! 12 Fantastic Fall Books for Primary Kids and More Fall Fun - Primary Teachspiration

12 Fantastic Fall Books for Primary Kids and More Fall Fun

I love fall, and some of my most favorite books to read to kids are books about fall.  It is the season to read about apples, pumpkins, scarecrows, and autumn adventures galore.

Fall-themed books can inspire some great learning opportunities.
And there are some really fantastic fall books out there for primary kids.
12 Fantastic Fall Books for Primary Kids | Plus ideas for how they can be used to extend the fall theme with fun math and literacy practice, as follow-up after one of the reads, or by simply putting them in centers.

Today I'm sharing a list, with a little description, of some great ones that I've read to my second graders over the years and now read to my grandkids. They love it when I read to them!  These books are great for read-alouds or just to keep in your class library.  The kiddos will enjoy them either way.  Some, they will even want to read more than once. They are perfect for first and second graders.  AND when you get to the end of the list, I've left a little FALL FREEBIE for you, too!

12 Fantastic Fall Books for Primary Kids that inspire learning


Click on the image of each book to read more about it on Amazon.

Book Awesome Autumn Fall Facts and Fun

Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone - This book is full of beautiful photos and gives all kinds of information about fall - changes in nature, leaf changes, harvest, migrations and more. 



Book By the Light of the Harvest Moon

By the Light of the Harvest Moon by Harriett Ziefert - LOVE this book!  It was the perfect story to read to my second graders just before we did a leaf craft in which they created little leaf men (or women).  I displayed them in the hall with the words "Fall Frolic."   I always teased them by telling them that each night their little leaf men/women would come to life and frolic in the hallway.  They loved it!
The illustrations in this book are absolutely wonderful as you read about the fun fall traditions. The best part is discovering that it is the leaf characters who are experiencing all the fun!  Perfect!!



Book Counting on Fall

Counting on Fall by Lizann Flatt -  If you like to take your kiddos on fall nature walks, this book is a must-read.  It's part of a series in which each book highlights math concepts found in nature, in this case, during the fall.



Book Autumn and Alphabet Acrostic

Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur - This is a great book for introducing acrostic poetry during your poetry lessons.  The author uses every letter of the alphabet to feature a fall item and then turns the word for the item into an acrostic poem.



Book Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson - This is a delightful story to simply enjoy. Fletcher the young fox worries that something is terribly wrong with his favorite tree when the leaves turn brown and begin to fall.  But when winter comes, Fletcher gets a magical surprise and realizes that all is well with his tree.  



Book Lucky Leaf

Lucky Leaf by Kevin O'Malley -  Your kids will get a kick out of this funny book about a boy who spends too much time playing video games.  His parents send him to play outside instead.  He is on a quest to capture a lucky leaf, the last leaf to fall from a tree. It's a cute story with a comic book format. 



Book Fancy Nancy and the Fall Folliage

Fancy Nancy and the Fall Foliage by Jane O'Connor - We love the Fancy Nancy books!  Just like me, Fancy Nancy loves fall.  She loves the fashion, the weather, and, of course, the pretty leaves.  As she helps her mom and dad rake the yard, she gets a brilliant idea to do something unique with her
most beautiful leaves.



Book Apples and Pumpkins

Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell - Another delightful story about a young girl who, on a beautiful fall day, goes with her parents to a farm to pick apples and "pick the best pumpkin of them all."  When she gets home with the pumpkin, she gets to help carve it and put it on their doorstep for Halloween.



Book Pumpkin Town! Or, Nothing Is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins

Pumpkin Town! Or, Nothing Is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins by Katie McKy - This is a cute story about five brothers who accidentally scatter pumpkins all over a small town, and pumpkins and vines overrun the town the following year.  When the boys try to make things right, they are rewarded with watermelons.  Wonder what will happen next!?  This open-ended story could lead to a fun writing activity.



Book Fall Mixed Up

 Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka - This book is hilariously funny, and your kids will love it!  The author takes fall activities of various animals and pairs them with the wrong animal.  "Bears gather nuts. Geese hibernate. Squirrels fly south in big figure eights."



Book There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves

There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro - Another Old Lady Who Swallowed....book, this time some leaves.  She swallows fall-themed items that, in the end, make a scarecrow.  A cute idea would be to make paper samples of each item ahead to show as you read, as well as a finished sample of the scarecrow to display at the end (that looks like the one in the book, of course).



Book Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie

Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie by Herman Parish - And, last but not least, a fall-themed Amelia Bedelia book.  Every second grader I have ever known loves Amelia Bedelia books, with the hilarious play on words and Amelia always taking everything so literally. This book features a young, modernized Amelia who is visiting her grandparents and making a pie with Grandma.  It is written in the typical Amelia Bedelia humorous style, but is more of a picture book than the traditional easy reader.


And there you have it, my fall book list!  I think reading a wonderful fall book provides the perfect opening for leading into math or literacy skills practice.

As I said before, I love fall!  And with the arrival of the first fall-like day, I was super inspired to create some fall-themed printables the kids would enjoy while practicing some of those important Common Core math and literacy skills. I'd like to share with you some ideas on how they can be used to extend the fall theme for follow-up after one of the fall reads, or by simply putting them in centers.  

The kids love coloring and using math manipulatives to solve 
math problems like these. Some of the math pages would be great to use following the read of a book such as Counting on Fall.
Fall Problems is a fall-themed printable that primary kids will enjoy following the read of "Counting on Fall."

Doubles & Doubles +1 is a fall-themed printable that primary kids will enjoy following a read of the book "Counting on Fall."



This Counting Money printable is just one example of a fall-themed printable that the kids will enjoy following a read of the book "Counting on Fall."



And, of course, I want to make sure the kiddos are exposed to a variety of fun literacy activities.  Here are examples of some that would be perfect following a story about apples such as 
Apples and Pumpkins or a book about ABCs or poetry such as
Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic.
This Apple Story Sequence printable is a perfect follow-up activity after a reading of "Apples and Pumpkins."


The Apple Rhymes fall printable is a great follow-up activity after a reading of "Autumn:An Alphabet Acrostic."


This Autumn ABC Order fall printable is a perfect follow-up activity after a reading of "Autumn:An Alphabet Acrostic."


I hope I've given you some ideas on how you can use books to bring some fall atmosphere into the classroom and keep your kids learning at the same time.

Did I miss any fantastic fall books for the primary grades?  Let me know of any you like to read.


And now, as promised, here is the FALL FREEBIE.  It is a sample of my Fall Math and Literacy NO PREP Printables.  Click on the image below to grab your copy.

FREE FALL SAMPLER | Fall Math and Literacy NO PREP Printables by Primary Teachspiration

If you are interested, you can also download one or more of my complete sets of the September, October, or November Math and Litereacy NO PREP Printables. Or for huge savings, you may prefer the Fall Bundle of all three sets or the All Year Bundle for even greater savings. 

Have a great year and don't forget to frolic in the fall!

              Pin It
12 Fantastic Fall Books for Primary Kids and More Fall Fun
             


This blog post contains affiliate links, which simply means I will make a few pennies from Amazon should you purchase a book or other items.

No comments

Back to Top