100 Easy but NOT Boring Readers for Young Kids

The practicing-to-read phase is a tricky one. It comes right after the learning-to-read phase which is usually pure bliss. Most kids in the "learning" phase are so thrilled to be finally crossing over the great divide between those who CAN read and those who CAN'T, that they eagerly gobble up as many emergent readers as you can throw at them. But then comes the practicing-to-read phase and things begin to get a little dicey...sometimes even tragic. 

On the one hand, a child has to READ in order to practice the skills necessary for learning to read with fluency. But on the other hand, if he's still learning to read, his book choices are limited because he's graduated past emergent readers, but isn't quite smooth enough for "regular" books yet. For a while, practicing the skill of reading is a catch-22. 

(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

What makes matters worse is that so many easy reader style books are just plain b.o.r.i.n.g. The story lines are dry, the characters are not relatable, and the overall tones are repetitive and condescending leaving the child uninspired.

Except for these ones. I've gathered a list of 100 EASY but NOT BORING books for all those practicing-to-read kiddos. And here they are.

(Please note: the "levels" are publisher designations and do not always reflect an accurate reading level, in my humble opinion.)

Fiction titles

Level 1

Cat Traps by Molly Coxe
Charlie the Ranch Dog series by Ree Drummond
Don't Cut My Hair! by Hans Wilhelm



Hot Dog by Molly Coxe
Little Bear Collection by Else Holmelund Minarik
Mac and Cheese by Sarah Weeks



Red Fox and His Canoe by Nathaniel Benchley
The Best Breakfast by Mona Hodgson
The Biggest Snowball Fight by Angela Shelf



The Fire Cat by Esther Averill
The Horse in Harry's Room by Syd Hoff
The Lion and the Mouse by Gail Herman



The Pup Speaks Up by Anna Jane Hays
The Shy Scarecrow by Mary Packard
Too Many Dogs by Lori Haskins

Level 2

Big Max The World's Greatest Detective by Kin Platt
Frog and Toad Collection by Arnold Lobel
Henry and Mudge Collection by Cynthia Rylant



Here Comes the Strikeout by Leonard Kessler
Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel



Pal and Sal by R.A. Herman
Shampoodle by Joan Holub
The Chick That Wouldn't Hatch by Claire Daniel



Zack's Alligator by Shirley Mozelle

Level 3

Daniel's Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla
Deputy Dan Gets His Man by Joseph Rosenbloom
Fox and Crow Are Not Friends by Melissa Wiley



Little Lucy by Ilene Cooper
Paddywack by Stephanie Spinner
Sleeping Bootsie by Maribeth Boelts

Snowshoe Thompson by Nancy Smiler Levinson
The Stinky Giant by Ellen Weiss

Historically-themed titles

Level 1

Amelia Earhart by Caroline Gilpin
Betsy Ross: The Story of Our Flag by Pamela Chanko
George Washington by Justin Martin



Johnny Appleseed: An American Who Made a Difference by Alyse Sweeney
Rosa Parks: Bus Ride to Freedom by Pamela Chanko

Level 2

Abraham Lincoln by Caroline Gilpin
Alexander Graham Bell by Barbara Kramer
George Washington by Caroline Gilpin



Little Runner of the Longhouse by Betty Baker
Thomas Edison by Barbara Kramer

Level 3

Abe Lincoln's Hat by Martha Brenner
Amazing Rescues by George Shea
Babe Ruth Saves Baseball! by Frank Murphy

Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express by Eleanor Coerr
Christopher Columbus by Stephen Krensky
Eat My Dust! Henry Ford's First Race by Monica Kulling



Francis Scott Key's Star-Spangled Banner by Monica Kulling

George the Drummer Boy by Nathaniel Benchley
George Washington and the General's Dog by Frank Murphy



Hill of Fire by Thomas P. Lewis

Johnny Appleseed by Jane Kurtz
Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President by Shirley Redmond



Listen Up! Alexander Graham Bell's Talking Machine by Monica Kulling

Sam the Minuteman by Nathaniel Benchley
Take a Hike Teddy Roosevelt by Frank Murphy

The Big Balloon Race by Eleanor Coerr
The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford

The Long Way to a New Land by Joan Sandin



The First Thanksgiving by Linda Hayward
The True Story of Pocahontas by Lucille Penner

Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner

Level 4

Benjamin Franklin and the Magic Squares by Frank Murphy
Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman by Monica Kulling
First Flight by George Shea



Prairie School by Avi
Thomas Jefferson's Feast by Frank Murphy
Tut's Mummy: Lost...and Found by Judy Donnelly

Science-themed titles

Level 1

Bones by Stephen Krensky
Follow the Polar Bears by Sonia Black
Footprints in the Snow by Cynthia Benjamin



Hello Science Readers: I Am... by Jean Marzollo
I Like Bugs by Maragaret Wise Brown
Weather Ready-to-Read Series by Marion Bauer and John Wallace

Level 2

Ham, Ham, Hamsters and others in the series by Bonnie Bader
Hibernation by Tori Kosara
Turtles by Jodi Huelin



Twisters! by Kate Hayden
Wildlife Conservation Society Amazing Animal Series by Sarah L. Thomson

Level 3

Dive! by Mel Berger
Dolphin by Robert A. Morris
Fake Out: Animals that Play Tricks by Ginjer CLark



Make Way for Tooth Decay by Bobbi Katz
Stingrays! Underwater Fliers by Carole Gerber
Tentacles: Tales of the Giant Squid by Shirley Redmond

Vintage titles

Baltimore Orioles by Barbara Brenner

I Know a Story by Miriam Huber, Frank Salisbury, & Mabel O'Donnell

Little Popcorn by Sara Asheron

Mr. Pig and Sonny Too by Lillian Hoban 

Plenty of Fish by Millicent Selsam

Red Tag Comes Back by Fred Phleger

Terry and the Caterpillars by Millicent E. Selsam

The Adventures of Silly Billy by Tamara Kitt

The Pig War by Betty Baker

The Secret Three by Mildred Myrick

The Three Coats of Benny Bunny by Sara Asheron

Tillie and Mert by Ida Luttrell

Walpole by Syd Hoff

The bloggers of iHomeschool Network have joined forces to bring you a 100 Things Giveaway. This is 100 Things you'll be sure to use. 2 Winners will each receive $100! Enter the givewaway using the widget on the iHomeschool Network 100 Things post. Winners get to choose a $100 cash payout using Paypal OR a $100 Gift Card to Amazon.