favorite chapter books for young readers

chapter books, young readers

Table of Contents

Lately I’ve been reading Little House in the Big Woods to my girls at bedtime. It was one of my favorite books when I was younger and it’s so fun sharing these memories with them. Today I wanted to share some of my favorite chapter books for young readers with you all. Depending on the age and reading level of your children these might be better to read to them. However, for kids that are older these are great books to introduce them to the world of chapter books. You’ll find both classic and contemporary books on this list. I personally think they both have something great to teach our children! Links contain affiliates, all opinions are my own.

chapter books, young readers

the best chapter books for young readers

Little House in the Big Woods

I think the Little House series is such a fun read with little ones. It can lead to some really great discussions because it depicts a time so different from the one they’re used to. If your readers are really young then you can start them out with these great “My First Little House Books”. They take specific parts and wording from the original and add in lots of large, colorful illustrations. If you’re slightly obsessed like I am than I also highly recommend The World of Little House. It’s full of background and insights about the Little House books. It also has lots of crafts and recipes that they talk about in the books so it’s really fun to do them with your kids as you read them!

Charlotte’s Web

I must admit, I never read Charlotte’s Web until I was an adult in college. It was assigned reading for my children’s lit class and I was shocked that I hadn’t read it until then. I’d seen the movie, of course, but hadn’t ever read the book. To be honest it just never really appealed to me. When I finally read it I realized what a sweet story it was with some wonderful lessons on love and friendship.

| Nostalgic Books Your Kids Will Love |

A Little Princess

I first read A Little Princess in third grade when I picked it off the library shelf because it looked pretty. Give me a break, I was a kid. But I quickly fell in love with it and have read it several more times since then. Of course, I was a big fan of the movie when I was younger too. If you’re familiar with either the movie or the book you should know that they are a little different. So be prepared. I do feel like this book is for children that are a little older because of some of the themes it deals with and some of the events in the book. If you have really little ones you can add to your BabyLit library with A Little Princess: A BabyLit Friendship Primer.

How to Train Your Dragon

My husband is currently reading through this series with our son and he loves it. I’ve heard bits and pieces as they’re reading and it sounds really funny. My husband did say that the movies don’t really follow the books at all. So sadly this might be your child’s first experience with adaptation let-down (you know it’s a real thing). There are 11 books in the How to Train Your Dragon series but they’re quick reads.

| Great Books about Hope |

The Landry News

The Landry News  is another book that was assigned to me in my children’s lit class and I remember when it was assigned thinking, “Really? This book?” I soon discovered though that it is a really good book with important lessons for any child to learn–the power of words, the difference one person can make, and that our actions have consequences. It’s a fun, quick read and has a few simple illustrations scattered throughout.

What are some of your favorite chapter books for young readers? What was your favorite book growing up?