UPDATE 1/29/2014
I've compiled the over 110 comments from you and created a PDF with all your suggestions! Download it or print it out, and enjoy this great library resource! Enjoy!
Or, view the list below!
CHAPTER BOOKS FOR THE YOUNGER KIDS
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
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
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
Famous Five by Enid Blyton
Freddy Anniversary Collection by Walter Brooks
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
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
Henry Huggins books by Beverly Cleary
How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
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
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet
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
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 Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
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 By M.M. Kaye
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne
Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum
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Reading chapter books to your 3-8 year olds is a great way to get them to use their imaginations and to more advanced vocabulary. But with the advanced vocab, can sometimes come advanced content (sorry...I am not interested in emotionally scarring my 4 year olds by reading about vampires) or they simply have plots that can't capture the attention of preschool age kids. Sometimes it's a matter of not having enough pictures intertwined in the chapters to keep them turning pages with you.
So, thank you so much for your recommendations! We have read some of these, and can attest to our children being completely interested even though they are considered for Middle Grade Readers.
I have learned to never underestimate the reading comprehension of your children! Just last night, my just turned 4 year old...who has such a hard time sitting down to read...was completely wrapped up in Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder...and even went to dress for the part of the hunter boys to get in the mood. I watched his eyes widen as he listened (there weren't any pictures to look at) and felt like I was catching a magical moment where he was making the connection between the words and the images in his own mind. Pure Magic!
Enjoy Reading!