All parents hope that their children will grow up to become successful, happy adults. For elementary school children, this means developing solid reading skills and an ability to comprehend written words independently. These reading skills begin around kindergarten, meaning that by age 6, you should be encouraging your child to read a wide variety of books.
What should my child be reading by age 6?
Although children each develop at their own pace, most six-year-old children possess basic literacy skills. At this age, most children fully grasp sound patterns and basic pronunciations. Furthermore, six-year-old children typically recognize at least 200 sight words, use context clues to decode unfamiliar words, and answer questions about what they’re reading. They should use a variety of skills to explore stories, including predicting, re-reading, and utilizing visual cues.
The best way to help your child continue to develop their reading and language skills is by constantly engaging them in reading, writing, and communicating. Talk to your child regularly. Encourage them to read signs, menus, and other text they encounter on a daily basis. Finally, spend time listening to your child reading aloud and also reading to them. None of these items require excessive effort, and they could very well make or break your child’s success for the rest of their life.
Below, you’ll find 15 of the best books for six year old children.
Individual Titles:
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
Length: 48 Pages
Lexile Level: AD500L
Great For: Kids learning about personal space and getting along with others.
Formats Available: Print, eBook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, Books-A-Million
Penelope Rex can’t wait for her first day of school. What she doesn’t realize, though, is that getting along is hard when your classmates look so tasty.
Young children can connect with Penelope and the struggle to make new friends. This book puts boundaries and personal space into perspective for these children and helps them understand the importance of kindness and understanding. Whether you’re raising an only child or multiples, this book can help everyone learn that others will treat us the way we treat them.
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Length: 32 Pages
Lexile Level: AD750L
Great For: Creative kids!
Formats Available: Print, eBook, Audiobook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Scholastic
This story follows Iggy, who has built unique things since he was two. This creative little boy can’t wait to become a famous architect… if he can make it through school, that is.
Like all of Andrea Beaty’s books, this story highlights creativity, self-expression, and individuality. The fun illustrations, interesting rhymes, and unique structure hook kids instantly. Early readers may need assistance sounding out more advanced words, but this makes a great family story to enjoy together. If your child enjoys this one, I highly recommend exploring the rest of her delightful books.
Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the True Story of an American Feud by Suzanne Jurmain
Length: 32 Pages
Lexile Level: 920L
Great For: Introducing historical information in a fun way.
Formats Available: Print, eBook, Audiobook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, Apple Books
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were once the best of friends. But opposing views on how to run the newly formed United States turned them into enemies.
Biographies and historical non-fiction can often overwhelm young minds. However, this friendly spin on two of America’s founding fathers makes reading about the country’s history fun for the whole family. Filled with both history and humor, Worst of Friends helps children see that we can all set aside our differences for the sake of friendship.
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt
Length: 48 Pages
Lexile Level: AD670L
Great For: Making kids laugh and love stories!
Formats Available: Print
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, Target
If you ever wondered how the game Rock, Paper, Scissors came to be, then this is the book for you! This tale of epic proportions follows each object as it tries to break out of its mundane life and become something more. The objects battle each other for bragging rights, but end up tied in victories at the end.
Filled with laugh-out-loud humor and exciting illustrations, The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors is definitely one of the best books for six-year-old children out there. It’s no wonder this one is a New York Times bestseller and has five-star reviews across the board.
How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans by David LaRochelle
Length: 32 Pages
Lexile Level: AD540L
Great For: Picky Eaters
Formats Available: Print, eBook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, Apple Books
Martha hates green beans. But when the green bandits come to town and steal her parents, she’s left with no choice but to suck it up and torture her tastebuds.
With a brilliant story and perfectly matching illustrations from cover to cover, this one wins a spot on the bookshelf instantly. This splendid tale receives recommendations from first grade teachers and parents alike.The hilarious take on the phrase “eat your vegetables” won’t just help your child’s reading skills, but also their eating habits, too!
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
Length: 40 Pages
Lexile Level: AD580L
Great For: Young readers with big aspirations.
Formats Available: Print
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, Harper Collins
As a child, Mae dreamed of dancing in space as an astronaut. With her mother’s inspiration, she makes her dreams come true.
Inspired by the life of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, this book makes a great choice for any classroom or home. Mae Among The Stars will inspire any young child to reach for the stars and persist through struggles with a childlike imagination. It’s also a great way to share a bit of history with your child in a fun, engaging way.
The True Story of The Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Length: 32 Pages
Lexile Level: AD510L
Great For: Introducing children to perspective.
Formats Available: Print, Audiobook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, Audible
You only thought you knew the story of “The Three Little Pigs,” but that was all a fallacy…
This hysterical, cleverly constructed fractured fairy tale provides young readers with a new point of view on “The Three Little Pigs,” as told by the wolf. By overlapping some details and providing entirely plausible explanations, this story helps children see how sometimes a difference in perspective can change the entire situation. The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs helps expand six-year-old minds and encourages them to explore stories more critically.
