What’s the Project? All of these book recommendations are fun and good books to read to kids; stories that the entire family will love! Read them to your kids and teens and everyone in between. A huge list of favorite books for kids that you will enjoy reading aloud too!
One of my very, very favorite things to do as a mom is to read chapter books aloud to my kids. We almost always have a book that we are in the middle of reading and we’ll read a little before bed or on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
So, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of some of our favorites-these are really good books to read to kids. They will love them and so will you! We have read some FANTASTIC chapter books, so here’s a few of them. (See also my list of favorite kids picture books.)
Good Books to Read to Kids:
(These are in no particular order)
Bunnicula: Told from the perspective of a dog about a Vampire Bunny Rabbit that sucks the juice out of vegetables. This is a series of books-the others are called Howliday Inn, The Celery Stalks At Midnight, Nighty-Nightmare, Return to Howliday Inn, Bunnicula Strikes Again and Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow. These books are clever and funny and each contains a mystery that the pets are trying to solve. So fantastic! Probably good for most ages of kids who can sit still long enough to listen to a chapter book.
Fablehaven: Again, this is a series and I am seriously in love with it. Two kids whose grandparents happen to be the keepers of a magical forest full of all kinds of magical creatures from good guys to bad guys. There are 5 books in this series and they just keep getting better as you read. The first is good, the second is better and the 3rd, 4th and 5th are amazing. They are a similar genre to something like Harry Potter, so if you loved Harry you will probably like this. Probably best for kids who are older elementary age.
The Candy Shop War: Another one by the same author as Fablehaven (Brandon Mull) that is a fun read for kids. Think enchanted candy and mysteries and you’ve got The Candy Shop Wars. My boys loved these. What kid doesn’t love reading about candy mixed with magic? There are two books in this series and it is probably best for middle to older elementary age. (Bonus-me and my kids actually got to meet Brandon Mull.)
The Hobbit: This is actually one that my husband is reading to the kids-right now. And unfortunately, they are enjoying it more than the one we are currently reading so they always want to read with him instead of me! But I am glad they are enjoying it. My five-year-old is even loving this one. I can’t vouch for if it gets scary or anything since he’s the one reading it (I’ve read it but it’s been a long time), but it’s a great adventure book for my boys.
Island of the Blue Dolphins: A classic that you probably read when you were in elementary or middle school but maybe haven’t thought to read to your kids? We just read this recently and I was surprised just how much my boys loved it. And it’s good for learning about other cultures. And we loved finding out that it’s actually based on a true story. A great read and great for most ages. It can be slow in parts and younger kids might get bored, but my two older boys (8 and 10) were engaged the whole time.
Tuesdays at the Castle and Wednesdays in the Tower: Love love love love love these books! Well, I am only halfway through Wednesdays, but the first was amazing!!! My boys loved it too. Three kids in a castle because they are royalty, dealing with the crazy changes that the castle makes every Tuesday and all of the other magic and bad guys that come their way. A wonderful and fun book for any age.
Janitors: Another series, this one has three books, and they are all about a gang of janitors fighting off the evil BEM who wants to take over education. The janitors use magical mops and brooms and chalk dust to fight the bad guys along with help from a few kids. So quirky and funny. We are in the middle of the third right now and loving it! Great for all ages.
Evertaster: Ah this is a fun book! All about a kid who tastes things so strongly that he can barely stand to eat most food. (This must explain why my 8 year old is so picky.) He’s on the search for the one true recipe. It’s funny and it’s fun and when we finished, we MADE the one true recipe. And there’s a novella to go with it-The Buttersmith’s Gold-which was also fantastic. And there’s a sequel coming soon! All ages on this book too.
Clementine: Have you met Clementine? Because if you haven’t, you must! She’s so loveable and fun. A little red haired girl who gets into all kinds of mischief at school and at home and reminds you once again what it’s like to be a kid. There are 6 Clemetine books (Aha! I just discovered that there’s a new one that we haven’t read yet-yippeee!) and they are all wonderful. You don’t have to read them in any particular order and they can stand alone but you’ll want to read them all because they are all so cute. I think all ages would enjoy these.
Holes: This might be the book my boys got most excited about while we read it. They LOVED this book. Who wouldn’t? It’s fun for kids and for adults. You may already know the premise if you’ve seen the movie-a bunch of kids at a camp in the middle of no where, forced to dig holes day after day. It does an amazing job of flashing back then forward and weaving several story lines together. And when you are done you can watch the movie together!
The Chronicles of Narnia: These are some of the best books ever written. Several children discover a magical land-Narnia-and have adventures there. I’ve only read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe with my kids so far, but they loved it. I read it with them when they were about 7 and 5 or younger and I had to stop a lot to explain words and help them understand the language. So maybe a good series for older kids?
Charlotte’s Web: Another classic that you’ve probably already read and that your kids will love. Who doesn’t love the story of a pig and a spider who form a friendship? This one is also good for all ages.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret: Now this is a fun change. This story is told a lot in pictures. You will be reading along and all of a sudden you will come to a whole section with no words, just pictures and you have to fill in the details in your mind. So don’t let the size of this book scare you. There are lots of pages but it’s an easy read. And this one has a movie to watch after it too!
Tale of Despereaux: One of the cutest, wittiest and most clever books I have ever read. My boys loved it and I loved it. It’s the story of a cute little mouse living in a castle. Again, there’s a fun movie to go with it. Great for all ages.
Because of Winn Dixie: By the same author as Despereaux, this is a sweet story about a girl who is learning the hard lessons of growing up. Wonderful characters in this one that you come to love and appreciate by the end of the book. This one is probably best of middle to older elementary ages.
Little House in the Big Woods: Another series, this one with lots of books, that will teach your kids all about what it was like to grow up hundreds of years ago. I loved reading this with my boys and talking about the things that were different then and I was suprised by how interested in that they were! A great educational experience as well as fun.
The Great Brain: This series is similar to the Little House series in that the kids will learn all about life in the past. This series though is humorous and very engaging as you learn about the shenanigans of a family of naughty boys. Every time I read one of the books in this series I feel like I learn things about how to live life that have been forgotten over the years.
I will keep adding to this list when I remember more. I have loved putting this list together because I love these book so much!
Do you have favorites to share with me? Please do!
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Favorite Picture Books for kids:
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Jessica says
My kids love when I read them a few chapters of a book each night. They really enjoyed 100 Cupboards, and the second book in the series was my daughter’s favourite Christmas present. One book I’ve read twice (within the same month) is Creature Department. The second time I read it, I gave every character a voice/accent how I imagined it based on the characters as I knew them.
My daughter (8 years old) has actually gotten in on the action, and she reads The Princess In Black series to her younger brother.
Amber says
That’s wonderful!
Tacita says
I love reading and try to share it with my kids. My kids like the Ms. Piggle-Wiggle as well as the chronicles of Narnia series.
Caroline says
I love all these suggestions! Just thought I’d share something with you all as well. For those of you with younger children, I just found an amazing youtube channel where a really talented lady reads kids books. I found it on the right side of the page on youtube where they suggest videos and decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did! She gives all the characters different voices and makes the stories very entertaining. My kids LOVE her! It’s a great supplement to the reading we do as a family, and a much better alternative to all the mind numbing stuff they have on youtube. It’s called “Awnie’s House” and it’s a winner!
Karen says
I recommend “Understood Betsy” by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. It’s like Laura Ingalls in that it takes place in the past and shows that way of life, but it teaches about independence and discovering your own mind. It’s a great story!
shay says
Thank you for this great list. My daughter and I read every night and have been looking for new books to read. Check out the book “Wonder”. We loved it! We laughed and we cried.
Amber says
Oh yes-love Wonder!
Sarah says
The Land of Stories (series) by Chris Colfer!
My kindergartener and second grader BEG ME TO READ EACH NIGHT!!!
We’re loving to read a book and watch the corresponding movie whenever this is an option. So far, they’re LOVING the book version the best!
Meg says
Thanks for this list. I love reading chapter books to my boys (and love how they think it’s a “treat” to sneak an extra chapter of silent reading every so often). We’ve particularly enjoyed Roald Dahl & Enid Blyton books. From about 4yrs, they really got into the Enchanted Wood series, then the Secret Seven, and more recently, The Famous Five. They’re all about groups of children who do all sorts of exploring and solving of mysteries and so on.
Lisa says
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan is an amazing book that tugs at your heart strings but also teaches about historical events. I read it to 5th graders and they never want to put it down.
Trouble the Water: great story that takes you on a journey through many characters points of view. Takes place in the 1950’s so it also tackles the topic of segregation, but through the eyes of children.
Amber says
Oh yes! I love Esperanza Rising. Haven’t read Trouble the Water though.
Lynne says
Terrific list! There were several I was not familiar with. Thanks for taking the time to compile and share.
Michelle says
A couple of books my kids really liked were The Giant Wave which is about a family that goes on vacation and a tsunami hits the shore and a brother and sister try to survive it without there parents. Would be for 4th or 5th grade. The Potato Chip Puzzles is about getting being part of a contest of puzzles for a company that makes potato chips and you can try an solve them as you read. Riding Freedom would show life in the past and it is about a girl who runs away from an orphanage and learns to drive for a stage coach company. She later moves out west and drives out there also, but she hides her identity and pretends to be a man or she would never be able to something she loves. My second grades LOVED this books.
Pam Yenchik says
Oliver Jeffers is my 5 year old’s favorite.
Claire says
What a great list! You must add the Steve Surname Adventures to this list, my boys just love it! If you’ve got boys who love Minecraft, they’ll love reading the Steve Surname Adventures book series!
Amber says
Never heard of that one! I will look into it!
DJ says
I know I am late on finding this post, but I wanted to say thank you for the list. I will be checking some of these books out soon.
I also wanted to add my 2 favorites for my kids. “Peter Pan” ( I always read in character or have the kids read certain characters themselves). And by far my favorite (and the kids too) is “How To Eat Fried Worms”. Can’t beat the recipes at the end if you have very inquisitive young foodies in the family.
