Benny and Penny in Lights Out! By Geoffrey Hayes: Follow along as Benny and Penny get ready for bed. It is no ordinary bedtime though as there are adventures with dinosaurs, pirates, and princesses. Early readers will enjoy these lovable characters and relatable storylines. Toon Books are excellent choices for graphic novels for beginning readers and come in several levels.

Ages: 4-7. Toon Books, 2012, 1935179209.
Graphic Novel.

Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires: Binky is on a mission to keep his family safe from aliens, they are everywhere! With his trusty copilot, Mousie, by his side he sets out to build a rocket ship to battle space aliens. This book moves along swiftly with a fantastic sense of humor. Binky continues the fun in other books in the series.

Ages: 7-10. Kids Can Press, 2009, 1554533090. Graphic Novel.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr, illustrations by Eric Carle: Bright colorful collage illustrations provide context for the repetitive text found in this book. This makes it perfect for the beginning reader. The illustrations and simple story would also appeal to preschoolers.

Ages: 3-7. Henry Holt and Co, 1996, 0805047905.

Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel: Frog and Toad are best friends. This is the first in a series of four books that follow along as Frog and Toad go on adventures while showing the value of friendship. This is an excellent book for readers just starting on chapter books as nearly every page is also accompanied by a softly illustrated image.

Ages: 6-8. HarperCollins, 2003, 0064440206.

Frog Jog by Harriet Ziefert, illustrations by Yukiko Kido: A fun spin on books for the very beginning readers. Each book in the series has several word families. This book features: -og, -all, and -eat. As you flip each page a cut out on the bottom reveals new words such as frog, hog, jog, and fog. Simple illustrations on each page help the reader. There are also tips to extend the learning.

Ages 4-6. Blue Apple Books, 2014, 1609054326.

Hamster and Cheese by Collen A.F. Venerable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue: The pet show owner’s sandwiches are disappearing every day. It’s up to Sasspants the guinea pig to figure out who is responsible. This graphic novel pairs mystery along with humor and is an excellent choice for building reading skills. Bonus points for a short bit of information about animals at the end of the story. This is just the first book in a series.

Ages: 6-9. Graphic Universe, 2010, 0761345981.
Graphic Novel.

I Will Surprise My Friend by Mo Willems: Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig are best friends. One day they decide to surprise each other. Things don’t go quite as planned, but in the end they have fun. With only one sentence per page and expressive illustrations this a great book for those just starting to read on their own. Join along in other books as the friendship between Gerald and Piggie grows.

Ages: 6-8. Hyperion Books for Children, 2008, 1423109627.

Owly by Andy Runton: Owly is a sweet little guy, but he is also lonely and always up for finding friends. In this first of a series of graphic novels Owly is lucky to befriend Wormy and hummingbirds. Although there are few words in this book, the story and emotion is easily revealed through the expressive black and white illustrations.

Ages: 5-8. Top Shelf Productions, 2004, 1891830627.
Graphic Novel.

The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrations by LeUyen Pham: Princess Magnolia is prim and proper and of course ALWAYS wears pink. That is until her monster alarm sounds and she transforms into the Princess in Black. This beginning chapter book, paired with pictures on nearly every page, is an excellent choice for the reader who is tired of the usual princess tales and wants some adventure. The adventure can continue as children follow along with the series.

Ages: 6-9. Candlewick Press, 2014, 076366510X.  

Before She was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome: Soft watercolor illustrations contrast beautifully with powerful lyrical text. Cline-Ransome expands upon the life of Harriet Tubman working backwards from old age to childhood. Through this book young readers are taught about the many lesser known roles played by this important American hero.

Ages: 6-9. Holiday House, 2017, 0823420477.  

The Cart that Carried Martin by Eve Bunting, illustrations by Don Tate: This book follows the journey of Martin Luther King Jr in a simple farm cart to his final resting place. Although the text is on the easier side the emotion and gravity of the situation comes through. The end of the book features a photograph of the cart and additional information about Dr. King’s life.

Ages: 6-9. Charlesbridge, 2013, 1580893872,

Earthrise: Apollo 8 and the Photo That Changed the World by James Gladstone, illustrations by Christy Lundy: The story behind the famous picture of the earth viewed from space, Earthrise. Context is provided for the importance of the mission, the photograph, and how it still holds meaning today. The text is perfect to read aloud to early elementary students and as they grow they will be able to read on their own.

Ages: 6-9. Owlkids, 2018, 1771473169.  

Explore My World Plants by Becky Baines: Engaging photographs and illustrations are accompanied by two to three sentences on each page. This book provides a basic introduction to planets and is a good choice for a beginning reader. It can also be used with preschoolers. There are other books in the series that cover animals and aspects of nature.

Ages: 3-7. National Geographic Children’s Books, 2016, 9781426323225.

Locomotive by Brian Floca: The history of the steam engine is brought to life through illustrations and poetic text. From the joining of the tracks east to west, to getting off the train to meet people you love, this book covers it all. Floca did an excellent job pulling in as much detail as possible, while still keeping the natural flow of the story. Other great books by Floca include Moonshot and Lightship.

Ages: 5-8. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013, 1416994157.

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk: An introduction into the life of Maya Lin who designed the Vietnam War Memorial at a young age. The book provides a complete look at Maya’s background, how she designed the monument, the building of the structure, and Maya’s life after the famous project.

Ages: 6-9. Henry Holt and Company, 2017, 1250112494.