• HOME
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT
    • FAQS
    • PARTNERS
    • BE AN AMBASSADOR
  • BOOKS SELECTED
    • 2025
    • 2024
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2020-2021
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
  • TEACHER GUIDES
    • TEACHER GUIDES 2021
    • TEACHER GUIDES 2019
    • TEACHER GUIDES 2018
    • TEACHER GUIDES 2017
    • TEACHER GUIDES 2016
    • TEACHER GUIDES 2015
  • EVENTS
Click below to see the other books in each age band.
BIRTH TO 4
GRADES K TO 2
GRADES 3 TO 5
GRADES 6 TO 8
GRADES 9 TO 12
ADULT

2020-2021: GRADES K TO 2

(DOWNLOAD THE GRADES K TO 2 Bookmark)

Jasper & Ollie

by Alex Willan
As Jasper races ahead—crashing into the mailman, speeding past the ice cream truck—Ollie takes his sweet time, pausing to admire a butterfly, smell a daisy, and help the mailman pick up his letters! With a clever design that shows Jasper's hectic rush compared with Ollie's casual stroll, this hilarious story allows young readers to easily recognize the differences between the two pals. It's a smartly paced, hugely funny celebration of what makes each person special. Kids AND grown-ups will giggle as they decide if they're more of a "Jasper" or an "Ollie." It's also a great story to share the concept of "taking time to smell the roses"—a perfect lesson in our overly scheduled world.

Just Read!

by Lori Degman
Learning to read is a big accomplishment, and this exuberant picture book celebrates reading in its many forms. In lively rhyme, it follows a diverse group of word-loving children who grab the opportunity to read wherever and whenever they can. They read while waiting and while sliding or swinging; they read music and in Braille and the signs on the road. And, sometimes, they even read together, in a special fort they’ve built. The colorful, fanciful art and rollicking text will get every child more excited about reading!

My Teacher is a Robot

by Jeffrey Brown
Fred does not want to go to school because it's boring. Especially since he thinks his teacher is a robot. If only Fred could imagine a way for his day to be more exciting. An inventively funny picture book that celebrates the boundlessness of a child's imagination and celebrates the teachers, families, and friends who get wrapped up in their fantastic worlds.

Oak Leaf

by John Sandford
An artistic picture book about an autumn leaf’s journey that beautifully evokes the season. A lone autumn leaf falls and flies away on a breeze. It travels up and over the world and down again—where it finally lands on the page of a little girl’s open book and becomes a keepsake.

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

by Andrea Beaty
Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school . . . until one day, when Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so. Sofia misses her Abuelo and wonders what she can do about the dangerous Mount Trashmore. Then she gets an idea—the town can turn the slimy mess into a park! She brainstorms and plans and finally works up the courage to go to City Hall—only to be told by a clerk that she can’t build a park because she’s just a kid! Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do.

This Is How I Do It: One Day in the Life of You and 59 Real Kids from Around the World

by Matt Lamothe
Building on the success of the internationally acclaimed This Is How We Do It, this activity book invites readers to document their lives and daily rituals alongside 59 real kids. Complete with sticker sheets, punch-out postcards, and a fold-out map, this interactive activity book will get kids writing, drawing, sharing, and learning about cultures and countries other than their own. Even the die-cut cover can be personalized, creating a keepsake time capsule to treasure.
Sign up to be an ILLINOIS READS Ambassador

Thank you!

Error

Bad respond
MENU
ABOUT
FAQS
BE AN AMBASSADOR
EVENTS
PARTNERS
CONTACT
309-454-1341
iRC@ILLINOISREADINGCOUNCIL.ORG
ADDRESS
1100 Beech ST, Building 8-2 Normal, IL 61761

We use cookies to enable essential functionality on our website, and analyze website traffic. By clicking Accept you consent to our use of cookies. Read about how we use cookies.

Your Cookie Settings

We use cookies to enable essential functionality on our website, and analyze website traffic. Read about how we use cookies.

Cookie Categories
Essential

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our websites. You cannot refuse these cookies without impacting how our websites function. You can block or delete them by changing your browser settings, as described under the heading "Managing cookies" in the Privacy and Cookies Policy.

Analytics

These cookies collect information that is used in aggregate form to help us understand how our websites are being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are.