Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karen’s Island | 1995 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
| 2 | Three Wishes For Buster | 1995 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
| 3 | Bill Pickett: An American Original Texas Style | 1996 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
| 4 | Hurricane Andrew | 1998 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
| 5 | Ham And Eggs For Jack | 1998 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
| 6 | Life in the Desert | 1998 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
| 7 | Desert Treasure | 1998 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
| 8 | Inventors | 1998 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
| 9 | Milo’s Great Invention | 1998 | Andrew Clements | Buy |
Before Frindle established Andrew Clements as a household name in school libraries, he was quietly producing a steady stream of picture books and early readers through the mid-1990s. The titles grouped under the Reading Program label represent that period of his career, when he was experimenting with format, voice, and subject matter across a range of projects.
These books share the accessible language and clear storytelling that would later become hallmarks of his better-known work. They were designed to support young readers at specific stages of reading development, giving teachers and parents structured options for classroom or home use. While individually less well known than his middle-grade novels, they demonstrate the range Clements brought to children’s publishing even in his early years.
Readers who encounter these titles through library collections or classroom sets will find the same warmth and clarity that runs through all of Clements’ writing for children. They serve as an interesting record of a prolific author finding his footing before Frindle changed the trajectory of his career.