First grade has its ups and downs. If you're new to teaching first grade, you will find that some issues that older kids deal with can be overwhelming for 6 year olds without the life experience to draw from. One great way to teach children about how to deal with their own problems as well as others is through literature. If you are committed to reading aloud to children every day, you want some fun stories and also some relatable stories. So if you are interested in expanding your library to include more books about issues first graders are dealing with, check these out!
The Library Book Kids hate being bored. This book shows kids a variety of fun characters
available to them in books at the library. There are references to many classic stories they may
recognize. Since it's based on Tom
Chapin's song, it has repetition that is always a great way to make a read
aloud interactive. 
Princess Peepers For some children, wearing glasses to
school causes anxiety over peer rejection.
Sometimes it's imagined; others in the class don't care who is wearing
glasses. And other time kids can be
cruel. But in either case, the child's
worries feel real. This book is a funny
way to talk about why it's important to wear glasses. And you can still look like a princess. 
Salam Alaikum picture book
This is a cheerful text that reminds us
to have a positive attitude. It's based
on the song, ( it's not really a story) but it has beautiful illustrations that
will engage your pre-readers. 
Ricky Sticky Fingers When you have a student in your class with a
reputation for stealing, you need this book for a read aloud. Of course we know stealing is wrong. This book enforces that message while also
exploring the impulses of a child who is having a hard time reforming.
Listen and Learn Being a good listener is so important in
school and in life! This is a great book
to read the first week of school. It's
not a fun sort of book, but sometimes you want one that's instructive and to
the point. This is that book.
Dog Breath Sometimes kids feel rejection. They are afraid to be themselves and worry
how others will perceive them. This
story shows us that even though we all have our flaws, in the right
circumstances, they can be assets.
When Sophie Gets Angry
Really, Really Angry This book
clearly illustrates how we feel when we get angry. It normalizes these feelings. And it shows kids how to come back from these
feelings. They feel intense, but they
don't last forever.
A Walk in the Rain with a
Brain This book is a great book after lessons on growth mindset or age
appropriate lessons on brain development.
It's also best if your students already have first hand experience with
the stress of test taking. I don't
recommend it as an introduction to either subject, but it's a fun follow
up.
Ferdinand Now a Disney movie, Ferdinand is the story of
a gentle giant. It reminds kids that
what's on the outside doesn't always match what's on the inside of an
individual. It's also a great book to
show that even when we are provoked to fight, we can make the choice to stay
peaceful and it can work out.
If you can only
choose 7 books from this list, get these 7:
Me First This book shows kids what it looks like
when one individual feels entitled to be first all the time. Be sure to point out the looks on those other
pig's faces when they are literally shoved aside! After those first few pages, the book takes
an interesting turn. The hero races off
into a trap and learns a moral lesson that sometimes we need to look before we
leap. 
The Koala Who Could The hero of this story is fearful of trying
new things. As a result, he wants to
stay in his tree all day every day. Even
though he can see he's missing out, he needs a "push" to get him to
join his friends. It's a great book to
partner with Scaredy Squirrel (below). 
Scaredy Squirrel This book has a lot of words and pictures
with a lot of labels and captions, but I feel like it still moves along at a
good pace for first grade. The message
is obviously about facing our fears, but it does it in a quirky fun way that
kids love. It's also fun to read in the
fall when squirrels in real life are especially agitated.
Scaredy Squirrel at Night You may want to read this book first even
though it sounds like a sequel to the other book. I say this because in this book Scaredy is
too scared to sleep, but in the first book sleeping is part of his routine.
Tattle Tongue is a book I already wrote about in my post on Empathy. First grade teachers know tattling is as much
an issue for us as it is for the kids!
The Bot that Scott Built
This book has the same building
repetition as "The House that Jack Built." The fun part is that it's about an impressive
robot that was built by a child. It's a
fun introduction to the craziness of a science fair or just the general manic
nature of science exploration. The
process can get messy, but the learning is so worth it!
Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon This is a great book for the first month of
school. I have a list of more back
to school books here, but this one can be read any time. It's about a little girl who has unwavering
resilience, thanks to a grandma who encourages her. She asserts herself every time someone has a
nasty comment. And it's a fun story to
boot.
If you love Amazon as much as I do, here's a tip I have for
you. Put ALL the books that interest you
in their own wish list called First Grade Books. If you use my affiliate links I will receive
a commission at no cost to you. Buy a
few that you feel like you will definitely want to read next month. Leave the rest and revisit it every few weeks
to watch for price cuts. Depending on
how badly you want a book, set a specific price goal in mind, and when a few
drop below your threshold make your purchases and make your book wishes come
true!
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