Choosing the Right Chapter Book

Reading to my girls is my FAVORITE thing to do with them.  We usually snuggle up on my bed and read book after book.  I treasure our reading time and I try to fill that time with quality books that my girls love.  I am picky when it comes to what we read and sometimes I find that the “popular” series of chapter books are not for us.  I am not a big fan of the magic spells books, but that is just me 🙂

Reading to a child has so many benefits.  Reading aloud to a child will help to build comprehension skills, vocabulary development, language skills, increase imagination and creativity and so much more! For a parent and a child, it is definitely a time to bond.

There are many great chapter books on market, but here are just a few that we are enjoying right now…

1) Frog and Toad– (ages 4-8) This quick, simple read aloud is perfect for children who are in between picture books and chapter books.  The pictures on each page will keep every child happy and it doesn’t take too long to read each book.  If you have a more advanced reader, this set is perfect for beginning chapter books since it is still considered an easy reader.

2) Mercy Watson– (ages 6-8) Although the ages say 6-8, my 5 year old loves to read this independently and both girls (3 and 5) love to listen to me read these books aloud.  This is another great series of chapter books that have  pictures on each page.  The story are really cute and help keep kids attention.

3) Little Bear– (ages 4-8) The stories about Little Bear and his friend Emily are a great introduction to for beginning readers to read independently.  This would fall into the same reading category as Frog and Toad.  There are a lot of pictures, simple sentences and a quick read.  Audrey, the 5 year old, loves to read these books independently and the 3 year old will sit and listen to story after story of Little Bear.

4) Amelia Bedelia (Easy Reader Ages 4-8) –  Although the 3 year old loves to listen to me read Amelia Bedelia books, she doesn’t always understand the humor of Amelia Bedelia.  However, the 5 year old laughs and laughs at these books.  She will sit and read book after book of Amelia Bedelia.  This would be in the same category as Little Bear and Frog and Toad.

5) Henry and Mudge (5 and up) This is also a great series for independent reading or read alouds.

The above list of chapter books are books that can be read quickly and are also perfect for children who are ready to read short, simple and easy chapter books.  Since starting our Ready2Read program, my daughter’s reading has grown so much and it is so exciting to see her read many of the books independently.  The following list of books are great for longer read alouds or for children who are reading more fluently and ready for more advanced chapter books.

5) The Puppy Place– (ages 7-10) Although the age recommendation for this book is 7-10, my 5 year old LOVES these books!  She is devouring them like crazy!  She CAN read them independently, but she prefers that I read them to her.  There are no pictures in this book, which make it a bit difficult to maintain a 3 year olds attention for very long.  Since most children love dogs and puppies, these sweet and simple books are GREAT read alouds!  Each book is only about 75 pages, which is a perfect length.  I love the fact that this series has a lot of books in it and will keep us reading for quite some time.  I can’t say enough about how much we are enjoying this series!

6) Kitty Corner (ages 7-10) This adorable series is from the same author of The Puppy Place.  My 5 year old is obsessed with kittens and she LOVES reading these books!  We are very excited to read every book in this series!  As soon as we finish one book, she is jumping up and down for the next!  Another AWESOME series!

7) Nancy Clancy Super Sleuth (ages 6-10) If you like the Fancy Nancy pictures books, this is a great step up to chapter books.  There are a few black and white pictures and there are about 120+ pages in each book. This will definitely make Nancy Drew fans happy!

8) Amelia Bedelia (chapter books Ages 6-10)  If you like the humor in the easy reader series, this is also a great step up to chapter books.  I find that the Amelia Bedelia stories are funny and such a great read aloud!  There is so much to talk about as you read these books.

9) Berenstain Bear   We really like the Berenstain Bear series.  The stories are sweet and have some great morals.  I think many kids can relate to the stories of Brother and Sister Bear.

10) Little House in the Big Woods (ages 8 and up)-  This is the beginning of the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s story of a pioneer girl and her family.  I love this version of the book because it has enough colorful pictures to maintain a child’s attention.  This particular book is over 200 pages and is great for longer read alouds and perfect for increasing vocabulary and reading comprehension.  We are planning to read all of the books in this series as well.

Please feel free to share your favorite beginning reader chapter books and read alouds in the comments!

Annie Moffatt

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Annie Moffatt is a former elementary school teacher and homeschool mom with a passion for helping young learners thrive. With a background in early education and a heart for making learning fun, Annie designs engaging, low-prep resources that build confidence and success in the classroom. Her hands-on, kid-friendly approach has supported thousands of teachers and parents around the world in creating joyful learning experiences for their students.

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