When I posted this picture sharing a few of the chapter books we’ve enjoyed for the young reader, I got so many amazing responses from you. You guys give such good advice. I’m going to do my best to round up what our favorites are, what your favorites are, and a few of the resources I’ve enjoyed for sourcing more sage advice on the topic of reading with your children. Onward!Now that Parker is 7 and Anders is almost 4 (what), I feel like it doesn’t have to be short picture books all the time. Let it be known, picture books have their place! An important place indeed. But opening a chapter book night after night, easing into a longer story like a comfortable chair? It’s my favorite. We have an incredible collection of books, in part because the older kid’s grandmother is a children’s book seller. Original d’Aulaire books! All of the Landmark books (Nathaniel and Jordan read all of these, and as a result know so much about history), all of the Bill Peet books (forever my favorite; please go get one at the library right now if you’ve never read his. You’ll fall in love and then just keep going.), the Little House series, Childhood of Famous Americans, Discovery Books, We Were There books. The list goes on. Our book collection is extensive, and is often the first thing people notice when they walk into our house!
Here’s some chapter books we’ve read and loved:
Note that Parker (7) is fully capable of sitting and listening to a story for a much lengthier amount of time than Anders. Sometimes Anders (3, almost 4) is half-listening, sometimes (at night) he falls asleep while I’m reading. That’s okay, and I still believe that him listening to me read a story is valuable even if he’s only picking up parts. It’s helpful to have only a reading light on, with the room otherwise dark, because it encourages him to at least stay in bed with us and be a part of things. We still read picture books to both of them, so he is getting a variety!
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
My Father’s Dragon
James and the Giant Peach
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Pippi Longstocking
Charlotte’s Web (I read this to William and Lindsey when they were little but haven’t read it to Parker and Anders yet)
various Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire books–specifically (so far) Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, The Magic Meadow, Buffalo Bill
Frog and Toad (we all laugh out loud at this series; “Help! My best friend is trying to kill me!”)
When I asked for advice from you wise people, here’s some chapter books that were repeated over and over; not an exhaustive list, but go here for all of them:
The Magical Journey of Edward Tulane (currently reading it!)
Little House on the Prairie (totally planning on this!) + Farmer Boy
Boxcar Children (yes! Planning on working through these!)
Magic Treehouse Series (we’ve gotten these out at the library in CDs for the car; perfect for a slightly longer roadtrip! William and Lindsey used to love them too.)
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Where the Red Fern Grows (I remember reading this when I was little! Tear-jerker.)
Mouse and the Motorcycle
Ramona Quimby series (loved these as a kid! Just got them on audio for Parker)
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
Wonder (for a slightly older child)
Harry Potter (also for an older child; started this with Parker in the spring, but I felt like he wasn’t ready! SO excited to get into it with both of them)
Roald Dahl books (quirkiest, sometimes comically dark, but also fun)
Nate the Great (we’ve read these! Quirky stories.)
Indian in the Cupboard
One and Only Ivan
Princess and the Goblin
Favorite Greek Myths retold by Mary Pope Osborne (definitely looking into this!)
Percy Jackson
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
Redwall Series (for an older child; Nathaniel and Jordan read all of these and loved them)
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
Little Britches
So many incredible recommendations! You guys are a gold mine, truly. Thank you for sharing your favorites with me. We’ve begun the Magical Journey of Edward Tulane, and already downloaded the Ramona series (read by Stockard Channing!) on audiobook. Sometimes, it’s nice to also be read to at night, even though you’re the parent! I’m also finding audiobooks to be a nice diversion from Parker and Anders getting on each other’s nerves. You can easily color or do play dough alongside one, and it just has a calming effect.
There’s various ways to go about an audiobook but here’s a few that I know of: Hoopla app (free when you look it up to your library card; and apparently no wait, how can that be?), Overdrive app (same, but there’s sometimes a wait list), Audible (no wait, costs money, links to your Amazon account but then you own the book). I think an audiobook or books on CD are especially nice for an early reader who is already familiar with the story in book form, and is now listening to it. We’ve done this with the Frog and Toad series–we’ve read them all to Parker, and now he enjoys also listening to them, narrated by Arnold Lobel himself. I imagine, though I haven’t read the science on this, that it would also be nice to actively follow along with the book open while being read to for an early reader!
Resources that you mentioned in the post:
Read Aloud Revival podcast: I’ve already listened to two of these podcasts and I loved them. Thank you to the reader who suggested it! The one on early reader books (I’ve reserved all of the Mr. Putter and Tabby books!) is full of great recommendations, the science behind the benefits of reading, the authors to look out for. The podcast on Reading Aloud to 4-7 year olds was also really informative, validating. If you already love reading to your children, they’re still worth a listen, but especially if you struggle with it. It is so important! Highly recommend tuning in while you fold laundry, or cook dinner. She also has show notes and links on her site (linked) and an Instagram account.
The Mum and the Mom blog: this is a reader of mine who’s rounded up some great books for various stages and ages!
Travel through Text: Loads more book recommendations!
Please include any of your favorites in the comments, for various aged children, or your reading resources. I absolutely love this topic!
{Unrelated, but had some questions on these overalls so I’m linking them here!}
{Also, various roundups of favorite children’s books: here, and here.}
Oh gosh, I remember reading most of these books myself when I was a kid! Harry Potter all the way – it can’t be missed! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Agreed!! (How are you faring through the typhoon?)