Amber says
Oh I remember How to Eat Fried Worms from when I was a kid!
Val Pringnitz says
As a teacher these books often went missing after we read them:
1. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George – a young boy heads off to live on the mountain his grandfather had land on. he stays for a year. lives in a tree he hollowed. boys esp. love it.
2. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry – ww2 in Denmark involving the treatment of the Jews and the rescue of 7000 of them by the Danish people [out of 7500].
3. Farmer Boy by Laura wilder – the best of the Little House series.
4. The Mouse and the Motorcycle – Bev Cleary
5. Old Yeller by Fred Gibson – I always had to find someone to read the ending because I just blubbered.
6. Goblins in the Castle by Bruce Colville – an orphan sets out to stop the goblins start a war and learns that appearances and truths can be deceiving.
7. Mice at Centre Ice by Estelle Salata – seems easy but be ready to explain a lot of greek legends
8. the Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black. better than the show.
9. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner and its sequel the Moon of Gomrath. Exciting elf, dward magic story.
10. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede – a fun and exciting tromp through the fairytales of your youth with a princess who doesn’t want to get rescued by a prince and goes to work for a dragon instead.
11. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi – historical novel about a proper young girls transformation into a sailor because of injustice and mutany.
12. Toby Alone by timothee de Fombelle – a boy [mm high] and his adventures in his tree. Sequel good but a bit gory and people die.
I could go on but must stop. book people will understand.
Amber says
I have read a lot of those! I just love books!
Kerri says
For what it’s worth, I have another suggestion as well! I LOVE reading chapter books to my kiddos, and we have branched out to all kinds, but one of the ways we’ve been exposed to even more is by checking out audio CDs at the library and listening to them on the go in the car. Not only do we get to hear all kinds of new books, it also keeps the chaos (a.k.a. fighting!) to a minimum in the car! It’s a great substitute for “screen time” on long trips, and it often provides opportunities to talk about all kinds of stuff when we get home! 🙂 A bonus is that they get to hear someone besides Mommy read, which keeps them engaged in the story. Some of our favorites on trips are the Nancy Drew books, Hardy Boys, Little House on the Prairie series, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Roald Dahl, and Magic Tree House.
Thanks so much for the list!! I have always been an avid reader but sometimes don’t hear about some of the newer books.
Laura C says
One of my family’s favorite (five kids ages 2-14) is “The Wingfeather Saga” (four books in the sieries, but don’t read the epilogue at the end of four, it is a cliff hanger… ) by Andrew Peterson. I think anyone would love it, daddy is on audio. We are now reading “The WilderKing Triligy” by somethn’ Rodgers, I think.
Amber says
Haven’t heard of that one! Thanks!
Audra Siu says
A new author on the block with a fantastic sense of humor is Mac Barnett. My little guy was hooked on reading once he started the Brixton Brothers series. He also writes some whimsical picture books. We liked Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem.
Amber says
Good to hear!
eric says
breadcrumbs by anne ursa
Patti says
You might check these out –
How to Be a Perfect Person in Three Days – funny and a great lesson
The I Survived Series – always a page turner
The Kings Equal – great spin on a fairy tale
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – funny
Number the Stars – suspenseful
A Grain of Rice – short read but a very wise story
Nightmare Mountain – a favorite book
The Iron Giant – kids love it
Earthquake Terror – great adventure book
The Legend of Spud Murphy – funny
Stranded Series – just finished them – great reads
The Monster Ring – a great read especially during October
Have fun reading!
Amber says
Will do!!!!
Cicely G says
I read many of those books growing up!
A hilarious book I remember reading around age 10 or so, and that I read to two young kids my mom was babysitting one summer is called “The Dancing Cats of Applesap.” Author is Janet Taylor Lisle. Apparently, according to Amazon it is hard to find, but they have used copies for next to nothing. I’d highly recommend it. I remember those two kids belly laughing as I read it to them.
Amanda says
Have you ever read “the Rangers apprentice” series? They are great and your boys sound like they are at the perfect age to enjoy them. Though they aren’t just for kids! Also try the “Redwall” series. “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman is a huge favorite of mine too. And last but not least “100 cupboards” and it’s sequels are great, they are written by N.D. Wilson who also wrote another great book called, “Dragons Tooth”.
Amber says
I’ll check those out!
Jessie says
Thank you so much for this list. Love reading aloud to the kids. I have started the Fablehaven series just this year and we can’t get enough! Another series we have really gotten into is “The Books of Elsewhere”. Just wonderful. I look forward to getting into all these adventures soon. 🙂 Happy reading.
Jessie says
We have now gotten into the Land Of Stories Series by Chris Colfer (Glee) . Also the kids are reading, on their own, another Brandon Mull series called Beyonders. So many to choose from!
Elena says
My boys love The Secrets of Droon series.
