Your Guide to Beginning Chapter Book Series for New Readers

It’s a whole new world when readers are ready to move into beginning chapter book series. For many kids, this is a time when they start to read voluminously.

Book series are wonderful for new beginning chapter book readers for several reasons.

1. The characters are familiar from book to book. Kids don’t have to navigate learning about the characters and setting. They can instead focus on enjoyment and get to know the characters on a deeper level.
2. If a child like the first book in a series, he will be motivated to read more in the series. This, in turn, helps with fluency and building a love for reading.
3. It can be difficult to find multiple books that are at that sweet spot for being just right so a book series provides lots of content for kids to enjoy.

Below you will find some great beginning reader chapter book series for kids who are ready to step into chapter books.

The best beginning chapter books have large text, lots of white space, and picture support. 

I’ve included F&P levels for each series to help you navigate selecting books that will help your child feel successful. However, I caution you to not use the labeling as a label to place on your reader or as a restriction to what can be read or not read.  It should be used simply as a guide.

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Cowgirl Kate & Cocoa by Erica Silverman

There is a strong female lead and it will appeal to kids who love animals. The chapters are short and typically contain 3-4 in each book. Text length is about 8 sentences per page and contains heavy picture support. Level: J-K

Cynthia Rylant is an amazing writer of picture books and beginning chapter books. Here are three series tailored to our very new beginning chapter book readers.

The chapters are episodic and contain animal characters. The text length is about 6 sentences per page with lots of picture support. Level: J

The book has people and animal (cat) characters. There is a mix of a few sentences on each page to lengthy wording on a page. Lots of blank space helps to not make the text overwhelming and there is also picture support.  Level: J

The book has people and animal (dog) characters. There are about 6 sentences on each page with lots of colored illustrations throughout the book.  Level: J

Little Bear Books by Elsa Holmelund Minarik

This is an older but well-loved series about bears with personality. The text on each page is longer, but there is some picture support on each page. The chapters are episodic. Level: H-J

Katie Woo by Fran Manushkin

Has an Asian female lead. There are about 3 chapters per book.  The text size is large with colorful picture support.  Also, check out Manushkin’s Pedro series. Level: H-J

Young Cam Jansen by David A. Adler

Young Cam Jansen books are told in about 5 chapters. The story is filled with lots of dialogue and not too much text on each page.  The books are full of picture support also.

Reading Level: J

Hey Jack! and Billie B. Brown by Sally Rippin

Both series contain large font text with lots of white space. The books have some black and white picture support. Level: J

When your kids are ready to move on to a bit longer beginning chapter books, here are a few more series to enjoy.

Level K

Mercy Watson‘

Level L

Princess in Black (L-M)

Level M

Judy Moody & Stink (Most are M while a few are N-P)

The Magic Treehouse (Many are M while others go up to level Q)

Level N

Anna Hibiscus

Level O

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It’s an exciting time in a reader’s life when she moves into reading chapter books. Get ready for a new reading chapter to begin!