The Living Library

Our Best Library Where Every Book’s A Curriculum. Best Read Alouds, Teacher Guides, & Activities.

A curated archive of picture books, graphic novels, easy readers, middle grade, and real stories — each with a ready-to-use teacher's guide, discussion questions, and classroom activities. The library where every book's a curriculum.

Explore the Books Pace-Write-Read

KidLit Librarian mascot alligator among library bookshelves

K–12

Grade Range

Learning Units

429+

Curated Books

429

Teacher Guides

429

Lessons

1267

Activities

The Stacks

The Library where Every Book's a Curriculum. Browse the shelves by call number, by category, by author. Enjoy!

K-2

Teacher's Guide

Books connect us to ideas, adventures, and one another. Finding a book that fits our interests—and helping someone else find theirs—makes reading a shared joy.

P ALL THE BOOKS

Picture Book·K-2·Imagination & Creativity

All the Books

Hayley Rocco

K-2

Teacher's Guide

Finding a book that connects with our interests can help us discover the joy of reading. Readers have different tastes, and listening to one another helps us recommend stories that feel just right.

P ALL THE BOOKS

Picture Book·K-2·Imagination & Creativity

A Book for Everyone

Hayley Rocco

PreK-2

Teacher's Guide

We build strong communities by helping our neighbors and taking care of the places we share.

P ALL WELCOME

Picture Book·PreK-2·Acceptance & Belonging

All Are Neighbors

Alexandra Penfold

PreK-2

Teacher's Guide

Our classroom is a shared space where we follow kind rules to ensure everyone learns and grows safely.

P ALL WELCOME

Picture Book·PreK-2·Acceptance & Belonging

Welcome to Our Classroom!

Alexandra Penfold

PreK-2

Teacher's Guide

Every child brings unique gifts to the classroom, and our diversity makes our school community stronger.

P ALL WELCOME

Picture Book·PreK-2·Acceptance & Belonging

All Are Welcome

Alexandra Penfold

PreK-2

Teacher's Guide

All feelings are okay, and we can use healthy strategies to navigate them when they feel too big.

P ALL WELCOME

Picture Book·PreK-2·Acceptance & Belonging

Big Feelings

Alexandra Penfold

Cover of Pencil and Eraser : Lost and Frown!

K-5

Teacher's Guide

Characters can experience the same problem differently, and those differences can shape both humor and problem-solving. Writers control how readers experience a story through words, illustrations, pauses, and page turns.

P ALVARADO

Picture Book·K-5

Pencil and Eraser : Lost and Frown!

Jenny Alvarado

PreK-2

Teacher's Guide

Dogs give us loyalty, comfort, and joy — and the everyday heroes in our lives deserve to be celebrated.

P ASHMAN

Picture Book·PreK-2·Friendship & Kindness

Wonder Dogs!

Linda Ashman

From the Librarian's Desk

A few favorites, each with a downloadable teacher's guide.

K-4

Teacher's Guide

The ocean holds creatures we barely understand, and scientific curiosity drives us to explore the unknown.

Real Story·K-4·Nature & Environment

Giant Squid

Candace Fleming

K-5

Teacher's Guide

Good intentions do not always lead to good results, but taking responsibility can help repair a mistake and a friendship. Bub's diary also shows how a distinctive narrator, pictures, and changes in pacing can turn an everyday problem into an engaging adventure.

Chapter Book·K-5

Diary of a Pug: Pug Blasts Off

Kyla May

Cover of Not How to Make a Jelly Sandwich

K-2

Teacher's Guide

Sometimes the best way to learn what to do is to laugh about what not to do.

Picture Book·K-2·Following Directions & Humor

Not How to Make a Jelly Sandwich

Ross Burach

Cover of Owl Diaries Eva's Treetop Festival

K-5

Teacher's Guide

Eva Wingdale learns that while big ideas are exciting, they require teamwork and humility to succeed. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness, when tackling a large project.

Chapter Book·K-5

Owl Diaries Eva's Treetop Festival

Rebecca Elliott

Cover of The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest

3-7

Teacher's Guide

Even the unlikeliest heroes can find purpose and friendship in the most unexpected places.

Middle Grade·3-7·Belonging & Adventure

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest

Aubrey Hartman

4-7

Teacher's Guide

Imagination and memory can transform the smallest spaces into entire worlds.

Middle Grade·4-7·Imagination & Memory

The Winter of the Dollhouse

Laura Amy Schlitz

1-4

Teacher's Guide

One person's steady, patient action can restore an ecosystem and inspire a whole community to care for the earth.

Real Story·1-4·Making A Difference

The Boy Who Grew A Forest

Sophia Gholz

K-5

Teacher's Guide

Being brave does not mean being free of fear or needing no one; it means making thoughtful choices while remaining connected to others. Writers help readers experience that courage by changing the pace between discovery, danger, reflection, and connection.

Middle Grade·K-5

Rover's Story

Jasmine Warga

View the Complete Catalog

Curated by Theme

Featured Collections

Thematic book stacks to help you find the right read-aloud fast — each hand-picked for classroom impact.

Bravery & Courage

Stories of bold hearts, big leaps, and everyday acts of courage.

Jabari Jumps

The Trouble with Heroes

Browse all Bravery & Courage

Graphic Novel Favorites

Visual storytelling that hooks reluctant readers and rewards voracious ones.

Dog Man

Serendipity

Gabby Torres Knows What You Did

The Cartoonists Club

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Browse all Graphic Novel Favorites

Friendship & Kindness

Big-hearted tales about empathy, belonging, and the friends who shape us.

Best Buds

Sidekicks: Thick as Thieves

The Adventures of Invisible Boy: Monster Mash

This Was Our Pact

The Quiet Forest

Browse all Friendship & Kindness

A fountain pen resting on a handwritten manuscript page

The Mastery Manual

Pace-Write-Read

The Trifecta of Pacing

A writer's handbook of 38 craft tools covering plot, pacing, and prosody — every technique you need to pace your story with power and purpose. Read the first 6 tools free.

Open the Manual