Good Books for Kids

Look here for our favorite books for elementary school kids. We can show you books that are a lot like your favorite ones. And you can learn about two Illinois book awards where kids get to pick the winners.

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th & 5th Grade

Read-a-likes

Top Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Kids

110 Books for Every Child

(http://champaign.org/justkids/good_books/110_books.html)

These are our all-time favorites for grades 4 and 5. Why 110? To celebrate 110 years of children’s services, which started at our library in 1899.

African American Children’s Books

(http://champaign.org/justkids/good_books/african_american.html)

These are our favorite books by or about African Americans for grades K to 3.

CU Children’s Authors

(http://champaign.org/justkids/good_books/cu_childrens_authors.html)

Meet the people in your own community who are writing and illustrating children’s books.

Monarch Award

(http://champaign.org/justkids/good_books/monarch_award.html)

This annual award goes to the author and illustrator of a book chosen by participating Illinois children in grades K to 3.

Bluestem Award

(http://champaign.org/justkids/good_books/bluestem.html)

This annual award goes to the author and illustrator of a book chosen by participating Illinois children in grades K to 3.

Rebecca Caudill Award

(http://champaign.org/justkids/good_books/rebecca_caudill_award.html)

Illinois kids in grades 4 to 8 nominate books and pick the winners in this competition named for a children’s author who lived in Urbana, Illinois.

Read-a-Likes

(http://champaign.org/justkids/good_books/read_a_likes.html)

Lots of kids tell us,“I want a book just like….” If you‘re a fan of the Wimpy Kid or Percy Jackson and the Olympians, here are other books you might like.

National Award Winners

(http://champaign.org/justkids/good_books/national_award_winners.html)

See which books have won the Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King, and Robert F. Sibert awards.

Storyline logo

Storyline

Listen to TV and movie celebrities read picture books on Storyline Online

Tumblebooks logo

Tumblebooks

Tumblebooks are animated books; learn more about how they work

Tumblereadables

Tumblereadables

Tumblereadables are interactive books for emergent, reluctant, and ESL readers

Tumble Talking Books

TumbleTalkingBooks

TumbleTalkingBooks are high-quality streaming audio of books for all ages

Book Flix logo

Book Flix

Book Flix combines a fiction and nonfiction book with games;
in-library use| home use

Good Books for Babies & Preschoolers

Babies
Preschoolers