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.

• Suggested Books for Pre-K
• Suggested Books for Kindergarten
• Suggested Books for First Grade
• Suggested Books for Second Grade
• Suggested Books for Third Grade
• Suggested Books for Fourth Grade
• Suggested Books for Fifth Grade
• Suggested Books for Sixth Grade

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.

• Américas Book Award
• Caldecott Medal
• Coretta Scott King Award
• Newbery Medal
• Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
• Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

Suggested Books for Pre-K

• 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
• Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
• Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
• Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
• Possum Magic by Mem Fox
• The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
• Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes
• Lilly’s Big Day by Kevin Henkes
• Be Boy Buzz by Bell Hooks
• Don’t Forget the Bacon by Pat Hutchins
• The Fisherman and His Wife by Rachel Isadora
• Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
• Jack and the Beanstalk by Steven Kellogg
• The Wheels on the Bus by Maryann Kovalski
• Queen of the Scene by Queen Latifah
• Wave by Suzy Lee
• Machines Go to Work by William Low
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
• Is This a House for Hermit Crab? by Megan McDonald
• I’m Bad! by Kate and Jim McMullan
• Bread, Bread, Bread by Ann Morris
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
• Joshua James Likes Trucks by Catherine Petrie
• The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
• These Hands by Hope Lynne Price
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
• Black? White! Day? Night!: A Book of Opposites by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
• Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• Truck Song by Diane Siebert
• Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
• A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry
• Paperwhite by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
• Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
• What a Wonderful World by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele
• Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
• Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
• King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood

Suggested Books for Kindergarten

• I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada
• Moongame by Frank Asch
• What Did One Elephant Say to the Other? by Becky Baines
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
• A New Home by Tim Bowers
• Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
• Biscuit’s Day at the Farm by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
• Get Up and Go by Nancy Carlson
• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
• Bigmama’s by Donald Crews
• For You Are a Kenyan Child by Kelly Cunnane
• Jamela’s Dress by Niki Daly
• Firefighters A to Z by Chris L. Demarest
• Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
• Say Hola to Spanish by Susan Middleton Elya
• Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer
• How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham
• Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield
• Benny and Penny in Just Pretend by Geoffrey Hayes
• 26 Letters and 99 Cents by Tana Hoban
• Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson
• How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan
• The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster
• Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
• Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel
• Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
• We All Went on Safari by Laurie Krebs
• Boy, Were We Wrong about Dinosaurs! by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
• A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
• Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod
• Different Just Like Me by Lori Mitchell
• Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life by Jerdine Nolen
• Bee-Bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park
• Max Found Two Sticks by Brian Pinkney
• Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
• Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
• Yo! Yes? by Christopher Raschka
• Little Panda by Joanne Ryder
• Mama, I’ll Give You the World by Roni Schotter
• Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
• About Reptiles by Cathryn P. Sill
• Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells
• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
• Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong
• Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

Suggested Books for First Grade

• Who’s in Rabbit’s House? by Verna Aardema
• Miss Nelson Is Missing! by Harry Allard
• Hi, Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold
• Li’l Dan the Drummer Boy by Romare Bearden
• Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
• Pop! A Book about Bubbles by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• Dinosaurs in Your Backyard by Hugh Brewster
• Sid and Sam by Nola Buck
• Otto’s Orange Day by Frank Cammuso and Jay Lynch
• Emily’s Art by Peter Catalanotto
• Minnie and Moo: Wanted Dead or Alive by Denys Cazet
• The Meanest Thing to Say by Bill Cosby
• Welcome to Zanzibar Road by Niki Daly
• Johnny Appleseed by Patricia B. Demuth
• The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
• Traction Man Is Here by Mini Grey
• Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff
• Day of Ahmed’s Secret by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland
• Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
• Grandma Elephant’s in Charge by Martin Jenkins
• Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa
• Harriet and the Promised Land by Jacob Lawrence
• The Tooth Book by Theo. LeSieg
• John Henry by Julius Lester
• Two Feet Up, Two Feet Down by Pamela Love
• Red Riding Hood retold by James Marshall
• Messy Bessey by Patricia and Frederick McKissack
• Way Up and Over Everything by Alice McGill
• Martha Calling by Susan Meddaugh
• Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman
• A Kiss for Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
• Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivola
• A Baby Panda Is Born by Kristin Ostby
• Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch by Barbara Park
• Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
• The Family Book by Todd Parr
• Duke Ellington by Andrea Pinkney
• The New Girl…and Me by Jacqui Robbins
• Peter and the Wolf retold by Chris Raschka
• Dragonfly’s Tale by Kristina Rodanas
• Mice and Beans by Pam Muñoz Ryan
• Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers by Cynthia Rylant
• Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci
• The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci
• Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
• I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems
• Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson

