Pre-K–5th Grade

Books to grow up with.Now part of the program.

A story your child is proud to finish. A favorite they reach for again. A bookshelf that grows as their reading grows. Our printed books now come with our Pre-K–5 reading program packages, connecting what children learn with their teachers to books they can keep.

National Leaders in Reading Instruction Since 1970

Frank the Cat Meets His Match — cover
Pip's Pond — cover
Milo's Spaceship — cover
Frog and Turtle — cover
Sofia and the Magic Library Card — cover
The Great Squirrel Olympics — cover
Rico the Pizza Cat — cover
As featured in TIME Reuters CBS News USA Today Associated Press Chicago Tribune SFGate

The Books

Meet the Skilled Readers Library.

Explore examples from The Skilled Readers Library: picture books, easy readers, and chapter books created for our reading programs. Choose a grade and tap any cover to see it larger.

These are examples from the collection, not a single shipment. Your child receives the books used in their program’s current lessons.

Pre-K & K

Dottie's Donut Surprise — cover
Dottie's Donut Surprise
Frank the Cat Meets His Match — cover
Frank the Cat Meets His Match
Fruit for Possums — cover
Fruit for Possums
Louie's Hats — cover
Louie's Hats
Nora Jane Won't Come Down — cover
Nora Jane Won't Come Down
Roscoe's Nighttime Band — cover
Roscoe's Nighttime Band
The Cleanest Pig in Town — cover
The Cleanest Pig in Town
The Clever Baker — cover
The Clever Baker
The Enormous Pumpkin — cover
The Enormous Pumpkin
The Goat Who Yelled Toast — cover
The Goat Who Yelled Toast
The Lizard in Vito's Garage — cover
The Lizard in Vito's Garage
Walter's Winter Disguise — cover
Walter's Winter Disguise

1st Grade

Apples at School — cover
Apples at School
Down the Hill — cover
Down the Hill
Fluff at the Vet — cover
Fluff at the Vet
Frog and Turtle — cover
Frog and Turtle
Gigi, the Too-Tall Giraffe — cover
Gigi, the Too-Tall Giraffe
Lazy Jack — cover
Lazy Jack
Lucy's Whistle — cover
Lucy's Whistle
Pig on the Run — cover
Pig on the Run
Pip's Pond — cover
Pip's Pond
Raccoon's Yard Sale — cover
Raccoon's Yard Sale
Sam's Strange Pet — cover
Sam's Strange Pet
The Three Little Fish — cover
The Three Little Fish

2nd Grade

A Job for Otis — cover
A Job for Otis
Chester's Flying Lesson — cover
Chester's Flying Lesson
Chester's Sandwich — cover
Chester's Sandwich
Harriet's Hiccups — cover
Harriet's Hiccups
Kanga's New Shoes — cover
Kanga's New Shoes
Little Ruby Raccoon — cover
Little Ruby Raccoon
Lulu's Extra Special Pizza — cover
Lulu's Extra Special Pizza
Milo's Spaceship — cover
Milo's Spaceship
Mystery Max and the Missing Toys — cover
Mystery Max and the Missing Toys
Sprocket, the Not-So-Helpful Robot — cover
Sprocket, the Not-So-Helpful Robot
The Mixed-Up Mail — cover
The Mixed-Up Mail
The Very Strange Rock — cover
The Very Strange Rock

3rd Grade

Fisher's Amazing Bike Shop — cover
Fisher's Amazing Bike Shop
Grumpbert — cover
Grumpbert
Grumpbert and the Thanksgiving Wishes — cover
Grumpbert and the Thanksgiving Wishes
Maple, the Very Amazing, Super-Fantastic Problem Solver — cover
Maple, the Very Amazing, Super-Fantastic Problem Solver
Maple's Hamster Weekend — cover
Maple's Hamster Weekend
Owen Rossi's Big Ideas — cover
Owen Rossi's Big Ideas
Sofia and the Magic Library Card — cover
Sofia and the Magic Library Card
Switched! — cover
Switched!
The Forest Table — cover
The Forest Table
The Pet Pals — cover
The Pet Pals
The Swing Set Time Machine — cover
The Swing Set Time Machine
Uncle Hoot's Invention Emergency — cover
Uncle Hoot's Invention Emergency

4th & 5th

B.O.L.T. — cover
B.O.L.T.
Felix Figures It Out — cover
Felix Figures It Out
Jello Queen — cover
Jello Queen
Miles Malone's Winter Wonderland — cover
Miles Malone's Winter Wonderland
Rico the Pizza Cat — cover
Rico the Pizza Cat
The Adventures of Ellie Everhart — cover
The Adventures of Ellie Everhart
The Day Dad Became Famous — cover
The Day Dad Became Famous
The Great Squirrel Olympics — cover
The Great Squirrel Olympics
The Magic Library Card — cover
The Magic Library Card
Too Many Tails — cover
Too Many Tails
Tyrone and the Magic Library Card — cover
Tyrone and the Magic Library Card
Up, Up, and Away — cover
Up, Up, and Away

The Joy of a Book in Hand

The lesson ends. The book stays.

