The Fisherman and His Wife by Isadora, Rachel
  • Jack and the Beanstalk by Kellogg, Steven
  • The Wheels on the Bus by Kovalski, Maryanne
  • Queen of the Scene by Latifah, Queen
  • Machines Go to Work by Low, William
  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Martin, Bill
  • Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Martin, Bill
  • I’m Bad! by McMullan, Kate
  • Bread, Bread, Bread by Morris, Ann
  • If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Numeroff, Laura
  • Joshua James Likes Trucks by Petrie, Catherine
  • The Little Engine That Could by Piper, Watty
  • The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Potter, Beatrix
  • These Hands by Price, Hope Lynne
  • 3-D ABC by Raczka, Bob
  • We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Rosen, Michae
  • Black? White! Day? Night!: A Book of Opposites by Seeger, Laura
  • Chicken Soup with Rice by Sendak, Maurice
  • Where the Wild Things Are by Sendak, Maurice
  • Caps for Sale by Slobodkina, Esphyr
  • Chalk by Thomson, Bill
  • Paperwhite by Wallace, Nancy
  • Mouse Paint by Walsh, Ellen Stoll
  • What a Wonderful World by Weiss, George
  • Noisy Nora by Wells, Rosemary
  • Knuffle Bunny by Willems, Mo
  • King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Wood, Audrey
  • Pecan Pie Baby by Woodson, Jacqueline

Suggested Books for Kindergarten

  • I Love Saturdays y domingos by Ada, Alma Flor
  • What Did One Elephant Say to the Other? by Baines, Becky
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Barrett, Judi
  • Madeline by Bemelmans, Ludwig
  • A New Home by Bowers, Tim
  • Stellaluna by Cannon, Jannell
  • Biscuit’s Day at the Farm by Capucilli, Alyssa S.
  • Get Up and Go by Carlson, Nancy
  • Redwoods by Chin, Jason
  • Bigmama’s by Crews, Donald
  • Jamela’s Dress by Daly, Niki
  • Firefighters A to Z by Demarest, Chris L.
  • Strega Nona by De Paola, Tomie
  • On a Road in Africa by Doner, Kim
  • Rubia and the Three Osos by Elya, Susan M.
  • Can You Find It? America by Falken, Linda
  • Olivia Forms a Band by Falconer, Ian
  • How to Heal a Broken Wing by Graham, Bob
  • Benny and Penny in Just Pretend by Hayes, Geoffrey
  • 26 Letters and 99 Cents by Hoban, Tana
  • Wind Flyer s by Johnson, Angela
  • How a Seed Grow s by Jordan, Helene J.
  • The Hello, Goodbye Window by Juster, Norton
  • Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Kasza, Keiko
  • Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Kimmel, Eric A.
  • We All Went on Safari by Krebs, Laurie
  • Boy, Were We Wrong about Dinosaurs! by Kudlinski, Kathleen
  • Shadow by Lee, Suzy
  • A Color of His Own by Lionni, Leo
  • 123 I Can Sculpt! by Luxbacher, Irene
  • Make Way for Ducklings by McCloskey, Robert
  • Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life by Nolen, Jerdine
  • Bee-Bim Bop! by Park, Linda Su
  • Max Found Two Sticks by Pinkney, Brian
  • The Lion and the Mouse by Pinkney, Jerry
  • Thunder Cake by Polacco, Patricia
  • Martin’s Big Words by Rappaport, Doreen
  • Animals Home Alone by Riphagen, Loes
  • Little Panda by Ryder, Joanne
  • Mama, I’ll Give You the World by Schoffer, Roni
  • Hop on Pop by Seuss, Dr.
  • About Reptiles by Sill, Cathryn P.
  • What’s under My Bed? by Stevenson, James
  • Ballerina Dream by Thompson, Lauren
  • Bunny Cakes by Wells, Rosemary
  • The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Williams, Linda
  • Apple Pie 4th of July by Wong, Janet S.
  • Seven Blind Mice by Young, Ed


