Chapter Books for the Younger Kids

A couple years back, I created a list of chapter books that were suitable for very small children to have read to them. We are big readers in our house!  If you were to come over right now, you'd see bookshelves everywhere. And we could use more....there are books on the couch, the coffee table, the kids' beds, and even on the kitchen counter.

My husband started reading chapter books to the kids when they were as young as age 3. But we found it difficult to find advanced books that were suitable for children who weren't even in kindergarten yet!

So, we visited with our librarian, asked other parents, and put together a list.

And it was so helpful for so many! We had over 110 comments of other parents pitching in their ideas. It's been a long while, but we thought we'd put that list in a single printable PDF  for you to bring with you to the library:

It's a 5 page document full of awesome titles. It's been so helpful to have on hand!

Or, you can just view the list below! 

CHAPTER BOOKS FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN (Ages 4-8 for read-aloud)

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken

A Secret Zoo

Adventures of a South Pole Pig

Alice in wonderland by Lewis Carroll

 Animal Stories by Thornton Burgess

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

Because of Wynn Dixie by Kate diCamillo

Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Captain Underpants Series by Dav Pilkey

Castle in the Attic

Catwings books by Ursula K. LeGuin

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Dear Hound by Jill Murphy

Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine

Elves and Fairies Annie R. Rentoul and Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Emily’s Runaway Imagination Beverly Cleary

Enid Blyton Goodnight Stories

Famous Five by Enid Blyton

Far Flung Adventures series

Freddy Anniversary Collection by Walter Brooks

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Geronimo Stilton

Grandma’s Attic by Arleta Richardson

Grayson by Lynne Cox

Half Magic by Edward Eager
Indian in the Cupboard series by Lynn Reid Banks

Halibut Jackson by David Lucas

Hank the Cowdog series

Henry Huggins books by Beverly Cleary

Horrible Harry series

How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Humphrey the Hamster series

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James Herriot Treasury for Children

Junie B Jones Series by Barbara Park

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Little Women Louisa May Alcott

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards

Matilda Roald Dahl

Mercy Watson series by Kate diCamillo

Milly-Molly-Mandy Joyce Lankester Brisley

Mr. Poppers Penguins

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet

Nancy Drew mysteries

No Flying in the House by Betty Brock

Paddington Bear by Michael Bond

Peter Pan J.M. Barrie

Pippi Longstocking Astrid Lindgren

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Princess in Black

Ralph S. Mouse books by Beverly Cleary

Ramona books by Beverly Cleary

Secret Seven by Enid Blyton

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs

Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black

Swiss Family Robinson Johann D. Wyss

Tale of Despereaux by Kate diCamillo

The Adventures of Olga da Polga By Michael Bond

The Alfie Books by Shirley Hughes

The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

The Boxcar Children Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling

The Cricket in Times Square George Seldon

The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) by Avi

The Fairy Rebel

The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Happy Hollisters

The Henry books by DB Johnson

The Light Princess, The George MacDonald Treasury

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Littles by John Peterson

The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate diCamillo

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

The Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

The Ordinary Princess

The Ordinary Princess By M.M. Kaye

The Penderwicks

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett       

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong

The Worst Witch series

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 

Trixie Belden mysteries

Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne

Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum

 

Thanks for all your input, and happy reading!!