The woman who does the Read Aloud Revival podcast has an incredible book that’s such a great resource- “The Read Aloud Family.” Can’t recommend it enough- especially the chapter at the end that includes questions to ask your kids about books!
I heard her mention it! Thank you! I’ll check it out.
Yes! I was going to mention this too. I just finished it and her book recommendations were so great. I was not expecting to find anything new, but she has some awesome newer books to recommend along with the classics we all know and love. Totally worth checking out. Glad you found her podcasts, Bridget! She is so wonderful.
I always love your book posts. Thank you!
Harry Potter read as audiobooks were great for my seven-year-old and five-year-old.
Also – The Green Ember series was wonderful – goes along the line of the Redwall series and would be good for late elementary.
Thank you! I actually took screenshots of that IG post! Wanted to shout out the Fudge series by Judy Blume. They are hilarious!!! Word to the wise, one of them has a surprise page or two about how Santa isn’t real. Although he basically knows that now, I really panicked when that popped up and skipped over it. (I think it was in Superfudge, but I’m not totally sure.) My son and I both loved them.
Thanks again, I’m bookmarking this!
Such a great post and saving this list for the future! I actually don’t have kids yet (soon!) but both my husband and I were huge readers as kids – so we already have a great shelf stocked with favorites.
Thought this article might be of some interest. I came across it earlier this year and was so glad I did! I hadn’t read the Little House books in YEARS so totally didn’t remember all of the insensitivity & racism. The series definitely needs some critical thought and explaining for little ears.
Yes, ‘Little House on the Prairie’ is racially insensitive — but we should still read it
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/yes-little-house-on-the-prairie-is-racially-insensitive–but-we-should-still-read-it/2018/03/12/8e021422-1e40-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.922576f7a247
we have a lot of old books, some old western themed books and such, and the amount of racial insensitivity is shocking (and also not). whenever we come across it, i often pause and offer some of my own current commentary to the kids!
For audiobooks check out Libby by Overdrive…a little more user friendly that traditional Overdrive. We love it! Thanks for sharing all the recs!
What a GOLD MINE!!!! Thanks for these books! My oldest is only two, but I LOVE reading to him (and am also not great at imaginative play…), and I can’t wait for chapter books!!!
you have a friend in me! (also bad at imaginative play!!)
As a teacher who has taught social justice from grades 1st to 8th, I rely heavily on this book list as a resource. It’s so important to have books with all races accessible to all kids. Plus, books are powerful ways to tell our history. This booklist tells the real history of our country and, unfortunately, not what is often taught in schools, depending on where you live and your school.
https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/
ooh, i’m grateful to have this list. thank you aimee!
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this resource, this is really great to have!
The Wildwood trilogy is great for slightly older kids. Mine enjoyed at like 7 and 9. The author’s follow up, The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid is also a fun read.
The Stuart Gibbs ourve is fun, not fine literature but for boys of 7-10, perfect. A Wrinkle in Time and the rest of that series. So good. Also I love to give my boys books with strong women protagonists so always mix “boy” books with others. Oh and The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stuart. Finally, I love the Half Magic series. So old fashioned and sweet yet interesting too!
My seven year old loved the Mary Poppins series by P.L.Travers; the James Herriot treasury for children (beautiful tales from a British vet — the countryside is imprinted on my heart after reading his books); and several stories from Edith Nesbit. She’s a wonder.
Enjoy this beautiful new phrase — it’s incredible.
This summer we fell in love with The Castle Glower Series by Jessica Day George narrated by Suzy Jackson. We all loved it so much that when we finished the fifth book we started back again with the first and listened to them all again! Right now our audiobook series is the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. It’s good too but a little harder to follow. I’m also currently reading aloud the Trumpet of the Swan. My girls are 9 and 7.
TOTALLY second your comment about laughing out loud at Frog and Toad; my sons and I do too!!! “Help! My best friend is trying to kill me!!”
“‘Blah,’ said Toad.”
Hilarious.
The Penderwicks is a wonderful series; the first book is by far the best. And you’ll dig the Mr Putter and Tabby series — it’s beautiful, sweet, loving and kind.
My mom read to us and it’s maybe my favorite tradition to continue with my sons. They love it too.
Thank you for all the resources!!!
Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH…all time favorite for my quirky son with a bent towards electrical engineering. We also have read quite a bit of Cynthia Voigt, “Young Freddle” and “Angus and Sadie” were favorites. My older one really liked “Homecoming” too and it was SO ahead of it’s time dealing with mental illness. As a mom I found it tough to read but remember loving it as a 11 year old. Elise Broach’s “Masterpiece” – also great. Louise Erdirch “The Birchbark House” – fantastic and I would say imperative to read if you’re going to do the Little House books to offer a First Nations perspective. The Cricket in Time’s Square series was well loved and of course…Natalie Babbit’s Tuck Everlasting – a big favorite. We are reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane right now – thanks to you…keeps these posts coming!
Ohh, those are definitely some of the books I read- Boxcar Children, Magic Treehouse, Mysterious Benedict Society (so good!), Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Wonder(!!), Pippi Longstocking, Percy Jackson, Where the Red Fern Grows, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Ramona and Quimby. I think I tried reading Redwall at one point, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t like it. Two books that are kind of similar to Wonder that I love are Fish in a Tree (third favorite book of all time) and Ungifted. Also, thanks for linking your overalls- they’re so cute!