Finding the best books for kids is super easy when you use the lists that Growing Book by Book creates for you. I make a big effort in selecting high-quality book for kids that kids will love and that adults will want to read to children.
The book lists on this page are organized by topic or theme. You can also find our book lists organized in alphabetical order and book lists by age on the linked pages.—>Book Lists (ABC Order) or Book Lists by Age
Books for Kids by Topic/Theme
If you would like to see the most popular book list on Growing Book by Book, then you’ll want to check out 101 Books Every Child Should Hear Before Kindergarten. It even comes as a printable list that you can share with families.
Character Education Books
Build character strengths by reading about each strength. Each list is printable and includes discussion questions.
- Teamwork
- Persistence/Determination
- Fairness
- Love
- Citizenship/Responsibility
- Honesty
- Creativity
- Curiosity
- Bravery/Courage
- Respect/Inclusion
- Gratitude
- Kindness
Or, get the whole BIG list here.—>125 Books That Build Character
Also, check out Books to Inspire Kids to Make a Difference in the World.
Social Emotional Learning Books
Books are a wonderful way to build social-emotional learning and I have a whole list of books to support that work.—>SEL Books
And, here are more amazing lists around the topic too.
- Be You!
- Finding Your Voice and Standing Up for Others
- Books About Separation
- Pursuing Your Dreams
- Staying Connected and Being Together
- Being Mindful and Taking to Notice and Wonder
- Empathy and Looking at Things From Different Perspectives
Books Highlighting New Experiences and Tough Situations
Little ones experience many firsts in their lives from potty training, learning to ride a bike, or a first trip on an airplane. They may also face some tough times and books can always help.
- Birthday
- Bullying
- Potty Training
- First Trip on an Airplane
- Homelessness and Hunger
- Learning to Ride a Bike
- New Baby on the Way
- Picky Eaters
- Making Friends
- Moving
- First Day of School (Ultimate Back to School List, First Day of Preschool, and First Day of School)
- Graduation (the list is great for graduates of all ages)
- Redirecting and Promoting Good Behavior
- Remembering 9/11
- Having a Positive Attitude
- Death and Grief
- Separation
Science Books for Kids
Start with the Big List of Science Books for Preschoolers where you’ll find books for life science, earth science, and more. Then go deeper into different topics with these specific book lists.
Seasons
Animals
We have over 12 individual book lists about your favorite animals from cats & dogs to whales. —> See all the Animal Books for Kids.
More Science Books for Kids
- Five Senses
- Gardening
- Healthy Habits
- Human Body
- Moon
- Ocean
- Rainforest
- Rocks
- Space
- STEM
- Trees
- Water
- Weather
Math Books for Kids
Explore new math concepts through stories with our Math Books for Kids.
- Counting Books for Toddlers
- Counting Books in the Garden
- Big List of Counting Books for a Variety of Ages
- Big List of Math Books for Preschoolers
- Money
- Shapes
Holiday Books for Kids
- Halloween (Monsters) and Halloween Counting Books and Halloween Books for Toddlers
- Christmas
- Chinese New Year
- Diverse Holidays and Celebrations
- New Year’s
- Groundhog Day
- Thanksgiving
- Valentine’s Day (Love) and Valentine’s Day Books for Toddlers
Monthly Read-Alouds
Celebrate the big, the little, and the wacky holidays of each month. Each day is a different holiday matched with a picture book to read aloud.
- January Read-Alouds
- February Read-Alouds
- March Read-Alouds
- April Read-Alouds
- May Read-Alouds
- June Read-Alouds
- July Read-Alouds
- August Read-Alouds
- September Read-Alouds
- October Read-Alouds
- November Read-Alouds
- December Read-Alouds
Books by Age
I’ve organized many of the book lists by age level for your convenience.
Favorite Books to Give for a Baby Shower
Ultimate List of Toddler Books
Ultimate List of Preschool Books
Need a book list sorted by age? We have that too. Check out Book Lists by Ages.
Multicultural Books for Kids
An effort is made to add multicultural books to all of our book lists. But, if you would like a specific multicultural list by age, the lists below are great resources. You’ll also find this post on Finding the Best Multicultural Books helpful.
