When I was an elementary student, our class would come in from lunch recess and the teacher would turn off the lights. We would put our heads down while waiting for our one-by-one turn to get a drink from the water fountain. During this 10 to 15 minute respite to our work day, our teacher would read a chapter from some glorious book that was too hard for me to read on my own. I was transported to farms, subway stations and the mysterious world under the floorboards. Listening to a passionate and experienced reader encouraged me to want to read more too.
As a teacher, I continued this afternoon tradition in my own classroom. Now, as a parent, I plan to create this special chapter book read-aloud time at bedtime as soon as my boys are ready for it. I’m guessing that will be around age 4. And, my list of books I’m chomping at the bit to share with them will take them well into their formal school career! What books are on my list so far? Let’s take a look.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Sideways Stories From Wayside School
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
I know that there have been lots of chapter books published since I’ve left the classroom and I look forward to reading those great books with my boys too. Do you have a favorite chapter book from your childhood?
Are you looking for more great read-alouds? For more great themed book lists, follow our “There’s a Book About That” Pinterest board.
Katy says
So many great books here! I’m in the middle of reading “The Borrowers” to my son right now. We’ve also enjoyed Mr. Popper’s Penguins, the Paddington books, Half Magic and others by Edward Eager, and the Wind in the Willows. (Oddly, Mary Poppins, which I’d remember fondly, didn’t go over well.) We also loved the Magic Treehouse books, the Septimus Heap books (much earlier than I’ve had expected – they’re thick), Igraine the Brave, the Tale of Desperaux, and the Enchanted Forest series by Patricia Wrede.
Jodie says
Thank you so much for recommending some more for us to try out. I will definitely add them to our list.
Jaymie Shook says
Oh, we’re going to be great bloggy friends. Every single book on your list is on mine as well! Thanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop! I am inexcusably late in hopping this round, but I’m looking at the bright side since I’m able to remind everyone of our next hop this Wednesday 🙂 Hope to see you then!
Jodie says
I’m enjoying the Kid Lit Blog Hop!
Tammy Northrup says
Thank you for the great list of books! I had forgotten about so many of them. I can’t wait to share them with our youngest son.
Renee C. says
This is a fabulous list containing so many of my favorites! Ironically, my kids are watching the original “Willy Wonka” and the Chocolate Factory (with Gene Wilder) as I type this!
One of the first chapter book series I read to my children were the Magic Tree House books from Mary Pope Osbourne. There is a bit of an age gap between my son (4 at the time) and my daughter (7 at the time) so with the age and gender difference it was tricky finding something for them both. My kids also both enjoyed the Geronimo (and Thea) Stilton books.
Thanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop. Hope to see you again in the next one! 🙂
Renee C. says
Oops! Forgot to add that I tweeted about your post. Are you on Twitter?
Jodie says
Thanks so much! I have a Twitter account, but haven’t used it yet. It’s https://twitter.com/growingbbb .
Renee C. says
Well, you have 3 followers now so get crackin’! 😉
Jodie says
The Magic Tree House series is a great fit for that age group!
Karyn says
I have read a lot of these books to my daughter who just turned 7. A few weeks ago we finished a book called “The Adventures of Edward Tulane” which is about the ‘life’ of a china rabbit doll. I thought it was a great book and so did she… despite crying about the rabbits tough life.
Jodie says
I need to check that one out. Thanks for sharing!
Alex says
I read that book to see if it was appropriate for my boys and realized ill have to wait until i can read it without crying haha
Susan says
Thanks heaps for this list of great chapter books. We’ve read a couple but now have a much longer list of books to look forward to.
My boys also enjoy the books in the series of “Harry the Poisonous Centipede” by Lynne Reid Banks.
Jodie says
Glad you found some more to add to your list!
Sandy says
As a recently retired first grade teacher, I always used many of the ones that you have listed with my students. The series, now out of print but available in libraries, by Russell Erickson featuring Warton and Morton was always a must do. My favorite in that group was Warton’s Christmas Eve Adventure. Another must do were the Adam Joshua series by Janice Lee Smith, beginning with The Monster in the Third Dresser Drawer. The Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker is very good! Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant is good, too.
Jodie says
Thanks for adding so many great titles.