5 Great Chapter Books for Littles Ones
I started reading chapter books to my four year old last year. I have another blog post that talks about the why and how (click here to read) we began but here I want to share some of the best chapter books we have read thus far! Clcik the titles for amazon links to books!
My Father’s Dragon (1948)
This is a perfect chapter book to begin with because it is very short and imaginative. We completed this book very quickly so it never felt like a chore to read. This book features a very resourceful and clever boy on a journey to save a dragon. There are talking animals, Wild Island, and a dragon what else could a kid need in a great adventure story? Also, this has been made into a movie you can watch afterwards (my daughter didn’t like it much).
Charlotte’s Web (1952)
This classic story is so good! It is a classic for good reason. The characters are fully developed. The story is written beautifully and exposes children to wonderful vocabulary. The message of friendship is woven throughout. It was a lengthier book but we wanted to read it each night. Of course, this is an emotional story (most of us know the tale) and I think the ending presents a great opportunity for discussion. The characters are so intriguing that this book is also a great catalyst to learning more about spiders, pigs, rats and the other farm animals through nonfiction reading and farm visits. There are a few movie versions of this book to view afterwards too.
The Wizard of Oz (1900)
This was the longest book we read but it was worth it. The book was very different from the movie so even if your child has seen it, it doesn’t matter. This book had some dark chapters but that was all the better for my daughter who really appreciates some creepy witch tales. There was backstory to each character that the movie doesn’t touch. We find out how the tin man became tin, why the winged monkeys work for the witch, we hear about all four witches in great detail, how Oz got to be known as a powerful wizard when he is really just a man. We really enjoyed this very unique story.
The Adventures of a South Pole Pig (2013)
This was probably my daughter’s favorite so far. She loved this tale of Flora the farm pig who dreamt of adventure and ended up on a ship to the South Pole. This story had themes of survival, friendship, and self-acceptance. The animals in the story represented the traits of bravery, loyalty, creativity and so much more. This was another longer book but we read through it pretty quickly as my daughter didn’t want me to put it down at night. It was great that we read it pretty soon after Charlotte’s Web so we could compare and contrast Wilbur and Flora. This was a springboard into learning more about real pigs through some nonfiction texts.
The Secret Garden (1911)
This is a beautiful story but honestly was not one of my favorites. It made the list because my daughter still talks about it and although reading the whole thing sometimes felt like a chore to me she always said she was enjoying it. I think part of the issue was it was the very first chapter book I read to her and she was four. I think this one has so much antiquated language ie. moors, britches, discomfit etc. but there is also a lot of beautiful language and great vocabulary that can still be meaningful such as contrary and meddlesome. I’m pretty good at editing on the fly and for my daughter’s age and attention I thought it was necessary at times. If your goal is to expose your child to the classics then this is a great read. It also lends itself to picnics, tea parties and garden frolics!
In between reading the lengthier chapter books we would sprinkle in some newer, shorter texts like Mercy Watson and Zoe and Sassafrass. We also took breaks and stuck with just picture books sometimes. Although some of the newer, shorter texts are fun reads with great vocabulary we definitely prefer the books listed above. The books we have on our shelf to read next are:
Teddy and Co
The Very Very Far North
Little House in the Big Woods
The Call of the Wild (I might hold off on this one for a couple of years)
Grab my full recommended book lists with great titles for baby-adult aged readers here! The book lists are included in my journal/planner which is also an amazing resource for setting goals.