Suggested Books for Second Grade

• The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet by Tony Abbott
• A Picture Book of Helen Keller by David A. Adler
• A Bear for Miguel by Elaine Marie Alphin
• Abe Lincoln’s Hat by Martha Brenner
• Little Beauty by Anthony Browne
• Just for Elephants by Carol Buckley
• Hoops by Robert Burleigh
• George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora
• Inspector Hopper by Doug Cushman
• One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice
• Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride by Kate DiCamillo
• In My Family/En mi Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza
• Little Dog and Duncan by Kristine O’Connell George
• Digby by Barbara Shook Hazen
• Weaving a Dream by Marilee Heyer
• Houndsley and Catina by James Howe
• Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs
• How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
• Lucy Rose: Here’s the Thing about Me by Katy Kelly
• My Senator and Me: A Dog’s Eye View of Washington, D.C. by Edward Kennedy
• The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley
• Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
• Captain and Matey Set Sail by Daniel Laurence
• Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
• Black and White by David Macaulay
• Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
• Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully
• Tomás Rivera by Jane Medina
• Capital! Washington, DC from A to Z by Laura Krauss Melmed
• Magic Pickle and the Planet of the Grapes by Scott Morse
• Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
• Sitti’s Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye
• A Is for Africa by Ifeoma Onyefulu
• Koko’s Kitten by Francine Patterson
• Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
• Ruby the Copycat by Peggy Rathmann
• Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
• Buttons for General Washington by Peter and Connie Roop
• When Marian Sang by Pam Muñoz Ryan
• Henry and Mudge in the Green Time by Cynthia Rylant
• Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman by Alan Schroeder
• Brave Irene by William Steig
• Amazing Snakes by Sarah L. Thomson
• The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg
• Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day by Jean Van Leeuwen
• Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford
• The Warrior and the Wise Man by David Wisniewski
• Basketball Legends by Mark Woods
• Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

Suggested Books for Third Grade

• Lou Gehrig by David A. Adler
• Young Cam Jansen and the Baseball Mystery by David A. Adler
• Teammates by Tiki and Ronde Barber
• Nic Bishop Frogs by Nic Bishop
• Ashley Bryan’s ABC of African American Poetry by Ashley Bryan
• The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron
• The Dog That Stole Football Plays by Matt Christopher
• Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary
• When John and Caroline Lived in the White House by Laurie Coulter
• Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
• The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
• Rafi and Rosi: Carnival! by Lulu Delacre
• Donavan’s Word Jar by Monalisa DeGross
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
• My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
• Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
• A Young Dancer by Valerie Gladstone
• The Village That Vanished by Ann Grifalconi
• Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes
• The Emperor Lays an Egg by Brenda Z. Guiberson
• Babymouse by Jennifer Holm
• From Slave to Soldier by Deborah Hopkinson
• The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins
• A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
• Goha the Wise Fool by Denys Johnson-Davies
• Accidents May Happen: Fifty Inventions Discovered by Mistake by Charlotte Jones
• Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Roslyn Jordan
• George Did It by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain
• What Bluebirds Do by Pamela F. Kirby
• The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
• Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald
• The Doll People by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin
• The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
• Soccer Sam by Jean Marzollo
• Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
• Clementine by Sara Pennybacker
• Dear Benjamin Banneker by Andrea Davis 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 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
• The Patchwork Path by Bettye Stroud
• 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

• 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 by Roald Dahl
• Space Station Rat by Michael J. Daley
• Amber Brown Goes Fourth by Paula Danizger
• Helen’s Eyes by Marfe Ferguson Delano
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
• The Story of the Washington Wizards by Aaron Frisch
• 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 Clancy Holling
• Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah Howe
• Birthday Surprises: Ten Great Stories to Unwrap edited by Johanna Hurwitz
• I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.
• Pigs Might Fly by Dick King-Smith
• Ben and Me by Robert Lawson
• Grant Wood: The Artist in the Hayloft by Deborah J. Leach
• The 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. Book of Poetry edited by Bill Martin
• Away West by Patricia C. McKissack
• A Crazy Mixed-up Spanglish Day by Marisa Montes
• Starting with Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• Joe and the Skyscraper by Dietrich Neumann
• The Borrowers by Mary Norton
• Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr
• 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
• Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger
• Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei by Peter Sis
• So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George
• Swish: The Quest for Basketball’s Perfect Shot by Mark Stewart
• Go Fish by Mary Stolz
• Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm
• Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins by Carole Boston Weatherford
• Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
• Scooter by Vera B. Williams
• The Tale of Pale Male by Jeanette Winter

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
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
• The Crow-girl: The Children of Crow Cove by Bodil Bredsdorff
• Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
• A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris
• Story Painter by John Duggleby
• The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman
• A Strong Right Arm by Michelle Y. Green
• Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
• M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton
• 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: Poems to Speak, Sing and Shout selected by Paul B. Janeczko
• The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
• Lost Star: The Story of Amelia Earhart by Patricia G. Lauber
• Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters and Other Wily Characters by Patricia McKissack
• Junebug by Alice Mead
• Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
• 101 Ways You Can Help Save the Planet Before You’re 12! by Joanne O’Sullivan
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
• Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme edited 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
• Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor
• 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
• Sounder by William H. Armstrong
• Kids on Strike! by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
• Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
• The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood
• Some Friend by Marie Bradby
• Blood on the River: James Town, 1607 by Elisa Carbone
• Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi
• 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 Chang Compestine
• Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Fire From the Rock by Sharon M. Draper
• Bull Run by Paul Fleischman
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito by Sheila Garrigue
• Hip Hop Speaks to Children edited by Nikki Giovanni
• Zeely by Virginia Hamilton
• Shug by Jenny Han
• Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
• Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
• Redwall by Brian Jacques
• 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 Bette Bao Lord
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Hidden Talents by David Lubar
• Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay
• Three Cups of Tea (Young Readers’ Edition) by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
• Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
• Our White House: Looking in, Looking Out
• A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
• Alanna by Tamora Pierce
• Night Boat to Freedom by Margot Theis Raven
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
• The Wall by Peter Sis
• Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• The Nine-Ton Cat: Behind the Scenes at an Art Museum by Peggy Thomson
• Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale
• Gladiator by Richard Watkins
• So B. It by Sarah Weeks
• Red Rose Box by Brenda Woods
• After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson