We love reading to our kiddos right before they go to bed. My oldest in particular (age 7) enjoys them, but my younger son (age 4.5) has been joining in more lately, too. It’s a great way for us all to slow down and connect at the end of our busy days. This post has ten great chapter books to read aloud in your home or classroom!
Some Background
When I first started reading my son chapter books, I didn’t really know where to start. Obviously Harry Potter was too much, but he was ready for something more than illustrated picture books (a list of our favorites for ages 0-5 in this post!). It took some trial and error to get into a rhythm and find books that were just the right fit for us.
And let’s be real, a chapter book is a bit of a time investment– especially if you only read a chapter or two each night. It’s frustrating to start a story that isn’t actually all that great and doesn’t capture your kid’s attention.
Even amongst the classics and best-sellers, I’ve been left feeling a little disappointed on occasion. But not with these books I’ve listed below!!
Who is this list for?
This is a list of the books my son and I have read recently (or awhile back, in a few cases) and enjoyed. These books are definitely NOT just for K and 1st graders, though! We’ve generally found more success with read aloud books once our kids turn at least 4 years old, but each kid is different! And I personally enjoyed these thoroughly, so I’m sure older kids would as well. Great stories have no age ceiling– just age … floors.
Clearly this list is not exhaustive, and it doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of excellent books out there. But, here are some books we’ve read in the past year or so that I think are worth your time:
Pippi Longstocking
This story by Astrid Lindgren was written over 75 years ago, making this book is the very oldest on this list. Despite that, her tale is somehow still so relevant. Pippi’s story is sad without feeling heavy, and incredibly silly. She’s always getting into some kind of mischief.
Spending time with Pippi would stress me out in real life… but as a fictional character we all found her delightful!
The One and Only Ivan
This 2012 novel by Katherine Applegate is grounded in the real-life tale of a gorilla named Ivan that was raised in captivity. It took my son and I awhile to get used to the flow and style of this one, but once we did we were HOOKED. We had to keep reading each night to find out what Ivan’s future had in store!
This book is one in particular I’d really recommend to any age– it was incredibly well written, and had so much heart.
Charlotte’s Web
You just can’t go wrong with this E.B. White classic. This famous tale featuring Charlotte the spider and Wilbur the pig has been captivating readers of all ages since it was written in 1952!
This is the very first chapter book I ever read to my son, and we’ve read it again a couple of times since. The farm animals and the friendships make it a perfect first chapter book for any preschooler or kindergartener.
It’s the soft hints of magical elements (talking animals accomplishing extraordinary tasks) set alongside the harsh realities of life (growing up, losing someone you love, etc.) that make this a timeless story for all ages. It’s worth all the hype, and then some.
The Very Very Far North
The Very Very Far North was written in 2019 by Dan Bar-el, making it the most recent story to be published on this list. I don’t know what it was about this book… but it has really stuck with me. The main character, Duane, is a lovable polar bear. And for some reason he is so endearing that I’m still thinking about him and his friends that live up in, well, the very very far north.
You are slowly introduced to each of the characters featured on the back of the book, which made it fun for my son to reference back to and anticipate what may be coming next. I want everyone to experience this collection of sweet, humorous tales!
Stuart Little
This is another classic story by author E.B. White, written in 1945 (7 years prior to Charlotte’s Web). I was more or less familiar with this premise since I grew up watching the 1999 Stuart Little movie. Basically, a family living in NYC has two sons: George, and Stuart. The interesting thing about Stuart is that instead of being a human like the rest of his family… he is a mouse. A mouse that talks and wears clothes and sails boats and accomplishes all sorts of unlikely tasks.
This is a tale of his adventures: some pretty commonplace and others completely astonishing. Some chapters are better than others, if I’m being honest. Regardless, it’s hard not to root for Stuart in this classic under-dog (under-mouse?) story.
From the Mixed Up Tales of Basil E. Frankweiler
I got this book randomly at a Book Club white elephant book exchange party (Whoa how many times can I say “book” in one sentence??). It stayed on my shelf for a long awhile because my boys were super little at the time. Then one day I realized that my boys were old enough now probably and it actually looks really great!
I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s probably my very favorite from this entire list. This is one I would recommend more for 6 and 7 year olds than for 4 and 5 year olds, probably.
Written by E.L. Konigsburg, this book won the 1968 Newbery Medal. In case that doesn’t speak for itself, let me tell you a little bit more. This story features a brother and sister, Jamie and Claudia, that have decided to run away. They make their way to New York City and somehow manage to sneakily live in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Yes, THE MET!
It’s a coming-of-age story and also a mystery. The humor is subtle but strong, and my son and I loved every single page.
The Wild Robot
How do I describe The Wild Robot? This is renowned author Peter Brown’s first middle grade novel. It was published in 2016 making it one of the more modern stories on this list- -and does it get more modern than robots??
This is another story that slowly and surprisingly settled deep into my heart and shows no sign of leaving anytime soon. Roz (and a bunch of other boxed-up ready-to-assemble robots) mistakenly ended up on an uninhabited island. Roz (but not the other boxed-up ready-to-assemble robots) accidentally becomes assembled and brought to “life” (to power?).
Despite her lack of typical human emotions, Roz is a heroine that will make you weep. She is a friend to the local animals, a significant member of her community, and a mother to a very lucky bird. This story is so unique and one that I highly recommend!
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
I LOVED this story! This is a book my husband remembered reading as a child and really enjoying. I’m so glad he suggested it. Beverly Cleary wrote this in 1965 and I truly think it’s the ideal children’s book. It’s got a small protagonist with big dreams and a need for speed. Between the talking animals, the vrooming motorcycle, and a hotel for the setting… what else do you need?? I highly recommend this book, especially if you have kids that love WHEELS!
This is just the first tale of Ralph S. Mouse. If you enjoy it, you can find others, such as Runaway Ralph and more!
Fortunately, the Milk
Neil Gaiman is the author of the famous (and terrifying IMO) children’s book Coraline. So you can already imagine that this book is also a little offbeat and fantastical.
My fabulous sister read this with my son (aunts are the best!!) so this is the only book on the list I can’t truly speak to thoroughly. However I CAN attest to its humor because I heard their loud laughter each night as they read it!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
This 1964 children’s tale by Roald Dahl is… incredibly famous. Are you even a child of the 90’s if you didn’t watch Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at school each year? Despite seeing that film adaptation I don’t know HOW many times…
and also seeing THAT film adaptation…
and a million other pop culture references to the book…
I realized I’d never actually read THE BOOK ITSELF. I was happy to rectify this by reading it to my son. He REALLY liked this one. The over-the-top candy factory, the rags-to-riches theme, the silly characters that were really more like caricatures… he loved it. We both did.
This was a fun one, but be prepared to potentially do some on-the-spot editing in case you/your kids are sensitive to language and some pretty harsh name-calling that is more frowned upon in 2023.
That’s it for our list of great chapter books to read aloud!
What books have you loved reading aloud??
What books do you remember loving from your childhood?
Please post your read-aloud recommendations in the comments section below! I am always looking to add books to our library lists!
Cover Image by Tumisu from Pixabay
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