Picture Books as Reading Books: 3rd-5th Grade Level

by Eclectic Homeschooling Posted on

Picture Books as Reading BooksAs I was considering which chapter books would work best as readers for my daughter this school year, I decided to go a different direction.  There are so many great picture books that are designed to be read aloud by an adult that would work just as well.  I went in search of classic picture books and chose ones that fell within the 3rd-5th grade level.  I’m combining those with some chapter books for this school year.  I like looking at the grade level and lexile level as well as my child’s interests in order to determine which order to read the books.  For reading, I have my daughter read aloud to me about 15-20 minutes most school days.

I’ve organized the book lists into picture books according the the grade level, picture books according to the lexile level, chapter books according to the grade level, chapter books according to the lexile level, and how I’ve organized the books for my kid.  We own some of the books, but a majority of them will need to be reserved ahead of time from the library.  Having a list helps me see which books I should reserve soon.

Picture Books organized by reading level:

  1. The Story of Babar 3.1 GL 460 LL
  2. Make Way for Ducklings 3.1 GL 630 LL
  3. Oh, the Places You’ll Go 3.2 GL 600LL
  4. An Extraordinary Egg by Lionni 3.5 GL 520LL
  5. Imogene’s Antlers 3.5 GL 640 LL
  6. The Lorax 3.5 GL 560 LL
  7. Moses 3.5 GL 660 LL
  8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas 3.6 GL 510LL
  9. Doctor De Soto 3.6 GL 560 LL
  10. The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash 3.7 GL 540LL
  11. The Snow Queen 3.7 GL 720LL
  12. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins 3.7 GL 520 LL
  13. The Ugly Duckling 3.7 GL 650 LL
  14. Bartholomew and the Oobleck 3.7 GL 500LL
  15. A Chair for My Mother 3.8 GL 640 LL
  16. Rapunzel by Zelinsky 3.8 GL 700 LL
  17. Blueberries for Sal 3.8 GL 890 LL
  18. The Little House 3.8 GL 890 LL
  19. Yertle the Turtle 3.8 GL 520LL
  20. Lentil 3.8 GL 890 LL
  21. Babar the King 3.9 GL 750 LL
  22. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 3.9 GL 970 LL
  23. The Little Match Girl 3.9 GL 950LL
  24. The Story of Ferdinand 4.1 GL 830 LL
  25. The Story About Ping 4.2 GL 920 LL
  26. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears 4.2 GL 770 LL
  27. The Velveteen Rabbit 4.2 GL 820LL
  28. The Bee Tree 4.5 GL 680LL
  29. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses 4.7 GL 670LL
  30. The Polar Express 4.9 GL 520LL
  31. The Selfish Giant 5.1 GL 810LL
  32. Rosa 5.1 GL 900 LL
  33. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters 5.2 GL 720 LL
  34. The Enormous Crocodile 5.6 GL 410 LL

Picture Books Sorted by Lexile Level:

  1. The Enormous Crocodile 5.6 GL 410 LL
  2. The Story of Babar 3.1 GL 460 LL
  3. Bartholomew and the Oobleck 3.7 GL 500LL
  4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas 3.6 GL 510LL
  5. An Extraordinary Egg by Lionni 3.5 GL 520LL
  6. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins 3.7 GL 520 LL
  7. Yertle the Turtle 3.8 GL 520LL
  8. The Polar Express 4.9 GL 520LL
  9. The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash 3.7 GL 540LL
  10. The Lorax 3.5 GL 560 LL
  11. Doctor De Soto 3.6 GL 560 LL
  12. Oh, the Places You’ll Go 3.2 GL 600LL
  13. Make Way for Ducklings 3.1 GL 630 LL
  14. Imogene’s Antlers 3.5 GL 640 LL
  15. A Chair for My Mother 3.8 GL 640 LL
  16. The Ugly Duckling 3.7 GL 650 LL
  17. Moses 3.5 GL 660 LL
  18. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses 4.7 GL 670LL
  19. The Bee Tree 4.5 GL 680LL
  20. Rapunzel by Zelinsky 3.8 GL 700 LL
  21. The Snow Queen 3.7 GL 720LL
  22. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters 5.2 GL 720 LL
  23. Babar the King 3.9 GL 750 LL
  24. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears 4.2 GL 770 LL
  25. The Selfish Giant 5.1 GL 810LL
  26. The Velveteen Rabbit 4.2 GL 820LL
  27. The Story of Ferdinand 4.1 GL 830 LL
  28. Blueberries for Sal 3.8 GL 890 LL
  29. The Little House 3.8 GL 890 LL
  30. Lentil 3.8 GL 890 LL
  31. Rosa 5.1 GL 900 LL
  32. The Story About Ping 4.2 GL 920 LL
  33. The Little Match Girl 3.9 GL 950LL
  34. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 3.9 GL 970 LL

Chapter Books Sorted by Reading Level

  1. The Boxcar Children 3.2 GL  490 LL
  2. The Magic Finger 3.5 GL  450 LL
  3. The Whipping Boy 4.0 GL  570 LL
  4. The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (also comes in a picture book) 3.5 GL  550 LL
  5. Paddle to the Sea  4.5 GL  840 LL
  6. My Father’s Dragon trilogy 4.7 GL  880 LL
  7. The Hardy Boys: The Secret of the Old Mill 4.8 GL  740 LL
  8. The Hundred Dresses 5.0 GL  890 LL
  9. James Herriot’s Treasury for Children  5.2 GL  590 LL
  10. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator  5.4 GL  720 LL
  11. Misty of Chincoteague 5.8 GL  750 LL
  12. The BFG  5.8 GL  720 LL
  13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 5.9 GL  810 LL
  14. Nancy Drew:  The Ringmaster’s Secret 6.5 GL  750LL

