Books for Emerging Readers (K to Grade 2)

Kids that are starting to read short books on their own need books that are shorter with illustrations to keep them from being overwhelmed. Early Readers are great options for books that feel manageable. They can be fiction or non-fiction as long as the topic interests the child. Not all Early Readers use the same rating system, so have your child read the first page or two, and if there are more than three or four words per page that they struggle to read, find a book that is a little less of a challenge.

Updated May 29, 2025
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Lambton County Library Summer Reading Challenge 2025
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Paddington plays on
Bond, Michael
Paper Book
Paddington's vacation starts with a bang! When he is enlisted into a marching band, Paddington saves the day--and the parade--with his charming sense of adventure. ...
Clifford the small red puppy
Bridwell, Norman.
Paper Book
Clifford wasn't always a big red dog. . . Clifford begins life as a very small, red puppy, but once he starts growing into a very large, red dog, there seems no limit to his potential size!
Clifford the big red dog
Bridwell, Norman.
Paper Book
It only takes a little to be BIG! Meet Clifford and Emily Elizabeth in the original Clifford book! Clifford is big. Clifford is red. But most of all, Clifford knows how to BE A GOOD FRIEND.
Bink & Gollie
DiCamillo, Kate.
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! Winner of the 2011 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award! In a brilliant collaboration, best-selling authors Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, along with acclaimed illustrator Tony Fucile, introduce an outrageously funny pair of friends. Meet...
Ollie
Dunrea, Olivier
Paper Book
Friends Gossie and Gertie are waiting and waiting for Ollie to hatch. They try poking, listening, even sitting on top of his egg--but Ollie just won't come out. Ollie is Ollie and he will decide when it's time to hatch. Fans of Gossie and Gossie and Gertie will find Ollie just as charming and...
Gossie
Dunrea, Olivier.
Paper Book
The first book in the preschool-perfect Gossie & Friends series by Olivier Dunrea about a small yellow gosling who goes looking for her missing boots and finds a new friend. Gossie is a small yellow gosling who loves to wear bright red boots--every day. But one morning she can't find them!...
Iris and Walter and the birthday party
Guest, Elissa Haden.
Paper Book
It's Walter's birthday and he has big plans for his party. There will be cake and ice cream and horseback riding, and all of his friends will be there--including, of course, his best friend, Iris. But when the big day finally arrives, something unexpected happens. Will the change of plans ruin...
The bad seed
John, Jory.
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! This is a book about a bad seed. A baaaaaaaaaad seed. How bad Do you really want to know He has a bad temper, bad manners, and a bad attitude. He's been bad since he can remember! This seed cuts in line every time, stares at everybody and...
Frog and Toad are friends
Lobel, Arnold.
Paper Book
Five very short stories told in a direct and ingenuous style, appealing because of their ease and the familiarity of the situations.
Amelia Bedelia
Parish, Peggy.
Paper Book
Amelia Bedelia is in bright, full color! Now available for the first time as an I Can Read Book, this ever-popular story has a fresh look that fans -- old and new -- will celebrate. Ever since Amelia Bedelia made her debut almost thirty years ago, young readers have been laughing out loud at the...
The dot
Reynolds, Peter
Paper Book
With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark -- and follow where it takes us. Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." Art class is over, but...
The word collector
Reynolds, Peter H.
Paper Book
From the creator of The Dot, I Am Human, and Happy Dreamer comes a celebration of finding your own words -- and the impact you can have when you share them with the world. Some people collect stamps. Some people collect coins. Some people collect art. And...
Henry and Mudge : the first book of their adventures
Rylant, Cynthia.
Paper Book
For use in schools and libraries only. A series about an only child and his huge best friend, a mastiff named Mudge.
Henry and Mudge in puddle trouble : the second book of their adventures
Rylant, Cynthia.
Paper Book
For Henry and his big dog Mudge, spring means admiring the first snow glory, playing in puddles in the rain, and watching the five new kittens next door. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
We are in a book!
Willems, Mo.
Paper Book
Mo Willems, award-winning, New York Times best-selling creator of The Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, and Unlimited Squirrels, presents best friends Elephant Gerald and Piggie.   Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald...
Harry and the lady next door
Zion, Gene.
Paper Book
A funny I Can Read story featuring the beloved Harry the Dirty Dog! Harry, the mischievous little white dog with black spots, tries everything he can think of to get the lady next door to stop singing. Every time Harry tries to stop her, he gets in trouble! Can Harry solve the neighborhood...

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