Books They'll Actually Read: Our Favorite Books and Reading Tech for Kids

In this episode, Dr. Courtney Tolinski and her husband, Scott, share their favorite books, apps and tech for reading that they recommend for preschool and elementary aged kids. Dr. Courtney also shares her favorite books for special topics, such as neurodiversity, social/emotional development and growth mindset.

Preschool

• Busytown books
• Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
• Hotrod Hamster
• Dragons Love Tacos & High Five series
• How to Catch Books
• The Gruffalo / Room on the Broom
• Peppa Pig Series
• Bluey Books
• You Can Do it - Sesame Street
• Little People, Big Dreams
• Beautiful Oops
• The Little Engine that Could
• Pete the Cat series
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
• Lift the Flap Books: First 100 Animals; Q&A About Dinosaurs, etc. 
• Little Kids First Big Book of Why 
• I Can Read Phonics Boxes 

Early Elementary (K-2)

• I Can Read Level Books
• Graphic Novels:
  • Elephant & Piggy Series
  • Dog Man Series
  • Captain Underpants
  • Babysitters Little Sister
  • Narwhal & Jelly
  • Bird & Squirrel
• Creepy Underwear Series
• Very Impatient Caterpillar Series
• Fly Guy Series
• The Questioneers Series - e.g. Rosie Revere; Ada Twist Scientist
• Search and Find Books -- Where is Claris? Where's Waldo? 
• Early Chapter books
  • Eerie Elementary
  • Magic Tree House
  • Junie B Jones
  • Amelia Bedelia 
  • Wild Robot
  • Mercy Watson Series 

Reading Apps/Devices

• Sora App (Audio Books / Library books for kids)
• Epic Books (Leveled DRA / Audio Books)
• Tonie Box or Yoto Player
• Kindle Colorsoft for Kids 

Upper Elementary (3-5)

• Last Kids on Earth 
• I Survived
• My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish
• Big Nate
• Comics - Marvel; Calvin and Hobbes
• Wayside school
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Judy Blume Fudge Series
• Baby Sitters Club
• Wings of Fire
• National Park Mystery Series
• The Way Things Work

Special Topics

• ADHD/Autism: Its Hard to Be A Verb; I Have Ants in My Pants; My Mouth is a Volcano; Uniquely Wired all by Julia Cook 
• Growth Mindset: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by Joann Deak
• Neurodiversity: Wonderfully Wired Brains by Luise Gooding
• Anxiety/Perfectionism: The Girl who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett & Gary Rubenstein
• Emotions: The Color Monster by Anna Lleanas

Have a question for Dr. Courtney? Submit it here and we may answer it in the next Q&A.