Thanks for this post! Reserving a few at the library!
wilma says
Love the recommendations both in your blog and in the comments. My son is almost 6 and we’ve always read a lot to him but startred with chapter books at the start of the year. We read most of Roald Dahl’s books and are currently reading Danny Champion of the world. He also loves the ‘how to train your dragon’ series by Cressida Cowell. I will definitely explore the books mentioined. Thanks
jeanine says
you need to add pippi longstocking to your list 🙂
but I am wondering if you have any book recommendations for preschool kids?
Amber says
Yep. http://crazylittleprojects.com/2014/01/50-best-child-picture-books.html
Gloria says
The “Charlie Bone” series was great. There are 7 in the series. Its about Charlie, who finds out that he has magic powers & is sent to a school for special children ran by awful people. The “Little Fur” series is another good one, about a little troll in Central Park. Also, “Maybird”, about a little girl who finds herself in the land of the dead.
Amber says
Thank you!!!
Dawnelle bass says
I loved Beverly Cleary…especially Ramona the Pest.
melody says
I highly recommend city of ember series.
Amber says
Yep! Read those!
Traci says
If you can handle doing funny voices, then the Geronimo Stilton books are fun, it’s written from the perspective of Stilton – a mouse on New Mouse Island. After about 4 of them, you’ll sick of saying how “cheddarific” something is, but they are fun. We just read Adventurers Wanted – a series and I’ve read all 4 of them out loud to my girls ages 11, 7, & 5. Some darker moments, but good overcomes evil. It’s a series about a boy who wanders past a store that has a sign Adventurers Wanted – but only he can see it and he ends up being a wizard and a warrior and goes into other worlds.
Catherine says
Have you read The Sisters Grimm series? It’s about two sisters whose parents disappeared and they find out they are decendants of the brothers grimm. They go on adventures with many of the Grimm fairytale characters…good and bad. My class loves these books. Its fun to see how many characters they know and how many they don’t. Great list. I definitely have some summer reading to do.
Amber says
Sounds cute!!!
Amber says
Love your list! And clearly, from all the comments, others did too. Thanks for sharing as we are always on the hunt for new books to read. Excited to grab several from your list at our local library. I also love the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer!
Denise says
Frindle by Andrew Clements is a fantastic chapter book as are all of his books including Landry News and Double Trouble.
Michelle says
Love this list and all of the books in the comments. So happy that someone mentioned Owls In The Family! We have read it a few times and it is great for kids and adults, really funny! My son is 8 and we are just about through the Owls of Gahoole series, which has taken a LONG time… but we love it. Glad to have a list like this for when we finish because we have NO idea where to go next! 🙂 My daughter is 3 and I have started reading longer books to her now as well. We love the Stilton chapter books, both Thea and Geronimo Stilton. Great beginner chapter books because there is a ton of color and great pictures!
Annie says
Mr. Poppers Penguins
Bridge to Terabithia
Harriett the Spy
The Winnie the Pooh stories
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The BFG
james and the giant Peach
So, many great ones. Thanks for your list. There were several it hadn’t heard of.
Oh, and of course, Beverly Cleary’s stories about Henry Huggins and Ramona and Beezus.
ChetylB says
Love this list! Concur with so many of them and look forward to going to the library to borrow some of the others! My middle son use to view reading as a chore, he didn’t like any of the books his older siblings read and they read a great deal! He always loved being read to, and my husband did so nightly – Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter, etc. Then we picked up the Bunnicula series on tape and he was hooked! He wanted to check out the other books in the series and hasn’t looked back! Loved the Bunnicula series, 39 Clues, EVERYTHING written by Andrew Clements, and now the Redwall series. Another great book which hooked him with the first chapter is The Graveyard Book. It starts off rather dark, but it is a GREAT read!!! My younger boys are 8 & 10, but even my older kids who are 14 & 16 come in to listen to it being read as well. Thanks for sharing your picks, this was more helpful than my local children’s librarian!
Amber says
Great info! I just love the Bunnicula series!
TheBargainBabe says
Are you familiar with Lemony Snicket and “A Series of Unfortunate Events”?? They are SO well written and sneakily educational (great vocab). They could be read aloud or independently for elementary age kids. I just love them. Had to read the 1st for a Children’s Lit course I took and then I, a grown woman, went out and tried to get the rest of the series. 🙂
Amber says
Yes! I loved them when I read them but they are a lot to go through for the sort of anti climactic ending! Good point to them though!
Jenny says
My son is only 22 months, but I enjoy reading and he loves to listen, so we are already reading chapter books at bedtime. One that he really seemed interested in was “Search for WondLa” and now we are reading the sequel “A Hero for WondLa.” It is sci-fi for little ones and keeps me interested as well.
I also really liked “The One and Only Ivan”, though it’s tone is somber and includes some harsh realities of circus animal life. It tones it down for kids, but as an adult…it’s super sad.
kate says
We’ve been reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory and other Dahl books. They are a huge hit, plus fun for me 🙂
Richard Poulin says
I enjoy the books that give a historical perspective or a life lesson. A book I just finished with 4th graders was a “Long Walk to Water”. There were some many great sections to stop and reflect. Looking forward to another of your lists.
Megan says
I didn’t read all the comments (there are a lot of them), but I thought I’d give you some of my (and my daughter’s favorites). She is 8 now and reads more on her own than with me, but we still read a couple nights a week at bedtime. Our favorites include: the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary, Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, The Best/Worst Christmas Pagent Ever by Barbara Robinson (also The Best/Worst Halloween Ever is pretty good), and Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. We of course LOVE anything Roald Dahl as well.
Audiobooks are my lifesaver in the car. We’ve listened to Matilda (Dahl), Pippi Longstocking (Lindgren), Judy Moody (McDonald) and a couple of the Little House books (Wilder). The only downside is when it is time to go into the house, but the book is so good. We occasionally go in the house and read the books because we just can’t stop in the middle of a story.
Amber says
Good options! I’ve read quite a few of those too!
Christie says
The Floors series by Patrick Carman http://floorsbook.com/ These are wonderful!
amanda says
I loved the boxcar children series and the babysitters club when I was a kid. They are good for any ages.
Annie says
Me, too! I didn’t know anyone still knew about the boxcar children! They were old when I read them back in the 60s
Cassie Beard says
I teach 2nd grade and I am always on the look out for great books to read to my kiddos. Thanks for the list. You should check out Lulu and the Brontosaurus. I think this is my favorite book to read out loud. It is so fun! Both boys and girls love it!
Amber says
Will do
Julie B says
I’m reading to boys too (8 & 11). These are our recent faves:
the MacDonald Hall books by Gordon Korman
Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J Sobol (these are great if you only have time for a short story time, or to engage the kids by trying to solve the mystery)
Thanks for reminding me of a few more I remember from my childhood – they will be added to our list 🙂
Amber says
I remember Encyclopedia Brown from my own childhood!
Cynthia says
I have three boys – now in teen/tween age group. We are reading the MacDonald Hall series again to our youngest and the older ones love listening in. The books are so funny. We love them. The two Bugs Potter books by Gordon Korman are also lots of fun. And I Want to Go Home (Korman as well). They leave us rolling on the floor laughing. As my kids got into the tweens we also really enjoyed Eric Walters – especially his Camp X series (action/adventure of two boys in Canada during WWII). These are books we read and re-read!
Katie says
Another two series that are good are:
By Blue Balliett: Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, and The Calder Game. (The first two are much better than the third.)
And by Angie Sage the 7 book Septimus Heap series starting with Magyk. Septimus is the seventh son of a seventh son so he has magical talent, but he was switched at birth. His journey to his real family and his continued journey as the ExtraOrdinary Wizard’s apprentice is fun to read.
Pam says
Another Angie Sage series for younger kids is her Araminta Spookie series. My son loved them.
Kerry says
Under the Hawthorn tree is a fab book. All about children trying to survive in the time of the famine in Ireland. A great book that teaches a lot of history but also a great deal about empathy and why we should be eternally grateful for what we have. There are two books that follow also – the wildflower girl and the fields of home. Best read of my childhood and still loved by all of the children I have taught so far!
Sharon says
Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat is a must-read for boys (girls enjoy it, too). Young Farley finds an owlet and brings it home to raise. This book details their many hilarious adventures. I always read it to my 3rd graders when I was teaching school, and, of course, read it to my own children.
Can’t wait to check out the books mentioned here that I haven’t read. Thanks everybody for sharing.
Angela says
Someone else mentioned Roald Dahl who is amazing ! But my favorite of his is Danny the Champion of the World, and who doesn’t love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Great Glass Elevator. Another great series kids love is Mrs Piggle Wiggle (an oldie but, goodie) by Betty Macdonald. And small children love, I You Forever by Robert Munsch. Fablehaven was great as well! My kids also loved Heidi and Black Beauty cant beat the classics.
Shawna says
I am so glad so many people have mentioned Wonder. I read that to my son when he was 6. It is his favorite book still. He is 8 now. We have read all but 2 of the Narnia series. Other great reads are Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Patricia Castelao, and The School Story by Andrew Clements.
We just purchased a collection of Roald Dahl books from a second hand store, can’t wait to start them!
Shawntelle says
Hi,
Loved this list. My daughter and I just finished “The BFG” this past summer and she loved it, now we’re on “The Phantom Tollbooth” and next we’re going onto “The Witches,” but I am totally hitting this list next! Oh, my daughter Stela is seven, will be eight in June. Thank you for the list!
JoAnn says
I also LOVE many of the books on your list, and I’m excited to look into those I am not yet familiar with. Another great series is Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. It’s a five book series about a world beneath New York City, and is t’ll of the action boys especially enjoy.
Amber says
I’ve actually read the first book in that series!
Maria says
Thank you for this awesome list! My daughter and I listened to the audiobooks for all of the Clementine series, we love them! I am excited to check out Fablehaven, Candy Shop Wars, and Evertaster, I’ve not heard of these before, but am always on the lookout for good books for my daughter and I to listen to together (we have a 30-40 minute drive twice a day every day during the summer, so we go through audiobooks like water 🙂 )
A few more recommendations from us: The World According to Humphrey (and all of the rest of the series) by Betty G. Birney; and The Sixty-Eight Rooms (and the rest of the series) by Marianne Malone. These were also favorites of my daughter (who was between 6 and 8 when we listened to them).
Amber says
OK! I will check those ones out!
Avery says
This book is not up there but it is so good it’s called goblins in the castle my kids teacher read it to him he said it was good so I got it and read it to him it’s GREAT
Amber says
That’s one I haven’t heard of!
Jackie says
I highly recommend “gregor the overlander series”. It is amazing, and by the same author of the hunger games, but more kid friendly. There are either five or six books in this and I read them by myself a couple of years ago. My kids are only 3, so they haven’t made it through the second chapter yet…but I am waiting til they will sit through it. My first real complete set I plan to read to the boys…and a precursor to Harry potter!
Amber says
It’s funny how many of my readers are mentioning that series! 🙂 I read it to myself but haven’t tried reading it to my kids.
Kara says
Am I the only one who doesn’t count 50 in any of these lists?
Amber says
Sorry if this confused you, but I was counting ALL the books listed, not just the ones with pictures. So for example, there are 7 Chronicles of Narnia, 3 in the Evertaster series, 5 in Fablehaven, etc. So if you count them all up it is easily over 50. 🙂
Keri says
Anything by Roald Dahl! BFG, Matilda, The Witches, and The Twits are my favorites. Also the Hatchet books by Gary Paulson.
peggy file says
I also love Lloyd Alexanders’ The Cronicles of Prydain.
Karen Abernathy says
I love THE UNDERGROUND CHRONICLES by Suzanne Collins. It is a series that is great. Wonderful imagination and jump off to creative writing. THE DARK IS RISING series is another favorite. But my all time favorite book now is WONDER. It is such an incredible story about how we treat others. Every 5th grader should have to read it before they go into middle school.
Marisa Nyman says
Because I started reading in the car to my girls when they were toddlers, they learned an early appreciation for books, a couple of them learning to read before age 5. A rule of thumb for me for choosing books were ones that had won the Newberry Awards. You can could count on it being a good book although not all appealed to us. I also pre-read almost every book before my kids to make sure it was appropriate to our family standards as the individual sensitivities of my children. 3 of my 4 love bookstores just like their mother and grandmother. The other just tolerates it but still enjoys reading according to her particular taste.
Amber says
I agree-I go to Newberry lists for ideas a lot too! We also do something here called Battle of the Books and those books tend to be great too!
Rachel says
Thank you for sharing this list of books. I have actually read most of these (9 out of 17 isn’t bad) and absolutely LOVE them. My two boys are ages 5 and 2, so we are only just beginning our journey through chapter books. Some that I would add to your list are:
Beyonders Series, by Brandon Mull – If you loved Fablehaven, then you will love this one as well. All the fun and adventure of Fablehaven, but without the “scary” demons and evil (my eldest son is prone to nightmares).
The Underland Chronicles (aka Gregor the Overlander Series), by Suzanne Collins – Saw another comment above warning that it may be better for older children, but I honestly don’t think it is really any more intense than the Hobbit. I plan on reading it with my 5 year old.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, by Rick Riordan – Better than the movies, and a great mix of action, adventure, comedy, and a Greek history lesson. Maybe better for kids 7 and up.
And the Inkheart Series, by Cornelia Funke – A wonderful book series for book lovers. I have never read a book that has made me fall so in love with reading as this series. The story itself is a great read, but it also has the added bonus of starting every chapter with an excerpt from another classic children’s book; making you want to read every single one of those as well. Good for all ages.
I only came across your blog because I found a link to this post from Pinterest. But I must say, I will definitely be following from now on. Book lovers unite!
Amber says
I’ve actually read almost all of the ones you mentioned. 🙂 Beyonders-I read one and half of number two. Read the first Underland and the first Percy but my boys have read all of Percy. Haven’t tried Inkheart yet!
Julie says
“Wonder” cannot tell you how amazing it was to read this to and with my 7 year old. We and he also loves Encyclopedia Brown. Love the list. Thank u.
Peppy says
2 brilliant books: Jennifer Murdley’s Toad by Bruce Coville and Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli- great reads, my students loved them !
Amber says
Oh I’ve read a few Jerry Spinelli’s and enjoyed them!
Jacquie says
Tuesday at the Castle is one of our new faves too! We are also big fans of the Penderwick series too. Some great older books include Homer Price, Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Magic by the Lake (also the first in a great series!)
Amber says
Oh yes! I’ve read the Penderwicks (not to my boys yet though) and LOVE them! I also remember Homer Price from when I was a kid and my 10 year old just read it recently and I’ve read them Mr. Popper’s Penguins too. I’ll have to check out Magic by the Lake!
Liz says
Great list. We have read and lived a lot of these do i look forward to reading some more. I know it sounds like a super girly book but am absolute favorite us Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. It isn’t any girlier than Tale of Desperaux. Also The miraculous journey puff EdwArd Tulane is a favorite around here. And I she with a proud commenter about Roald Dahl books they are fantastic.
Amber says
I LOVE Princess Academy too! And yes Roald Dahl is so much fun!
Sarah says
Love these but my kids are a little younger. What would you recommend for a kindergarten or pre school age?
Amber says
I think I will do a separate post for picture books, but my VERY favorite of those are the Bear books by Karma Wilson like Bear’s New Friend and Bear Snores On. LOVE THEM!
Angela Bergeron says
My kids are preschool and kindergarten age too. I’ve been breaking them into chapter books with smaller ones like the magic treehouse series.
Cynthia says
Mo Willems – Elephant and Piggie. So cute, so funny. Love them! (But very short)
Amber says
Those are definite favorites here too.
Jennifer says
I cried more than my kids did, but it was definitely worth it! “The One and Only Ivan” is a wonderful book to read together.
Amber says
I don’t know that one. I will have to check it out!
Jennifer Tikka says
We have read a lot of these! My 9 year old loved them! Can’t wait to try the ones we haven’t read! Have you read the Roald Dahl books, we love them all! Mostly The Twits! Also the Guardian series is very very good. Much better than the movie.
Melissa says
My all-time favorite children’s book is “Summer of the Monkeys” by Wilson Rawls. He also wrote “Where the Red Fern Grows.” Your boys would LOVE it! It is about a boy in Oklahoma who discovers a bunch of monkeys in the woods who have escaped from a circus train wreck. The story is about all the ways he tries to catch the monkeys. It is hilarious and heartwarming. I cried at the end–but it was a happy cry!
Amber says
That’s actually on my 5th grader’s to read list for The Battle of the Books that he does at school, so maybe I will read that aloud to all of them!
Kami says
The assendance trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen is fantastic! We’ve read the 1st two (the false prince and the runaway king) and are eagerly awaiting the release of the 3rd in February! Clever, well written, heroic adventures!!
Amber says
Good to know!
Jackie B. says
The Underland Chronicles is a series that is lots of fun. Definitely for older elementary or middle school age kids because of some tense moments but good lessons in trust and taking responsibility for ones self. The Five Little Peppers series by Margaret Sidney written from 1881 – 1916 give a great glimpse back to a time when life for a widowed mother was much more treacherous.
Amber says
Oooh haven’t heard of either of those. I will look into them!
Nicole says
Oh Oh such a fun list. You’ve got to try the Children of Green Knowe series by L.M. Boston. We have loved it.
Amber says
Will do!
Theresa says
We love books at our house too. I loved The Wayside School books when I was a kid, so I got them to read aloud/with our kids and they love them too.
Autumn says
I LOVE the great brain books and my boys think they are great. And I’l second a Wrinkle in Time… Great list!
kresta says
I have 4 boys too! I am looking forward to exploring your blog. I love good books and we have loved several on this list. I will be requesting some new fun stuff at our library for sure.
Amber says
Sounds like we could be friends. 🙂
Kirsty says
I most recently finished reading Judy Blume’s Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing to my 4th grader and before that The Witches by Roald Dahl.
Amber says
Oh ya, I have read a few Judy Blume’s to them too! I need to do more Roald Dahl.
Sarah says
We love The Magic Treehouse series. My boys, 3 & 4 love it and are able to sit through it all. We also read the magic school bus chapter books.
Amber says
My boys love both of those too!
Heather says
I love this list! The author of Janitors came and spoke at our school when I taught third grade. Here’s a fun fact: the author got the idea when he was working as a janitor at a school when he was in college. He would go in and clean the school at night when it was dark, and quiet, and easy to imagine mysteries lurking around every corner. Of course, after that assembly all my kids wanted to read the book, and they all loved it!
Amber says
He spoke at our school too and that’s how we found this series! I hope he has a lot of success with it because it is really fun!
Brittney says
These are all great books! I want to recommend Cragbridge Hall: The Inventors Secret by Chad Morris. It’s right there in same age range (and I know for a fact Chad Morris is good friends with Brandon Mull and Tyler Whitesides. You’ll see most of them together at book release parties. 🙂
Amber says
Definitely going to check that out!
Cerise says
What a wonderful list! Our boys have just starting sitting still for chapter books can’t wait to read more of them.
We also love the Fudge series by Judy Blume. :o)
Amber says
Yep-we’ve read some of the Fudge books too!
Nic says
Thank you for this list and the suggested ages for children to read them too. I’m a Mum of 2, one an avid reader and reading well above her age and the other very reluctant. I’ve been reading to him each night in the hope of sparking his interest in reading for his own enjoyment….we have just finished reading Doctor Dolittle, which he loved. He is almost 8years old. I’m also a primary school teacher and this year I’ll be teaching year 2 (5 1/2 years-6 1/2 year olds). I love the fact there are new titles for me to investigate here. Double benefits for me 🙂
Amber says
I’ll have to try Dr. Dolittle. I think I read it as a kid but I can’t remember it.
Ashlee says
I have 2 girls and 2 boys ages 4-10 . We loved the Mary Poppins books. Also a newer series, Floors, is really good about two boys who have to run a wacky hotel with a mystery.
