Summer Reading List

GOOD HOPE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

First Grade

2025-2026

Here comes the 2025-26 Summer Reading List for GHCDS 1st Grade! There are so many good books! It’s torture for me to pick only a few. You are asked to read at least 3 before the first day of the 25-26 SY. You can borrow from a friend, Ms. Deevy, the local library, or buy the books at privately owned bookstores to support local businesses. The books below will be read during the first two weeks of school. They will be tied into lessons that establish a culture of caring, belonging, and developing self identity. If you like you can have your 1st grader bring their summer reading books to school on the same day you bring supplies. I will have a space for them in the classroom. I will then send them home as we finish the lesson with each book. Happy Reading,  Ms. Deevy

Alma and How She Got Her Name, by: Juana Martinez Neal

If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Spanish-language.

First Grade, Here I Come!, by: D.J. Steinberg

First grade—it's The BIG Time! After all, it's a real honest to goodness grade. In verses that are both funny and full of heart, D.J. Steinberg celebrates big and small moments, ones that all young "scholars" will relate to—baby teeth that won't fall out, choosing the perfect library book, celebrating Pajama Day, and wrangling with the mysteries of spelling. From the first day of school to the last, this engaging anthology is essential reading for all soon-to-be first graders.

 The Little Red Hen illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Jerry Pinkney is one of my all time favorite illustrators. He creates paintings that pull you into the world of the book's characters. This interpretation of the little red hen who can get no one to help her is no exception. The animal's names appear in color-coded font (red for the hen, brown for the dog, etc.), making it extra-easy even for pre-readers to chime in.

 

That’s Not My Name! by Anoosh Syed

On the first day of school, which Mirha has anticipated for so long, no one, not even the teacher, can say her name right.  Mirha cannot understand why the name that is music to everyone in her Arab family is so difficult for others. 

Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett

Norman the goldfish isn’t what this little boy had in mind. He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman. But when he tries to trade Norman for a "good pet," things don’t go as he planned. Could it be that Norman is a better pet than he thought?

A Letter From Your Teacher: On the First Day of School by Shannon Olson

During back to school time, teachers are wanting to set the tone for the new year. In addition to establishing rules and procedures, they are ready to get to know their kids and start building positive relationships. This is a read aloud that helps with laying that foundation, and it serves as a great starting point for get-to-know-you activities and class community building.

Be Big!: Beatrice's First Day of First Grade  by Katie Kizer

Be Big! tells the tale of sweet Beatrice, a little girl in a blue tutu who is afraid of being her unique self in the brand new world of first grade. Set against a gorgeously-illustrated backdrop, this story will encourage little ones to face their fears and be brave, be bold, and be big. Follow Beatrice as she embarks on her first day of first grade alongside Benjamin the butterfly, who encourages Beatrice to be big and reminds her that she is not alone.

The Day You Begin  by Jaqueline Woodson

There will be times when you walk into a room

and no one there is quite like you.

There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.

You’re Finally Here!  By Melanie Watt

This back-to-school favorite is the perfect book for welcoming someone new—or for laughing yourself silly!

Hooray! You're finally here! But where were you? A bunny bounces through a range of emotions in this hilarious picture book about how difficult it is to wait. At first it's ecstatic that you, the reader, have arrived. But then it lets you know that waiting for you took too long,