Suggested Books for First Grade

  • Who’s in Rabbit’s House? by Aardema, Verna
  • Miss Nelson Is Missing by Allard, Harry
  • Hi, Fly Guy by Arnold, Tedd
  • Mirror by Baker, Jeannie
  • Li’l Dan the Drummer Boy by Bearden, Romare
  • Voices in the Park by Browne, Anthony
  • Pop! A Book about Bubbles by Bradley, Kimberly
  • Dinosaurs in Your Backyard by Brewster, Hugh
  • Sid and Sam by Buck, Nola
  • Otto’s Orange Day by Cammuso, Frank
  • Emily’s Art by Catalanotto, Peter
  • Minnie and Moo: Wanted Dead or Alive by Cazet, Denys
  • Dave the Potter by Carrick, Laban
  • Johnny Appleseed by Demuth, Patricia B.
  • The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Gerstein, Mordecai
  • Spells by Gravett, Emily
  • Traction Man Is Here by Grey, Mini
  • Day of Ahmed’s Secret by Heide, Florence P.
  • Amazing Grace by Hoffman, Mary
  • Tsunami! by Kajikawa, Kimiko
  • Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina… by Larson, Kirby
  • Harriet and the Promised Land by Lawrence, Jacob
  • The Tooth Book by LeSieg, Theo
  • John Henry by Lester, Julius
  • Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same! by Lin, Grace
  • Two Feet Up, Two Feet Down by Love, Pamela
  • Red Riding Hood by Marshall, James
  • Martha Calling by Meddaugh, Susan
  • Moses Goes to a Concert by Millman, Isaac
  • A Kiss for Little Bear by Minarik, Else H.
  • Planting the Trees of Kenya by Nivola, Claire
  • A Baby Panda Is Born by Ostby, Kristin
  • Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch by Park, Barbara
  • Amelia Bedelia by Parish, Peggy
  • The Family Book by Parr, Todd
  • Duke Ellington by Pinkney, Andrea
  • Wiggling Worms at Work by Pfeffer, Wendy
  • The New Girl…and Me by Robbins, Jacqui
  • Peter and the Wolf by Raschka, Chris
  • Dragonfly’s Tale by Rodanas, Kristina
  • Mice and Beans by Ryan, Pam Munoz
  • Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shiver by Rylant, Cynthia
  • Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by San Souci, Robert D.
  • The Talking Eggs by San Souci, Robert D.
  • Madlenka by Sis, Peter
  • Too Many Tamales by Soto, Gary
  • We Are in a Book! by Willems, Mo
  • Show Way by Woodson, Jacqueline