- Multicultural Books for Babies
- Multicultural Books for Toddlers
- Multicultural Books for Preschoolers
- Books by Black Authors
- Multicultural Books Celebrating Food
Favorite Topics/Themes for Units of Study Books
Below you will find popular topics and themes that are often used in the classroom. You will also find lists that make different parts of your school day easier.
- ABC Books (26 different topics) and Alphabet Books for Toddlers
- All About Me
- Apples
- Back to School
- Balls
- Basic Concepts for Preschoolers
- Block Area Books
- Boxes
- Camping
- Careers and Jobs
- Circle Time Books (the best read-aloud books for a circle time setting)
- Colors
- Community
- Comprehension Strategies
- Construction Vehicles
- Days of the Week
- Emotions and Feelings
- Families
- Farm
- Fire trucks and Firefighters
- Grandparents
- Interactive Books and Interactive Books for Toddlers
- Mentoring Texts for Writer’s Workshop
- Moving and Grooving
- Names
- Pets
- Poetry
- Post Office
- Preschool Books
- Pumpkins
- Rainbows (includes a fun reading challenge)
- Robots
- Spanish
- Trains
- Transportation (Toddler List or Preschool List)
- Unicorns
- USA
- Wordless
Books to Support Specific Skill Development and Language Work
The lists below will help support developing phonological awareness, exploring how language works, writing techniques, and more.
- Alliteration and Targeted Sounds
- Books Celebrating Books and Reading
- Cumulative Tales (great for working on predictability and sequencing)
- Nursery Rhymes
- Onomatopoeia
- Opposites
- Phonological Awareness
- Positional Words
- Rhyming Books
- Step by Step Books
- Vocabulary Building
Book Variations
If you love a particular fairy tale or familiar book, chances are you can find some variations to go with it.
- The Little Red Hen
- Little Red Riding Hood
- The Gingerbread Man
- The Three Billy Goats Gruff
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- Three Little Pigs
- The Wheels on the Bus
- We’re Going On a…
Books About Food, Eating, and Cooking
Yummy books that will inspire cooking with children.
- Apples
- Cookbooks
- Cooking with Kids (stories that include a recipe)
- Ice Cream and Popsicles
- Multictultural Books Featuring Food
- Picky Eaters
- Pizza
- Soup
Award-Winning Books for Children
Book award lists are a great way to discover outstanding books. Here are some of my favorite awards for early literacy.
- Caldecott
- Multicultural Awards
- Subject Specific Awards
- Early Literacy Specific Awards
- Lesser-Known Awards
More Great Picture Book Lists
Here are even more book lists that you can access to meet your needs.
- Architecture and Building (great books for the block area)
- Art
- Autism
- Balloons
- Baseball
- Bedtime Books for Kids
- Bedtime Books for Babies and Toddlers
- Biographies
- Classic Picture Books
- Classic Toddler Books
- Clothing
- Drums
- Mermaids
- Moving and Grooving Story Time Books
- Nonfiction Books for Preschoolers
- Princesses
- Recycling
- Silly
- Sing-A-Long
- Women
Family Dinner Book Club Book Lists
Would you like to encourage families to read and spend time together? Family Dinner Book Club is a free monthly project that includes great books, themed menu, table talking topics, and activities.
- Social Emotional Learning (2022 Theme)
- Celebrating Through the Year (2021 Theme)
- Books and Movies Through the Decades
- Inspiring Kids to Make a Difference in the World Family Dinner Book Club
- Around the World Family Dinner Book Club
- Character Strengths Family Dinner Book Club
- Family Dinner Book Club Archives (includes classics and newer releases)
Audiobooks for Children
Audiobooks are fantastic for logging more reading time. Listen in the car, the classroom, or at breakfast.
Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books
The world of easy readers and early chapter books is downright mind-boggling. Publishers each have their own leveling system which can make your head spin. These lists will help.
- Age- Appropriate Series for Advanced Readers in Kindergarten and 1st Grade
- Easy But Not Boring
- Easy Readers
- Best Early Readers Series
- Early Chapter Books
- Easy Graphic Novels
Chapter Book Read-Alouds
These printable lists offer engaging chapter book read-alouds for the entire year.
- Month by Month Read-Alouds for Preschool
- Month by Month Read-Alouds for Kindergarten
- Month by Month Read-Alouds for First Grade
- Month by Month Read-Alouds for Second Grade
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