books for elementary level kids

Here are books kids at the elementary school level (aged approximately 5 - 10) will enjoy. They aren't in any particular order, as kids' interests and abilities vary widely. These books aim to develop skills and engage kids with books, no matter their familiarity with the English language. For kids who would like to learn English, however, we have included a couple options to get the started on the right path. 

** Remember to ensure "Uyradi's Village Book Drive" shows on the book buying page before placing an order! Click the "shop now" button in the header to link your shopping pages to the fundraiser event - after that, any of the "buy" book links below will connect with the event, too.

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Big Maze Book

• Paperback, $9.99
• This maze book (and yes, it's big!) contains 50 mazes of different varieties, building in complexity from front to back. It's a great activity to get kids thinking - and even working together - as they problem solve. Kids will travel around gardens, across the night sky, between flags, through flamingos, and more to reach the end of each maze.

Buy the Big Maze Book here

Color by Numbers Book

• Paperback ($5.99)
• Kids who like artistic outlets will have a good time with this book, which is filled with different scenes and patterns to color in. Most of the prompts are either numeric or with colored dots, so kids will be able to work through this book independently... or, they can even make up their own patterns, as kids love to do! :) 

Buy Color by Numbers here

Story Path

• Hardcover with cardstock pages, $11.99
• This is a pretty unique book. The pages follow a basic story arc - introduction, then this problem occurs, then they meet this other character, etc. - but at each step, you get to follow your own path to choose what comes next. There are some written prompts, but the path can be completed just based on the pictures. The exercise can be a great one to do collaboratively, too, yielding creative stories and lots of giggling.

Buy Story Path here

My First Reference Book about How Things Grow

• Hardcover, $9.99
• This is a fun book that introduces kids to, well, how things grow! It includes diagrams of the process from seed to plant, different types of flowers and trees, the four seasons, and different types of fruits/veggies/nuts. Each page features illustrations and diagrams that will spark questions and conversations, even if the kids aren't very familiar with English. For those with more English background, the written explanations will add depth to the conversation.

Buy How Things Grow here

Picture Puzzle Book

• Hardcover with cardstock pages, $14.99
• This book is packed full of vibrant illustrations of animals - a different type on each page. Chickens, horses, penguins, crocodiles... they are playful illustrations filled with detail. There are things to count, differences to spot, certain elements to look for on each page. This book will spark conversations, support imagination, and develop observation skills. 

Buy the Picture Puzzle Book here

Secrets of the Vegetable Garden

• Hardcover, $12.99
• Our shine-a-light books are favorites with our young readers! Look at the scene on one page, then shine a flashlight behind the page to see another layer illuminated in the scene. (See it in action with this video) We have lots in the series - trains, space station, seashore, animal camouflage... and if you order one from this series, I'll make sure to send along a flashlight on your behalf!

Buy Secrets of the Vegetable Garden here - or check out others in the series

The River

• Hardcover book, $12.99
• This is a sweet book about migration, following a fish's journey from river through forests and mountains towards the sea. It has a simply, lyrical written storyline, but it would be a good one to tell verbally, too (great practice for kids to make up their own stories!) because of the vibrant illustrations. The little cutout on each page shows a hologram of the fish that you can make swim by angling the book back and forth.

Buy The River here

Big Book of Stars and Planets

• Hardcover with cardstock pages, $14.99
• This book is a great introduction to realms beyond our own - the sun, the planets, different types of stars, space exploration, etc. The book includes extra big fold-out pages, too, to show the immensity of these space objects. Captions and facts add depth of knowledge, but the illustrations are impressive on their own and will spark curiosity!

Buy the Big Book of Stars and Planets here

Big Picture Atlas

• Hardcover, $16.99
• Here's another fantastic non-fiction book to enlarge children's understanding of the world. The book is filled with maps of areas of the world, each one dotted with illustrations of the people, foods, animals, buildings, and other elements common to that part of the world. There's also a spread of flags from each country at the back of the book. It's a wealth of visual information about global geography and culture.

Buy the Big Picture Atlas here

Phonics Readers

• Individual books (paperback, $6.99 each or library binding, $14.99 each)
• Phonics Box Set (20 books, paperback in heavy duty case, $69.99)
• Complete Library Collection (18 books in library binding, $249.99)
• For kids who want to learn to read in English, these books are a great introduction. Each is a simple story with intentional phonics elements, which are explained at the back of the book. You can buy a couple individually or a collection (the box set is a great value compared with buying books individually). 

My First Reading Library

• ​Collection of 50 paperback books in hard case ($79.99)
• This is another option to help kids start to learn English. The stories span three levels of reading readiness - 22 from the "very first reading" series, 12 from the "level one" reading series, and 16 from the "level two" reading series. The levels range from introducing simple words and sentences to encouraging kids to read on their own. Internet resources are also available for these books.

Buy My First Reading Library here