Chapter Books To Read Aloud To Your Kids

Kelly R. said:  My second grader has been reading the Wayside School series over FaceTime with her grandmother, and I hear the two of them in hysterics over the antics in these funny chapter books. Each chapter tells a story about a different teacher or student in Wayside School, a school that was accidentally built sideways and 30 stories high. It's written at just the right level for them to take turns reading to each other.

Shila said:  E.B. White's Charlotte's Web is one of the sweetest chapter books to read aloud with your kids. It's full of talking farm animals, friendship, and life lessons that may or may not induce a little tear. So sit close while reading in case you need to lend a hug in that chapter!

Shila said:  Harry Potter is one of those books that's great to read at any age. It's full of mystery and enchantment. Young or old, you'll appreciate varying aspects of the 7-part series. My first grader was enthralled by the idea of a secret school for magic where everything comes alive! I enjoyed picking up on J.K. Rowling's impeccable detail only to discover it seamlessly incorporated back in scenes later. This can be a challenging book for early elementary-aged children to read alone, which makes it all the better to read together.

Shila said:  In Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a young boy draws a lucky hand to win an epic contest! The special prize is a behind-the-scenes tour of one of the most magical candy factories in the world. Imagine a kid in a candy store multiplied by ten! Each character truly makes the story, and you'll never fail to remember the unique personalities in this one.

This was one of our favorite books to read aloud, followed by enjoying it on the big screen for family movie night.

Shila said:  The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, are a series of pure fantasy novels that are ideal for bedtime reading and magical dreaming. There can be a lot of detail within, so these are good books to read aloud with kids in order to reinforce some character actions and morals. The Narnia series is widely enjoyed by adults, too.

Shila said:  Ralph is a mouse who lives in a hotel and befriends a young guest staying in one of the rooms. The boy is shocked to learn that Ralph can talk! If you ask my kids, the best part of reading Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle together was using a "high-pitched chipmunk voice" to narrate Ralph's lines. Because of those smiles (and the cute story!), we recommend this as one of our favorite read aloud chapter books for kids.

Shila said:  When I was in elementary school, my teacher read Gary Paulsen's Hatchet aloud to our classroom and I had always admired the main character's ingenuity. I recently read a chapter a night to my child at home and she's grasping the same. This book makes you wonder: if you were stranded with only one tool, how would you use it to thrive?

Michael Farina said:  Our family started this 12-book collection by Cressida Cowell when our son was 5 and enamored with the movie series. The books and movies follow very different plots, but both remain the tale of a brainy misfit trying to find his way in the Hairy Hooligan tribe, turning adversaries into allies along the way. The early stories are relatively lighthearted, full of wonder and discovery, but as Hiccup grows up in the later books, the stakes rise, and lead to a beautiful and fitting conclusion, with some poignant lessons about growing up.

An added bonus: David Tenet narrates the audiobooks, doing a masterful job of bringing the characters to life. We listened to one of the books in a car ride that was 100% free of "are we there yet?" questions.

Vanessa M. said:  A castle, a princess, a young maid, and a tiny mouse with a great big heart...It's The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. I recently read this beautifully written book out loud with my kids, and we all loved it!

Shila said:  Richard Atwater's Mr. Popper's Penguins will delight kids and adults alike! This award-winning chapter book is funny and theatrical. What would you do if a penguin family showed up to live in your home?

Shila said:  R. A. Montgomery's Choose Your Own Adventure books are not only amazing mystery books, they check the box for family fun time too. These are great chapter books to read aloud to your kids; they encourage discussion and interactive gameplay! Every chapter or so, you'll find a stop sign to pause and make a decision based on the running circumstance. Depending on your choice to proceed, readers can skip ahead, go back to a specific page, or continue on the same path. Choose Your Own Adventure books can actually have a variety of different endings!

Sarah Calamita said:  An entertaining chapter series about the adventures of 4 kids! Great for K-2.

Renee Signorelli said:  Little House on the Prairie books are perfect chapter books to read aloud to children. They are stories that are wholesome and include family life, morals, hard work, perseverance, adventure, and teach of simpler times.

Shila said:  Grandmamma knows about witch craft and she's going to drop all her knowledge here, page after page! I loved reading Roald Dahl's Witches aloud to my daughter, who loves the movie version and other scary tales too. This book is a page turner any time of the year, but you could try reading one chapter every night leading up to Halloween as a fun way to pump up the month of October!

Shila said:  Roald Dahl has a way with storytelling that appeals to kids and parents! Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of those entertaining chapter books to read aloud with kids starring a sly and persistent fox who is stealing from a trio of increasingly upset farmers.

Shila said:  This long-adored chapter book, by Judy Blume, is a quick and silly read for parents and kids to read aloud together. It's about a 2nd grader who wishes to have freckles and creates a concoction in order to do so!

Kelly R. said:  This is the perfect first read aloud chapter book for kids who are able to sit and listen to longer books, in kindergarten or even late preschool. The stories in the illustrated trilogy (which also stand alone well) begin when a boy runs away to rescue a baby dragon on a faraway island. Chapters are filled with excitement and enough suspense to keep kids interested in what will happen next.

Michael Farina said:  I can describe the plot (a young hatmaker, accidentally cursed to transform into an old lady, seeks out the Wizard Howl and makes a deal with his fire demon to break the curse), but that won’t come close to capturing the mystery and innocent magic of this book. This reminds me of The Wizard of Oz, but without the looming threat of death.

Shila said:  E.B. White's Stewart Little tells an adventurous tale of a kind mouse living in New York City. Stewart shows up on the big screen as one of the best family movies to enjoy with your kids too.

Sarah Calamita said:  Make reading fun and learn about Junie B Jones' kindergarten adventures. Great for preschooler or kindergarteners!

Sarah Calamita said:  Learn the tales of Jack and Annie's dreams and adventures. My kindergarteners teacher read this series to them over Zoom every day and she never wanted to miss it!

Sarah Calamita said:  This is an easy chapter book, you can finish a few chapters per night. Great to alternate between you reading and your child reading. Rebecca Elliott has a way of writing that makes kids so interested in hearing what is next. My daughter begs to read one every night! Best for age K-2.

Lisa R said:  The American Girl series consists of six book sets about young girls living during historical time periods. I loved reading them as a child and am enjoying reading them with my daughter now, although some story lines have aged better than others! We particularly enjoyed the Kit Kittredge series set during the Great Depression and starring an aspiring young newspaper reporter. The Kit series consists of the original six historical novels (plus one about her friend Ruthie) as well as longer mystery novels that have a Nancy Drew vibe.

Shila said:  In Night of the Twisters, Ivy Ruckman creates a short yet suspenseful chapter book told from the perspective of a young boy recounting the hour-by-hour moments leading up to a tornado touchdown in his town. The beginning chapters are the most captivating, followed by life lessons in independence, community, and friendship. The book is loaded with tons of descriptive language to help imagine yourself set in scene.

Shila said:  The Jungle Book is one of the best Disney movies of all time but few have read Rudyard Kipling's actual book! Each chapter lends itself to another set of short stories, which is perfect for reading at bedtime with your kids.