HIBERNATION & ANIMALS IN FALL AND WINTER -- 1st Grade level books

Winter's an amazing time. Plants die or go dormant, and animals alter the patterns of their lives, changing color, migrating, and even going dormant themselves. 

This list features books at the First Grade reading level.

**all ratings from GoodReads 
**most of these books are available in Spanish


bookcover of WHAT DO ANIMALS DO IN FALL? by Rebecca Felix
WHAT DO ANIMALS DO IN FALL?
by Rebecca Felix

Common Core State Standards


Simple text about how animals prepare for winter -- including migration and hibernation. Large, bright color photographs correspond well to the text.

sample page #1 of WHAT DO ANIMALS DO IN FALL?  by Rebecca Felix

sample page #2 of WHAT DO ANIMALS DO IN FALL?  by Rebecca Felix

Reading Information:
Word Count: 126
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader: 1.0 / points: 0.5

AR quiz: 158281
Lexile: 300L


bookcover of ANIMALS IN THE FALL by Gail Saunders-SmithANIMALS IN THE FALL
by Gail Saunders-Smith

The text in this book is very, very simple and meant for children who need to build confidence. Or contrarily as a book for toddlers and preschoolers who are not yet reading.
Geese fly south. Some butterflies fly south. Deer grow winter coats.
The super simple text would be easy for adults to point to with their index finger as they share the book. And because there are so few words it would be easy for children to grasp the concept of reading, and how we go from left to right, and how words are separated by spaces, etc.

The simple text there are colorful pictures of Monarch butterflies and whales and geese, and other creatures.

I would use it for children who need to build confidence. Or contrarily as a book for toddlers and preschoolers who are not yet reading. There are so few words that adults can point as they read, demonstrating to children how we read from left to right, and how words are separated by spaces, etc.
Table of Contents
Animals That Travel
Animals That Change
Animals That Work

Words to Know
Read More

Internet Sites

Index/Word List
 sample page #1 from ANIMALS IN THE FALL  by Gail Saunders-Smith

sample page #2 from ANIMALS IN THE FALL  by Gail Saunders-Smith

Reading Information:
Word Count: 35
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading Level: 1.1/ points: 0.5
AR quiz: 32077
Lexile: 380L

bookcover of Animals In Fall book by Martha E. H. RustadANIMALS IN FALL
by Martha E. H. Rustad

3.32 avg rating — 25 ratings 

Shows animals at work as they gather food and prepare shelter to survive the winter ahead.

sample page #1 from ANIMALS IN FALL  by Martha E. H. Rustad

sample page #2 from ANIMALS IN FALL  by Martha E. H. Rustad
Word Count: 111
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader:  1.2 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 115416
Lexile: 220L


bookcover of WINTER  (Wonder Books: Level 2 Seasons)  by Cynthia Klingel
WINTER  
(Wonder Books: Level 2 Seasons)
by Cynthia Klingel & Robert B. Noyed

Simple text talks about the season of winter, weather changes and their effects on plants, animals, and people.

Word Count: 179
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader: 1.5 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  48256


bookcover of Hibernation Station by Michelle MeadowsHIBERNATION STATION
by Michelle Meadows
Kurt Cyrus (Illustrator)

3.59 avg rating — 241 ratings

Cute, cute, cute. We loved the drawings in this book that takes an ENTIRELY whimsical look at hibernation.
Fuzzy slippers, warm pajamas.
Forest babies and their mamas...

show up early at the station!
Time for winter hibernation.
sample page from HIBERNATION STATION  by Michelle Meadows
Recommend this one as a Good Seasonal Read-aloud to accompany more serious books.

Word Count: 200

Page Count: 40

Accelerated
Reader: 1.5 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 139421



FALL by Cynthia Klingel
FALL
(Wonder Books: Level 2 Seasons)
by Cynthia Klingel & Robert B. Noyed

Simple text talks about the season of Fall, weather changes and it's effects on plants, animals, and people.

Word Count: 181
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading Level: 1.6 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  48221


bookcover of  Busy Animals: Learning about Animals in Autumn by Lisa  Bullard
BUSY ANIMALS : Learning About Animals In Autumn
by Lisa  Bullard
Nadine Takvorian (Illustrator)

3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings

 A nature preserve provides a background for learning about what animals do to adapt to cooler weather.

Word Count: 286
Page Count:  24
Accelerated Reading level: 1.8 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 137984
Lexile: 430L


bookcover of HIBERNATION (Patterns in Nature series) by Margaret Hall
HIBERNATION
(Patterns in Nature series)
by Margaret Hall

NSTA Recommended

  • 3.73  avg rating — 11 GoodReaders

Brilliant and interesting photographs, easily understood diagrams and a short, informative text are the highlights of this Patterns in Nature series, which features titles on day and night, hibernation, phases of the moon and seasons of the year.

Children will indeed choose this book by its cover: it depicts a huge brown bear sound asleep, eating grass and grabbing a fish from the river. In answer to the question on the first page, why hibernate? we see a picture of splotches of snow stuck to a bear surrounded by snow. Food is hard to find. We see tiny animals hibernating also, including clusters of bats that don t even go to the bathroom.


sample page from HIBERNATION  (Patterns in Nature series)  by Margaret Hall

Getting ready to hibernate means getting fat on fish (bears), filling a burrow with acorns (chipmunks), or digging a warm hole in the mud (frogs). Each title features a pattern diagram on the last page--in this case getting ready, finding a den, hibernating, and leaving the den. Hibernating is one of nature's patterns. Children can see the principle and learn the words that explain that principle.

There is a very short index, a glossary, a list of additional books, and a reference to the Facthoundweb site with links to age-appropriate sites for each book. This is an outstanding series of concept books for new and pre-readers; the photographs make the book interesting enough to use with older children who struggle with reading and concepts.
--Childrens Literature Comprehensive Database, January 2007

Word Count: 181
Page Count: 24
Accelerated
Reading Level: 1.8 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 108397
 
Lexile: 390L

bookcovers of ANIMALS IN WINTER by Martha E. H. RustadANIMALS IN WINTER
by Martha E. H. Rustad

When snow falls animals and people adapt to the cold. People bundle up, but what do animals do?

The text in this book is simple, and the photographs on the right hand side cover an entire page.  Animals include bats and snowshoe hares.

sample page #1 from ANIMALS IN WINTER  by Martha E. H. Rustad
sample page #2 from ANIMALS IN WINTER  by Martha E. H. Rustad
Word Count: 148
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading level:  1.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 123650
Lexile: 400L

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compiled by Pam
updated October 2014