What Is SongLake Books?

SongLake Books is a small, independent supplier of guided reading books for children, focused on grades K–4. It selects titles from a range of publishers and organizes them into sets that match common classroom reading programs, so teachers, librarians, and district purchasers can order books by grade level, Reading Recovery level, or diversity theme rather than browsing a general bookstore catalog.

The company describes itself as having been in business for nearly 30 years and says its selections are based on educational research, with input gathered from K–4 teachers and librarians across the country.

Who it serves

SongLake Books is aimed at adults buying for schools and reading programs, not at parents browsing for a single bedtime book. Its catalog is structured around how reading instruction is organized in classrooms:

• Grade-level sets — for example, Grade K Levels A/B, Grade 1 Levels D/E, and Grade 2 Levels J/K, up through Grade 4 Levels P/Q.
• Reading Recovery sets — leveled book sets drawn from the official leveling list, for programs that use that framework.
• Diversity collections — sets featuring only underrepresented races, cultures, and lifestyles, available as singles or 6-packs by grade.
• Program-specific sets — such as Phonics Forward, described as bridging decodables and trade books for districts using the Science of Reading.

What kinds of books it carries

According to the site, the selection process scrutinizes hundreds of books from a variety of publishers, then narrows to a wide range of topics and genres: fiction and nonfiction, favorite authors and illustrators, fairytales, animals, science, social studies, cultures, graphic novels, and stories that prompt conversations about responsibility, decision-making, and friendship.

The stated goal is to appeal to a variety of young readers and build a love of reading, rather than to take a position in the "reading wars." Instead, the catalog is organized so that a district can find a set matching whichever approach it already uses.

How ordering works

The site lists a price list, an order reservation form, and a sole source letter — the last of which is a document school districts often need when purchasing from a single vendor. Contact and ordering details given on the site:

One ordering condition stated on the site: there is a three-set minimum per order. Prices are not shown in the available page evidence, so check the current price list before planning a purchase.

When it's a good fit

SongLake Books is worth a look if you are a teacher, reading specialist, librarian, or district buyer who needs leveled or themed book sets that align with an existing K–4 reading program, and you want a single vendor that has already done the title selection. It is less suited to someone looking for individual titles, current bestsellers, or consumer-level retail ordering, since the catalog is built around classroom sets and program alignment.