Free Tools & Resources: Selecting Books for Elementary School Students

The Library Project is pleased to announce the release of Selecting Books for Elementary School Students, a free literacy program resource created for global literacy nonprofit organizations, community centers, schools, and local education partners.

This new guide is the first in a series of literacy-related program files that The Library Project will make available free to download through our Free Tools and Resources page. These resources are designed to help organizations strengthen access to books, improve children’s literacy, and build sustainable reading programs in their own communities.

Download Selecting Books for Elementary School Students (PDF) — 1.1 MB

Selecting the right books is one of the most important steps in developing an effective literacy program. A strong book collection does more than fill shelves. It supports reading development, reflects children’s interests and daily lives, introduces new ideas, and helps students build confidence as readers. When books are age-appropriate, engaging, accurate, inclusive, and connected to local learning goals, they become powerful tools for learning.

Selecting Books for Elementary School Students provides practical guidance for choosing books for children in Grades 1–6. The guide outlines how to select books based on age and cognitive development, reading difficulty, student interest, publication quality, curriculum alignment, and physical safety. It also encourages organizations to build balanced collections that include literature, popular science, and STEAM, history and culture, social-emotional learning, inclusion and diversity, environmental protection, and creative thinking.

For early elementary students, the guide recommends picture-rich books with simple language, short sentences, strong visual support, and familiar storylines. For middle elementary students, it encourages a gradual transition to longer texts, richer vocabulary, and books that build reading stamina. For upper elementary students, the guide highlights books that support deeper comprehension, reflection, and critical thinking.

The resource also emphasizes values-based book selection. Books included in literacy programs should support children’s healthy development by promoting courage, kindness, honesty, friendship, respect, perseverance, responsibility, and care for others. Nonfiction books should be accurate and reliable, while all books should use language that is respectful, age-appropriate, and suitable for young readers.

This free download is part of The Library Project’s broader commitment to capacity building for global literacy organizations. By sharing practical, field-tested resources at no cost, The Library Project aims to support nonprofit organizations, schools, and community centers in creating strong reading cultures for children.

Selecting Books for Elementary School Students is now available as a free download on The Library Project’s Free Tools and Resources page. Additional literacy program resources will be released in the coming months.