Recommended Books for All Ages

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – Alphabet rhythm and recognition

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? – Repetition and prediction

Press Here – Interactive concept play

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Sequencing and days of the week

Goodnight Moon – Soothing rhythm, early vocabulary

Bob Books: Beginning Readers – Early decodable practice

Elephant and Piggie: My New Friend is So Fun! – Sight words + humor

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes – Predictable text with musicality

The Pigeon Needs a Bath! – Emotive storytelling, basic sentences

Henry and Mudge: The First Book – Simple chapters with heartwarming themes

Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark – Vocabulary + adventure

Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail – Time travel + historical fiction

Amelia Bedelia Chapter Book #1 – Wordplay + misunderstandings

Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties – Graphic novel fun with phonics patterns

Frindle – Vocabulary and creativity

The Wild Robot – Nature meets sci-fi with emotion

Because of Winn-Dixie – Emotional depth, character building

The Lemonade War – Math meets sibling rivalry

Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Silly, clever, short stories

The One and Only Ivan – A gorilla’s story of captivity and friendship, rich in empathy

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – Smart storytelling with strong vocabulary and pacing

The Tale of Despereaux – Literary style with adventure and heart

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – Growth, loss, and emotional depth in simple prose

I Survived Series – The Great Chicago Fire, 1871 – Historical fiction and survival stories with accessible text

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Folklore, fantasy, and self-discovery

Fish in a Tree – Dyslexia-centered and empowering

Holes – Layered plot with decoding-friendly writing

Wonder – Inclusion, kindness, and empathy

Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief – Mythology with high engagement

Hatchet – Survival and introspection

Ghost (Track Series) – Fast-paced, emotionally grounded, and highly readable

A Wrinkle in Time – Sci-fi classic with deep themes and imagination

Roll with It – Disability representation with humor and insight

Bridge to Terabithia – Friendship, imagination, and dealing with loss

To Kill a Mockingbird – Civil rights, perspective, and moral courage

The Outsiders – Identity, conflict, and classic storytelling

Of Mice and Men – Accessible literary themes

Long Way Down – Written in verse, powerful and readable

The Book Thief – Complex, emotional, and worth the stretch

The House of the Scorpion – Dystopian coming of age

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz
The definitive resource on dyslexia and evidence-based intervention.

Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolf
A poetic and powerful exploration of how the brain learns to read—and why some struggle.

Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene
A fascinating deep dive into the neuroscience of how the brain learns to read. Dehaene explores how ancient brain systems adapt to this uniquely human skill.

Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties by David Kilpatrick
For parents ready to dive into the science behind assessment and intervention.

Basic Facts About Dyslexia by Louisa C. Moats & Karen E. Dakin
A concise, parent-friendly guide that covers the essentials of dyslexia—what it is, how it’s diagnosed, and what effective intervention looks like. Written by respected experts, this book is ideal for those seeking a foundational understanding of dyslexia without getting overwhelmed by technical jargon.

The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan by Ben Foss
Helps parents become advocates and build on their child’s strengths.

Helping Your Child with Language-Based Learning Disabilities by Franklin M. Goldberg
Friendly, actionable advice for home support.

The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children with Dyslexia by Abigail Marshall
Practical tips in an accessible format.

Parenting a Struggling Reader by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats
A classic and compassionate guide to navigating the reading journey.

Language at the Speed of Sight by Mark Seidenberg
A brain-based look at reading science for motivated parents.

Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide
Decoding and spelling rules made logical and clear.

Raising a Child with Dyslexia by Don M. Winn
Straightforward advice for supporting emotional and academic needs.

The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis
A unique and unconventional perspective that reframes dyslexia as a visual-spatial strength.

Reading Magic by Mem Fox
Emphasizes the joyful power of reading aloud at home.

The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon
Explores the neurological and emotional benefits of reading aloud at all ages.

Born Reading by Jason Boog
A practical and personal guide to making reading aloud part of everyday parenting, even in screen-heavy households.

How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo
Full of booklists, tips by age group, and charming visuals—ideal for parents seeking joyful, lifelong reading habits.

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
A modern classic that combines research with inspiring stories and a giant annotated booklist.

Thirty Million Words by Dana Suskind
Focuses on the science of early language exposure and the profound effects of talking and reading aloud to young children.

Reading Together by Diane Frankenstein
Offers guidance on reading aloud across age levels with discussion questions to keep kids engaged.

How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler & Charles Van Doren
A guide to reading actively, critically, and analytically across genres and disciplines.

Driven to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell & John J. Ratey
The classic text on understanding and thriving with ADHD.

Taking Charge of ADHD by Russell A. Barkley
A comprehensive guide to evidence-based strategies for managing ADHD in children.

Finally Focused by James Greenblatt, M.D.
Explores biological and nutritional approaches to treating ADHD.

Superparenting for ADD by Edward M. Hallowell & Peter S. Jensen
A strengths-based approach to parenting kids with attention issues.

Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention by Kathleen G. Nadeau & Ellen B. Dixon
A kid-friendly guide to ADHD management strategies.

Gifted and Distractible by Julie Skolnick
A compassionate look at navigating the world with both giftedness and learning differences.

Bright Not Broken by Diane M. Kennedy & Rebecca S. Banks
Advocates for a new paradigm in identifying and supporting twice-exceptional children.

Living with Intensity by Susan Daniels & Michael Piechowski
Explores emotional and intellectual intensity in gifted children and adults.

On the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Children by Tracy L. Cross
A look into the unique social-emotional development of gifted students.

Twice Exceptional Children by Beverly A. Trail
Tools for educators and parents working with 2e children.

Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties by Rich Weinfeld et al.
Practical approaches for supporting bright students who learn differently.

The Misunderstood Child by Larry B. Silver, M.D.
Helps parents understand the diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities.

All About IEPs by Peter W. D. Wright & Pamela Darr Wright
Clear, concise, and practical guide to understanding the IEP process, written by leading advocates in special education law.

Check out our blog posts for more information about:

  • Developing Readers
  • Learning to Read vs. Reading to Learn
  • What is Dyslexia?

Recommended Resources for Reading and Learning

At Colorado Reading Center, we believe that building strong reading skills starts at home. The following games and tools are ones we regularly recommend to families because they support phonemic awareness, memory, sequencing, vocabulary, and cognitive flexibility in fun and engaging ways.

These are affiliate links, which means CRC may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through them. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps support our ongoing work with students.

Games for Building Literacy and Brain Power

  • Blink – A fast-paced card game that strengthens pattern recognition and visual processing.
  • Tenzie – A dice game great for speed, coordination, and number recognition.
  • Rory’s Story Cubes – Encourages storytelling, sequencing, and creativity.
  • Bananagrams – A word-building game perfect for spelling and vocabulary.
  • My First Bananagrams – Early learner version with color-coded letters.
  • Boggle Jr – Phonics-based matching game for emerging readers.
  • Word Race Cube – A simple and fun way to practice quick word recognition.

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Our document About Colorado Reading Center gives you a general overview of what we do.

Below are some great resources for struggling readers