Picture your child finishing a book, putting it on their own shelf, and reaching for the next one. Over time, the books become more challenging. Old favorites come down to be read again. Reading becomes something your child chooses.

  • Learn with a teacher. Each book connects to the reading skills children are developing in the program.
  • Practice with a story. Children use those skills in reading between classes.
  • Keep it and come back. The books become part of your child’s own library, ready to read again.

We want every child in our new Pre-K–5 program packages to have that experience. That’s why printed books and shipping are included in the package, rather than sold as a separate book subscription.

Our Process

How we make our books

Our curriculum team creates these books for our reading programs. We use generative AI to produce initial text and illustrations under our team’s direction. Our staff then revises, rewrites, edits, and selects the material until it meets our standards. We are responsible for the books we put in your child’s hands.

We set the reading goal.

Before work begins on a book, our team chooses its target reading level and the stage of reading development it will support. Those decisions guide the story’s development from the beginning.

We develop and revise the story and illustrations.

Our team directs the initial work, develops and designs the illustrations, and revises the material. Much of the text is rewritten; material that does not meet our standards is discarded. The books are created for our own programs, rather than purchased as finished stories and repackaged.

Our editors judge the finished book.

Readability measurements help us assess the text, but they are not the final decision. Our editors also judge whether the language, story, and level of challenge are appropriate for the children who will read it. The goal is a story that gives children worthwhile practice and a reason to keep reading.

Our instruction teaches the skills. These books give children stories in which to use them. The tools contribute to production; our team makes the editorial decisions and takes responsibility for the result.

Have a question about how we make our books? Write to help@readingprograms.org. We will answer it.

Since 1970

Five decades of teaching children to read.

National leaders in reading instruction since 1970 — more than three million families, and 240 original books from Pre-K through 5th. A companion for childhood.

1970teaching reading ever since
Millionsof families served
240original books · Pre-K through 5th
5levels · Pre-K through 5th

Books Included

The books now come with the program.

Included with the program

Pre-K–5 Small-Group Reading Program

$209a month

Including printed books and shipping.

  • One live 50-minute class each week, with no more than six children.
  • Four printed books with every month of classes, plus online lessons.
  • A 20-minute, one-on-one reading assessment after enrollment and reading updates every six weeks.

Select your child’s grade at checkout to see current book availability. If the current printed set is sold out, your child can begin with ebooks for $199 for the first month, then $209 a month thereafter. Printed books for that arrangement begin arriving October 17, 2026.

Explore small-group reading →

Prefer one-on-one teaching? Explore private tutoring →

Month to month. Cancel before your next billing date to stop your next payment. Applicable sales tax on materials and shipping is additional.

Program Feedback

What families say about our reading programs

★★★★★
"My son had major breakthroughs. His overall confidence has grown so much. He went from avoiding books to asking to read before bed."
Rochelle L. · IRD parent
★★★★★
"We searched for a program that could help our daughter, and nothing worked until this. This program is absolutely amazing. I will recommend this to everyone."
Matthew R. · IRD parent
★★★★★
"This program has been a lifesaver for my child's confidence. She can read more fluently and has started to comprehend what she's reading so much better."
Wendy K. · IRD parent

Questions

Questions, answered.

Can I buy the books separately?

We no longer sell the books as a separate subscription. Printed books and shipping are included in our new Pre-K–5 small-group and private-tutoring packages.

What does my child receive?

Four printed books with each month's worth of lessons, selected for the program your child is taking. Ebooks are also available in the online lessons. The covers shown above are examples from the collection, not one shipment.

When will the printed books arrive?

For small-group enrollment, checkout shows availability for your selected grade before payment. When the current set is available, the first books ship the next business day after enrollment. If that set is sold out, your child can start with ebooks for $199 for the first month, then $209 a month thereafter; printed books begin arriving October 17, 2026. Subsequent sets follow the four-week lesson calendar, independently of your monthly billing date.

How is the reading level chosen?

Each book is developed for a target reading level. Our editors use readability measurements and their judgment about the text and story. Select your child’s grade when enrolling; the program’s assessment and instruction help us understand your child’s reading needs.

We already attend a program. How do we get printed books?

Contact help@readingprograms.org about moving to a books-included package. Your current plan will not change automatically. We’ll confirm the price and when your printed books can begin before making a change.

What if the program isn’t right for us?

Try the first two sessions. If the program isn’t the right fit, tell us within 48 hours of your child’s second session or within 21 days of purchase, whichever comes first. We’ll refund your payment in full, and any books already shipped are yours to keep.

Let’s raise skilled readers, together.

A teacher to guide them, stories to practice with, and books to keep as they grow.

Explore the Pre-K–5 program →