Suggested Books for Second Grade

  • A Bear for Miguel by Alphin, Elaine Marie
  • Abe Lincoln’s Hat by Brenner, Martha
  • Little Beauty by Browne, Anthony
  • Just for Elephants by Buckley, Carol
  • Hoops by Burleigh, Robert
  • The Story of Snow by Cassino, Mark
  • George Washington’s Teeth by Chandra, Deborah
  • Inspector Hopper by Cushman, Doug
  • One Potato, Two Potato by DeFelice, Cynthia
  • Bink and Gollie by DiCamillo, Kate
  • Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride by Di Camillo, Kate
  • In My Family/En mi Familia by Garza, Carmen
  • Little Dog and Duncan by George, Christine O.
  • Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by Hatkoff, Juliana
  • Digby by Hazen, Barbara S.
  • Weaving of a Dream by Heyer, Marilee
  • Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small Local Farm by Hodge, Deborah
  • Houndsley and Catina by Howe, James
  • Swamp Angel by Isaacs, Anne
  • How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly? by Jenkins, Steve
  • Lucy Rose: Here’s the Thing about Me by Kelly, Katy
  • My Senator and Me: A Dog’s Eye View … by Kennedy, Edward
  • The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Kerley, Barbara
  • Harvesting Hope by Krull, Kathleen
  • Captain and Matey Set Sail by Laurence, Daniel
  • Grant Wood: The Artist in the Hayloft by Leach, Deborah
  • Frog and Toad Are Friends by Lobel, Arnold
  • Black and White by Macaulay, David
  • Knots on a Counting Rope by Martin, Bill
  • Capital! Washington DC from A to Z by Melmed, Laura K.
  • Magic Pickle and the Planet of the Grapes by Morse, Scott
  • Sitti’s Secrets by Nye, Naomi Shihab
  • A Is for Africa by Onyefulu, Ifeoma
  • Koko’s Kittens by Patterson, Francine
  • Chicken Sunday by Polacco, Patricia
  • Ruby the Copycat by Rathman, Peggy
  • Bad News for Outlaws by Nelson, Vaunda
  • Tar Beach by Ringgold, Faith
  • Buttons for General Washington by Roop, Peter
  • When Marian Sang by Anderson Ryan, Pam Muñoz
  • Henry and Mudge in the Green Time by Rylant, Cynthia
  • Brave Irene by Steig, William
  • Amazing Snakes by Thompson, Sarah L.
  • The Stranger by VanAllsburg, Chris
  • Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led… by Weatherford, Carole
  • The Warrior and the Wise Man by Wisniewski, David
  • Basketball Legends by Woods, Mark
  • Rapunzel by Zelinsky, Paul O.


Suggested Books for Third Grade

  • Lou Gehrig by David A. Adler
  • Young Cam Jansen and the Baseball Mystery by David A. Adler
  • Nic Bishop Frogs by Nic Bishop
  • Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic by Robert Burleigh
  • Ashley Bryan’s ABC of African American Poetry by Ashley Bryan
  • Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron
  • Great Migrations by Elizabeth Carney
  • The Dog That Stole Football Plays by Matt Christopher
  • Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary
  • Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
  • Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
  • Rafi and Rosi: Carnival! by Lulu Delacre
  • Donavan’s Word Jar by Monalisa De Gross
  • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo
  • Sipping Spiders through a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters by Kelly DiPucchio
  • My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Gannett
  • Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
  • A Young Dancer by Valerie Gladstone
  • First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew by Robbin Gourley
  • Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes
  • The Emperor Lays an Egg by Brenda Z. Guiberson
  • Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
  • Babymouse by Jennifer Holm
  • From Slave to Soldier by Deborah Hopkinson
  • The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins
  • Goha the Wise Fool by Denys Johnson-Davies
  • Accidents May Happen: Fifty Inventions by Charlotte Jones
  • Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit by Roslyn Jordan
  • George Did It by Suzanne Jurmain
  • What Bluebirds Do by Pamela Kirby
  • The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
  • Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald
  • The Doll People by Ann Martin
  • The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
  • Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
  • The Village That Vanished by Kadir Nelson
  • Clementine by Sara Pennybacker
  • Dear Benjamin Banneker by Andrea D. Pinkney
  • The Outside Dog by Charlotte Pomerantz
  • And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
  • Lebron James: I Love Challenges! by Michael Sandler
  • Fa Mulan: The Story of a Woman Warrior by Robert San Souci
  • The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
  • Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Sieszka
  • John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith
  • The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford
  • Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail
  • Lincoln and His Boys by Rosemary Wells
  • The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
  • You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter


Suggested Books for Fourth Grade

  • Grow It Cook It by Jill Bloomfield, ed.
  • The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
  • Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa by Veronica Chambers
  • Frindle by Andrew Clements
  • Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell
  • Sadako by Eleanor Coerr
  • James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl
  • Amber Brown Goes Fourth by Paula Danizger
  • Helen’s Eyes by Marfe Delano
  • Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Di Camillo
  • The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
  • The Story of the Washington Wizards by Aaron Frisch, Arron
  • The Popularity Papers by Lydia Goldblatt
  • The Chimpanzees I Love by Jane Goodall
  • Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes
  • Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
  • Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling
  • Bunnicula by Deborah Howe
  • Birthday Surprises: Ten Great Stories to Unwrap by Johanna Hurwitz, ed.
  • I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King
  • Ben and Me by Robert Lawson
  • Tales of Uncle Remus by Julius Lester
  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
  • Arithme-tickle by J. Patrick Lewis
  • The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry by Bill Martin Jr., ed.
  • Away West by Patricia McKissack
  • A Crazy Mixed-up Spanglish Day by Marisa Montes
  • Starting with Alice by Phyllis Naylor
  • Joe and the Skyscraper by Dietrich Neumann
  • The Borrowers by Mary Norton
  • Zeus: King of the Gods by George O’Connor
  • Big Nate: In a Class by Himself by Lincoln Pierce
  • The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier
  • The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
  • Sideway Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
  • Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
  • How We Crossed the West by Rosalyn Schanzer
  • Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka
  • Summer Reading Is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka
  • Starry Messenger by Peter Sis
  • So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George
  • Swish: The Quest for Basketball’s Perfect Shot by Mark Stewart
  • Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm
  • Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins by Carole Weatherford
  • Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
  • Scooter by Vera Williams


Suggested Books for Fifth Grade

  • Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison
  • How Tia Lola Came to Stay by Julia Alvarez
  • Whittington by Alan Armstrong
  • Something Upstairs by Avi
  • Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
  • Zora and Me by Victoria Bond
  • Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
  • A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
  • Dear Dr. King: Letters from Today’s Children by Jan Colbert, ed.
  • Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Curtis
  • Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris
  • Story Painter by John Duggleby
  • Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
  • Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
  • Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
  • Coraline by Neil Gaiman
  • A Strong Right Arm by Michelle Y. Johnson Green
  • Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
  • Bird, Lake, Moon by Kevin Henkes
  • Flush by Carl Hiaasen
  • Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
  • Zany Miscellany by Tom Jackson
  • A Foot in the Mouth by Paul Janeczko
  • bTail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
  • The Brooklyn Bridge by Elizabeth Mann
  • Return of the Dapper Men by Jim McCann
  • Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters by Patricia McKissack
  • Junebug by Alice Mead
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor
  • We Are the Ship: Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
  • Black Elk’s Vision: A Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson
  • 101 Ways You Can Help Save the Planet by Joanne O'Sullivan
  • Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
  • Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
  • Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme by Jack Prelutsky
  • Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex
  • Safe at Home by Sharon Robinson
  • Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Muñoz Ryan
  • Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
  • Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
  • George vs. George by Rosalyn Schanzer
  • The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
  • Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
  • Safari Journal by Hudson Talbott
  • Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
  • The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop
  • Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee


Suggested Books for Sixth Grade

  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  • The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
  • Sounder by William Armstrong
  • Kids on Strike! by Susan Bartoletti
  • Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
  • The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood
  • Some Friend by Marie Bradby
  • They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg
  • Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone
  • Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
  • Fire Bringer by David Clement-Davies
  • Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
  • Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
  • Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying C. Compestine
  • Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Curtis
  • Fire from the Rock by Sharon Draper
  • Bull Run by Paul Fleischman
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  • The Eternal Spring of Mr. Itobyby Sheila Garrigue
  • Hop Hop Speaks to Children by Nikki Giovanni, ed.
  • Shug by Karen Hesse
  • Out of the Dust by Jenny Han
  • Redwall by Brian Jacques
  • The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
  • The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
  • Kampung Boy by Lat
  • Savvy by Ingrid Law
  • Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
  • In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Lord
  • Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay
  • Trash by Andy Mulligan
  • Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
  • Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out
  • A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
  • Alanna by Tamora Pierce
  • The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
  • Ripley's Believe It or Not!
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling
  • The Little Prince by Joann Sfar
  • The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis
  • Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Speare
  • When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
  • Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale
  • Gladiator by Richard R. Watkins
  • So B. It by Sarah Weeks
  • The Red Rose Box by Brenda Woods
  • After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson