Early Reader Book Suggestions

We have everything you need to help bring out the love of reading in your child. Check out our favourite new titles (directly below), our authors who can do no wrong, and our perennial favourites.

The Trouble with Thor

Marvel Super Hero Squad Lv 2

Thor is really strong and powerful. But when he tries to help the Squad build a park, he hammer breaks the slide and his storm washes out the entire park. He feels like he can't do anything right!  Then General Ross calls Thor in for a very special mission and he realizes that he still has what it takes to be a Super Hero.

A Poor Excuse for a Dragon

Step Into Reading Lv 4 by Geoffrey Hayes

Fred's parents send him out into the world to do dragon-y things, like eat people and run amok. But Fred discovers that his roar is not scary and that he'd rather eat pancakes than people. He's just not a very good dragon - so could there be another job for him?

Toys Come Home

By Emily Jenkins
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

When Stingray (a stingray stuffy) first arrives at the Little Girl's house, she is not overly happy with the company she finds there. The other toys are either boring or just plain mean. But then new toys come in, real friendships are formed and deep conversations about the meaning of life are had. In this companion to Toys Go Out and Toy Dance Party, the real story is about the love, support and funny moments that come with true friendship.

Frankie Pickle & the Closet of Doom

By Eric Wight

This is one of our favourite new series! Franklin Lorenzo Piccolini (otherwise known as Frankie Pickle) goes on adventure after adventure, all while doing the most mundane tasks. In this first book, he saves the world while cleaning his room. The action goes between real life, and the adventure his imagination is taking him on (real life being written out, while the imagination scenes drawn out comic book style). Think Indiana Jones meets Calvin & Hobbes! This series is funny and adventurous, and the language is perfect - not too easy, not too hard.

The Frog Prince

By Sally Gardner

Orion books has reprinted Sally Gardner's Magical Princess series. Classic fairy tales, such as the Frog Prince, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, are told in easy reader format, with great illustrations and simple language. We will warn you that these are the classic tales, so there is no "girl power" infused into these. But we thought it was kind of neat to read the storylines as they were originally told.

Roland Wright 1: Future Knight

By Tony Davis

Roland Wright wants to be a knight in armor. The problem: Roland’s dad is a blacksmith, and only boys from noble families can even dream of becoming knights. When mysterious visitors arrive in the village one day, everything changes. Roland finds himself in the contest of a lifetime, with a real chance to become a page, the first step on the road to knighthood. But how can skinny, clumsy Roland beat an opponent who is bigger, stronger, and older—and who doesn’t play by the rules? This is a great series for those early readers who are getting just a little more advanced in their reading, but don't want to go for the really long books yet.

Authors Who Can Do No Wrong

Judy Blume, Andy Griffiths, & Dick King-Smith

Perennial Favourites

  • Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That series by Step Into Reading
  • Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker
  • Dear Max by Sally Grindley
  • Dodsworth series by Tim Egan
  • Mini Winnie series by Laura Owen & Korky Paul
  • Mr. Badger & Mrs. Fox series by Brigitte Luciani
  • National Geographic Readers series by National Geographic
  • Read It, Write It, Draw it series by Nora Gaydos
  • Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor