Here's the perfect chance to grow your child's home library with fresh titles that'll help foster their love of reading — plus, it won't break the bank! Stock up and budget your bookshelf with these books for $5 and under across all age bands. Find beloved, bestselling series like Pete the Cat, Owl Diaries, Goosebumps, and Fly Guy. Or simply get little ones reading about the things they care about, like mermaids, Peppa Pig, and LEGOS! Plus, discover picks like Please, Mr. Panda and The Call of the Wild that teach valuable lessons in kindness and growing up. What a bargain for $5 or less!
Preschool: $5 and Under Reads
Book Pick #1: Good Night, Mr. Panda (Bilingual) will actually get your child excited about getting ready to go to sleep! Mr. Panda needs to help his friends remember the important steps to take before getting snuggled up into bed, from teeth brushing to bath time. Plus, this story will help boost language skills with text in English and Spanish.
Book Pick #2: Is Your Mama a Llama? is the perfect way to engage your little learner, full of helpful prompts and fun ways to develop skills that will last a lifetime. And this adorable read highlights different types of animals while your child helps a baby llama find her mama.
Book Pick #3: Peppa Pig: Level 1 Reader: Doctors to the Rescue can teach your child all about how doctors help patients through easy-to-understand language. Plus, your preschooler will be with pal Peppa as she helps her friend feel better. With vocabulary boosting language, this is a read perfect for Peppa fans!
Book Pick #4: LEGO Reader: City Adventures #4: All Aboard! is for any child with a love of all things automotive — from speedy trains to giant cranes. Alongside loveable LEGO characters, your child can follow a cargo train on its journey, while picking up important sight words along the way.
Book Pick #5: Pete the Cat: Cavecat Pete brings your child's favorite cat character back to the time of dinosaurs! If your little one can't seem to put down the Pete the Cat series, then this title is one to add to the shelf. Pete will help your little one learn about getting along despite differences, just like he does with his new Jurassic friends.
Early Elementary: $5 and Under Reads
Book Pick #6: American Girl: WellieWishers: Pony Surprise teaches your child about friendship, all through a story of a magical wishing well and three best friends. After Emerson makes a wish without her friends knowing, she must explain the new pony added to their group. With themes including patience, sharing, and honesty, this silly story is great for growing readers learning to navigate their own friendships.
Book Pick #7: Owl Diaries #10: Eva and Baby Mo is an adorable title to teach your growing reader about responsibilities. When Eva has to babysit baby brother Mo while her parents are out, she learns just how hard it is to take care of someone. With cute characters and helpful vocabulary, share this story with your elementary schooler.
Book Pick #8: Scholastic Reader Level 2: The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Deep-Sea Dive is a science-filled read perfect for your Ms. Frizzle fan. Paired with interesting facts about the ocean and vivid illustrations of life underwater, your child is sure to have a blast swimming through the pages!
Book Pick #9: Fly Guy Presents: Garbage and Recycling combines your reader's favorite buzzing character with tips and tricks on keeping our planet clean when it comes to garbage and recycling. Full of cool facts and tips the whole family can use, share this fun and informative read with your growing learner.
Book Pick #10: Feisty Pets: Official Handbook is a silly storybook full of ferocious cuddle monsters. From a vicious bunny rabbit to a nutty unicorn, these furry friends are sure to get some laughs out of your fiesty pet fan. Your child can learn about characteristics, stats, and crazy habits while picking up strong language skills and having a blast!
Late Elementary: $5 and Under Reads
Book Pick #11: Mermaids to the Rescue #4: Cascadia Saves the Day is a great choice for your mermaid fan as she advances her reading skills. Full of vocabulary made for children growing into more advanced chapter books, this magical tale will entice any reader looking to get lost in the mythical world of mermaid fun.
Book Pick #12: The Puppy Place #52: Cuddles is a cuddly story about Lizzie the dog-walker and a lonely pup named Cuddles. Highlighting lessons surrounding kindness, determination, and a whole lot of love, Lizzie can teach your growing reader all about caring for animals and expressing empathy.
Book Pick #13: I Survived #18: I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 combines history and vivid storytelling to tell the tale of the Normandy landings during World War II. If your future historian can't get enough of the past, then the I Survived series is the path to take. Plus, it's a great way to support advancing reading skills.
Book Pick #14: Tiny Geniuses #4: Save the Day! makes learning fun with the help of toy versions of historical figures that come to life just to help a kid in need. This time around, Jake is having trouble with a school bully, but that's no match for Queen Elizabeth I and Cesar Chavez! Teach your child history and important life lessons with this fun series.
Book Pick #15: American Girl: Real Stories From My Time: The March on Washington showcases the real-life events from the 1963 March on Washington, a march for equal rights for African Americans in our country. Introduce your child to Melody and her journey during the march, listening to Dr. King's speech, and standing up for her rights.
Middle Grade: $5 and Under Reads
Book Pick #16: Alice in Wonderland is a classic tale that children and parents will love all the same. Full of adventure, exploration, magic, and excitement, follow Alice as she discovers an entirely new world, fights the queen of hearts, and tries to make her way back home. A story for the ages, share this chapter book with your middle grader who loves getting lost in the pages.
Book Pick #17: Unbound is a novel in verse that will bring your child back to a dark time in America's history through beautiful language and a new perspective on the past. Grace is an enslaved person living on a plantation with her family. In a desperate attempt to escape an auction, one fateful night her family makes their way through southern swamps to find a new home and be free.
Book Pick #18: The Goldfish Boy highlights a complex character, Matthew Corbin, who suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and refuses to leave his home. But when a child goes missing and he's the last person to see him alive, it's up to Matthew to help figure out what happened — and even leave the safety of his bedroom — taking a risk he'll never forget.
Book Pick #19: The Call of the Wild tells the wild story of a dog named Buck and the resilience any living thing needs in order to survive. A true classic set in the snowy North, Buck needs to find his inner wild in order to make it back home. From heroism to adventure, this story is one for any coming-of-age reader.
Book Pick #20: Classic Goosebumps #35: Bride of the Living Dummy introduces your reader to not one, but two evil dolls on the prowl for trouble. R.L. Stine's Slappy may have met his match in this horror-tastic tale of mayhem and mischief. A spooky take on the Goosebumps series, your child won't be able to put this one down.