Chapter Books Sorted by Lexile Level:

  1. The Magic Finger 3.5 GL  450 LL
  2. The Boxcar Children 3.2 GL  490 LL
  3. The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (also comes in a picture book) 3.5 GL  550 LL
  4. The Whipping Boy 4.0 GL  570 LL
  5. James Herriot’s Treasury for Children  5.2 GL  590 LL
  6. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator  5.4 GL  720 LL
  7. The BFG  5.8 GL  720 LL
  8. The Hardy Boys: The Secret of the Old Mill 4.8 GL  740 LL
  9. Misty of Chincoteague 5.8 GL  750 LL
  10. Nancy Drew:  The Ringmaster’s Secret 6.5 GL  750LL
  11. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 5.9 GL  810 LL
  12. Paddle to the Sea  4.5 GL  840 LL
  13. My Father’s Dragon trilogy 4.7 GL  880 LL
  14. The Hundred Dresses 5.0 GL  890 LL

How I’m combining picture and chapter books into a reading list for my kid:

  1. James Herriot’s Treasury for Children 5.2 GL 590 LL (partial)
  2. The Enormous Crocodile 5.6 GL 410 LL
  3. The Story of Babar 3.1 GL 460 LL
  4. Bartholomew and the Oobleck 3.7 GL 500LL
  5. The Magic Finger 3.5 GL 450 LL
  6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas 3.6 GL 510LL
  7. An Extraordinary Egg by Lionni 3.5 GL 520LL
  8. The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (also comes in a picture book) 3.5 GL 550 LL
  9. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins 3.7 GL 520 LL
  10. The Polar Express 4.9 GL 520LL
  11. James Herriot’s Treasury for Children 5.2 GL 590 LL (finish)
  12. The Boxcar Children 3.2 GL 490 LL
  13. Yertle the Turtle 3.8 GL 520LL
  14. The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash 3.7 GL 540LL
  15. The Lorax 3.5 GL 560 LL
  16. Doctor De Soto 3.6 GL 560 LL
  17. Oh, the Places You’ll Go 3.2 GL 600LL
  18. Make Way for Ducklings 3.1 GL 630 LL
  19. The Whipping Boy 4.0 GL 570 LL
  20. Imogene’s Antlers 3.5 GL 640 LL
  21. A Chair for My Mother 3.8 GL 640 LL
  22. The Ugly Duckling 3.7 GL 650 LL
  23. Moses 3.5 GL 660 LL
  24. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses 4.7 GL 670LL
  25. The Bee Tree 4.5 GL 680LL
  26. Rapunzel by Zelinsky 3.8 GL 700 LL
  27. The Snow Queen 3.7 GL 720LL
  28. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters 5.2 GL 720 LL
  29. Babar the King 3.9 GL 750 LL
  30. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears 4.2 GL 770 LL
  31. The Selfish Giant 5.1 GL 810LL
  32. The Velveteen Rabbit 4.2 GL 820LL
  33. The Story of Ferdinand 4.1 GL 830 LL
  34. Paddle to the Sea 4.5 GL 840 LL
  35. Blueberries for Sal 3.8 GL 890 LL
  36. The Little House 3.8 GL 890 LL
  37. My Father’s Dragon trilogy 4.7 GL 880 LL
  38. Lentil 3.8 GL 890 LL
  39. Rosa 5.1 GL 900 LL
  40. The Story About Ping 4.2 GL 920 LL
  41. The Hundred Dresses 5.0 GL 890 LL
  42. The Little Match Girl 3.9 GL 950LL
  43. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 3.9 GL 970 LL
  44. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 5.9 GL 810 LL
  45. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator 5.4 GL 720 LL
  46. The Hardy Boys: The Secret of the Old Mill 4.8 GL 740 LL
  47. Misty of Chincoteague 5.8 GL 750 LL
  48. The BFG 5.8 GL 720 LL
  49. Nancy Drew: The Ringmaster’s Secret 6.5 GL 750LL

Do you have any favorites that didn’t make the list?  Please share in the comments.

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4 thoughts on “Picture Books as Reading Books: 3rd-5th Grade Level”

  1. This is great. How did you determine the Lexile levels for the picture books? I am currently trying to find picture books with a lexile above 950. If Alexander & the Very Bad (etc) Day meets the grade, there must be quite a few others. How do I find out which of my (hundreds) of picture books qualify for my current need?

    Reply

  2. I noticed that the first book on your list is one of the Babar books, and another Babar title is also on the list. I advise readers to be cautious with this series. There have been many critcisms of these books because of racist, sexist, and colonialist attitudes shown in the stories and the pictures. People may argue that it’s “just a children’s book”. But with so many other amazing children’s book titles out there to choose from, I recommend choosing something else.

    Reply

  3. I don’t know if you’ll see this, but thank you so much for making this list. My son is a first grader but his latest eval has him reading at a 3.8 level. Chapter books don’t hold his attention very well just yet, so I decided to see if there were any upper level picture books that might be better for him. Your list is just the thing I was looking for, so again, thank you very much.

    Reply

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