Amber says
Those sound GREAT!
Gwen H. says
The Planet of Junior Brown by Virginia Hamiliton
A Wrinkle in Time
Vicky says
That’s a lot of books I’ve never heard of on your list, thank you, I’m off to investigate! We always have a book on the go too. I tend to read to my 3 kids when they’re in the bath. It may sound completely mad but it makes them go nice and quiet and there’s no splashing or squabbling, just very gentle washing so they can hear the story. It also motivates them to get in the bath quickly, otherwise, it can be really hard herding them all to the bathroom with them all trying to escape!
Our favourites: Harry Potter (the first 4 books so far as kids are little ), The Worst Witch (another series based around witches at a boarding school that I read when I was young) and all the Roald Dahl books. At the moment, we’re working through kids books written by David Walliams which are written in a very similar style to Roald Dahl, they are very funny and very much up to date too.
Amber says
I’m going to have to try The Worst Witch. Several people have mentioned that one! Fun that you read while they are in the bath! 🙂
Dezi A says
Thank you for the wonderful list! I’m always looking for new books for my boys to read. We liked The Mysterious Benedict Society.
Amber says
I read that too and liked it!
Annette Thueson says
Nice list! My two favorite read alouds in the last few years were: “The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs” and “Wonder”
Amber says
Oh I think I have heard of Wonder but not the other. I will have to check them out!
Karen Abernathy says
WONDER is a book that should be read to every child and a good dialogue should ensue. A fabulous book. One of the best I have read in years. One of my all time favorite books is TUCK EVERLASTING.
Amber says
Just bought Tuck Everlasting at the book fair today!
Nancy of IN says
I’ve read several of these to my sixth graders many years ago.
Hannah Elkington says
Did “Wallace and gromit and the curse of the wererabbit” make it to the US?
Hannah Elkington says
Sorry, I meant to add that I love to read “on the way home” by
Jil l Murphy to my friends’ children and my nephews, great book for the 2-5s.
Amber says
Is that a book? I’ve seen wallace and gromit movies but never books!
Kristina Calkins says
What great books you have. Reading to my kids is my favorite activity too.
Right now we are reading Summer of the Monkeys. My son wanted me to continue to reading so badly that he did the dinner dishes. Reading success! I haven’t read Evertaster. I will have to put that on my list.
Katie says
I would recommend:
1. Junie B, Jones series by Barbara Park – I think all ages will like these – they are a “treat for the eyes I tell you.”
2. For younger kids, The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osborne,
3. “Floors” by Patrick Carman – great series – I think your boys would love it if they liked Janitors – there are two more books that follow – “3 Below” and “The Field of Wacky Inventions.”
4. Guardians of the Ga’hoole series by Kathryn Lasky. It starts with The Capture (2003) (Not for VERY young kids.)
5. And one my all time favorite series: Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. It starts with “Mister Monday.” There are seven books, and each of them pertain circumspectly to each of the seven deadly sins. For example, “Mister Monday” is sloth. “Grim Tuesday” is greed. I had a hard time waiting for the seventh book to come out – they are great reads and can be used to teach lessons about sloth, greed, gluttony, etc. Several of my adult friends have read them, and re-read them.
I think this is a great idea for a thread – I’m excited to see what others recommend. I am going to have to check out “Evertaster” and the Clementine books.
Thanks!!!
Amber says
OK, I will be looking into these! Love hearing of good new books to try!
Angela Bergeron says
Thank you! I was just starting to look into chapter books for my 5 and 6 year olds so this post came at a perfect time. My friend highly recommends My Father’s Dragon and the 2 books after that as good starter books for getting into chapter book reading. Her kids like the chronicles of Narnia too and are only 4 and 6, but she’s been reading them chapter books for awhile now.
Thank you for the book mark as well!
Amber says
My son read My Father’s Dragon and I think he liked it!
Angela says
Update! We just started reading chapter books to my 5 & 6 year old last week and so far my kids are really enjoying My Fathers Dragon and the Magic Treehouse series. It’s such an amazing feeling to see them loving the books and asking me to keep reading or to start another one. We tried Bunnicula, which I liked, but I think it was too much for just starting chapter books. We’ll keep reading these and then come back to it later when they have gotten more used to chapter reading. Thank you so much for the suggestions. Haha maybe since you did chapter books and picture books you can do intro chapter books, I’m just kidding 🙂
Rebekah L. says
Have you read the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood? Such a good series, and hilarious too.
Amber says
I haven’t even heard of that one! I will have to check it out!
Marie says
Peter and the Starcatchers is a great one! It’s the background story of how Neverland and Peter Pan and all the other fun characters on that island came to be there. So witty and so fun! There are 4 books in the series
Amber says
Oh ya! I’ve been told that one is great but haven’t tried it yet.
Lisa says
Same here.:-)
Kathy says
Thank you so much for this list! These books look like so much fun! Gonna give some of the series a try…and the great bookmark printable 🙂 I just know my kids will love it!