I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are by Bridget Heos
Length: 48 Pages
Lexile Level: AD560L
Great For: Introducing insects to children in a new way.
Formats Available: Print, eBook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, Apple Books
Fly is tired of everyone obsessing over butterflies. After all, flies are so much better!
I, Fly provides all the facts about this common insect in a fun, unforgettable way that really helps kids connect to the story. The story features a fly as a loveable, but highly partisan, narrator who shares the great things about his species with the whole class. Your kids will find this one completely engrossing (and sometimes just flat-out gross). Plus, the availability in both print and ebook formats makes this story especially accessible.
Rumple Buttercup by Matthew Gray Gubler
Length: 136 Pages
Great For: Encouraging individuality & belonging.
Formats Available: Print, eBook, Audiobook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Apple Books
Rumple Buttercup has green skin, crooked teeth, and only three strands of hair. He is weird.
The beloved actor from Criminal Minds brings us a children’s book that’s all about embracing who you are. Through Rumple, we can all discover the satisfaction in loving ourselves and the weirdness that makes us exactly who we’re meant to be. This sweet, funny, and emotional tale will soon become a family favorite once you add it to your collection.
Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle
Length: 48 Pages
Great For: Teaching children to go against the grain.
Formats Available: Print, eBook, Audiobook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, Apple Books
An island held a rule that girls could not be drummers. Nobody questioned that rule until the drum dream girl came along.
Our modern world calls for times of teaching children that there are no limits, especially based on gender or race. Inspired by the real-life story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s rule of no female drummers, Drum Dream Girl shares an inspirational story that will motivate any child to pursue their dreams, even if it goes against tradition. Through Millo’s story, we can all find freedom to do what our heart tells us we’re meant to do.
Book Series:
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Number of Books: 25
Average Length: 60 Pages
Lexile Level: 350L-500L
Great For: Kids who like silly stories.
Formats Available: Print
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound
Mr. & Mrs. Rogers had no idea what they were in for when they hired Amelia Bedelia as their housekeeper. Her lemon meringue pies make her blunders worth it, though!
This delightful series follows the hilarious, although easily confused, housekeeper Amelia Bedelia. Through her misunderstandings of directions, children get to explore a unique style of humor while also learning to read. This series is set at a level for newly independent readers, and each story contains delightful illustrations on every page. This is a great series to start your six year old off right.
I Survived… by Lauren Tarshis
Number of Books: 21
Average Length: 100 Pages
Lexile Level: 550-750
Great For: Kids who enjoy suspense and history.
Formats Available: Print, eBook, Audiobook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, ThriftBooks
Lauren Tarshis brings the most terrifying events throughout history to life in this continuously growing series of chapter books. The best part? Each novel comes from a child’s perspective, which not only shines a different light on the events, but also helps kids connect and engage in what they’re reading. These books are a great way to bring history to life for your child, plus I Survived is a New York Times bestselling series.
Kung Pow Chicken by Cyndi Marko
Number of Books: 4
Average Length: 80 Pages
Lexile Level: 550
Great For: Kids who love fun superheroes.
Formats Available: Print, eBook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, ThriftBooks
This exciting series follows Gordon Blue as he transforms into Kung Pow Chicken, an avian crime fighting machine who saves Fowladelphia one adventure at a time. With a Brakmobile and a trusty sidekick, Kung Pow Chicken is ready for any fowl villain.
This series is specially designed for newly independent readers in mind. It includes easy-to-read text, fast-paced plots, and lots of illustrations to help children stay engaged. This series is one of the best books for six year olds because it helps them grow as readers while fostering a love for stories.
Kung Pow Chicken is exactly the type of superhero we’ve all been waiting for!
Zoey & Sassafras by Asia Citro
Number of Books: 7
Average Length: 100 Pages
Lexile Level: 640L
Great For: Kids who love animals and adventure!
Formats Available: Print, eBook, Audiobook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, IndieBound
Zoey and Sassafras spend their days healing magical animals who come to their yard for help.
This series combines basic science, magical animals, mystery, and adventure into great books that will engage even the most reluctant readers. With lots of illustrations and easy-to-read writing, this series is a great introduction to chapter books for your six-year-old kiddo. With only two years in publication, this series is already racking up awards, too!
Ordinary People Change The World by Brad Meltzer
Number of Books: 29
Average Length: 20 Pages
Lexile Level: 580
Great For: Teaching children about historical figures.
Formats Available: Print, eBook
Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, ThriftBooks
What makes a hero? Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos answer that question, one great role model at a time.
With nearly 30 books available, this series explores some of the most important people in history. From Leonardo di Vinci to Rosa Parks, this series covers the gamut of topics and time periods. These easy readers make exploring history fun and accessible for young children.
What do you think of our list?
Which books will you purchase for your budding reader first? What topics do you hope to help your child explore through books? If you’re looking to build your child’s emotional intelligence as well as their reading comprehension, consider exploring our list of the best children’s books about feelings, too.
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