BOB Books


The BOB books are sequenced to start for the very earliest students to practice prereading skills, then letter sounds, and then move into blending sounds together to create words, adding additional phonics skills with each step. If your student already knows their letter sounds and is able to read a few basic words, then they can probably skip the prereading skills and alphabet books and move into the Stage 1 books. The books in this list are listed in the order the author recommends working through them.

Decodable books encourage children learning to read to sound out words using reading strategies rather than guessing from pictures or predicting from other clues. Text is carefully sequenced to only include phonics skills that students have already been learning so students are practicing at the right level and build confidence in reading before they move on to the next skill. Text is limited to one or two sentences to a page until readers are able to handle more complex stories with more text.


How to Use the Bob Books: Visit the Bob books website for short videos from the author on how to use the Bob books to support your child in reading

Free Printable Activities to go along with each Bob book can be found here


Updated June 27, 2023
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My first Bob books. basic literacy concepts in engaging read-aloud stories / Pre-reading skills
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. Set 1 : beginning readers
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. Set 1 : beginning readers
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book

Format: eBook

Bob books. More beginning readers
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. First stories
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book
Created by a teacher, Bob Books have been helping children learn to read for more than forty years! This charming box set from the bestselling phonics program features simple, decodable stories that get progressively more challenging. With playful, decodable stories, silly illustrations,...

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. Rhyming words
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. Rhyming words
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book

Format: eBook

Bob books. Advancing beginners
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book
Created by a teacher, Bob Books have been helping children learn to read for more than forty years! This phonics-based learn-to-read box set is perfect for young readers who are still building their skills. With playful stories, silly illustrations, and a phonics approach based on...

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. Advancing beginners
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book
Created by a teacher, Bob Books have been helping children learn to read for more than forty years! This phonics-based learn-to-read box set is perfect for young readers who are still building their skills. With playful stories, silly illustrations, and a phonics approach based on...

Format: eBook

Bob books. Sight words, kindergarten
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. kindergarten / Sight words
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book

Format: eBook

Bob books. Animal stories
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. first grade / Sight words
Kertell, Lynn Maslen
Paper Book

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. Word families
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book
Created by a teacher, Bob Books have been helping children learn to read for more than forty years! This phonics-based box set helps developing readers gently take the next step toward more complex stories. Bob Books Word Families helps children progress gently beyond the very...

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. Word families
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book
Created by a teacher, Bob Books have been helping children learn to read for more than forty years! This phonics-based box set helps developing readers gently take the next step toward more complex stories. Bob Books Word Families helps children progress gently beyond the very...

Format: eBook

Bob books. Complex words
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book
Created by a teacher, Bob Books have been helping children learn to read for more than forty years! This phonics-based set gives young readers the practice they need to advance to more complex words and sentences. With playful stories, silly illustrations, and a phonics approach based on...

Format: Physical Books

Bob books. Complex words
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book
Created by a teacher, Bob Books have been helping children learn to read for more than forty years! This phonics-based set gives young readers the practice they need to advance to more complex words and sentences. With playful stories, silly illustrations, and a phonics approach based on...

Format: eBook

Bob books. Long vowels
Maslen, Bobby Lynn
Paper Book
Created by a teacher, Bob Books have been helping children learn to read for more than forty years! This phonics-based set introduces long vowels and helps developing readers gently take the final step toward reading chapter books. With playful stories, silly illustrations, and a phonics...

Format: Physical Books


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