I need some suggestions for early chapter books. I know of Magic tree house series and somehow, my son doesn’t tolerate those when I read-aloud. Any other books?
The Little House on the Prarie books are a huge hit.
I know that people are reluctant to use abridged classes but I do. The Stepping Stone series of lassies is really good. As is the Illustrated Classics series.
James absolutely loved the Wizard of Oz books.
Winnie the Pooh or Peter Rabbit? Not quite chapter books I think.
My daughter also did not like my reading, so I started with storytelling. It was a bit hard (or brain growing) for me 
For several months, I retold at least one new fairy tale every day. It was interesting; some fairy tales she wanted more and more, and asked more and more questions.
Than I started to retell Winnie the Pooh. When these stories were retold many times in a very simple way, and discussed, my daughter was ready to listen a book. Similarly it was with other fairy tales - she was ready to listen my reading after my simplified story.
Wizard of Oz was the first book she really loved without my simplified version.
Here are some of the many I have read my daughter over the last 3 years (she has just turned 5 now):
Charlotte’s Web
Stuart Little
Magic Tree House series
The Magic Faraway Tree
Adventures of the Wishing Chair
Ramona Quimby series
Henry Huggins
Pippi Longstocking
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Little House in the Big Woods
As for early chapter books that my daughter read herself I used mostly Puffin Early Readers and Corgi Pups books as well as Step into Reading early chapter books and Usborne Young Reading Series - there are many titles here so you should find something your child likes. I usually just go to the early readers in the library and take out a few that look fun.
We LOVE Geronimo Stilton!! Lots of color and pictures while still being a chapter book.
This is the first chapter book I could get my older son into.
http://geronimostilton.com/
Thanks for the recommendation, Waterdreamer. What age range exactly would you recommend Stilton books please?
Thanks in advance.
I just realized that we had some early early chapter like books. The Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel would fall into that category.
My seven year old loves them. I think if a child had the ability to sit it would be age appropriate for as young as 4 or 5 year old IMO. There is a bit of name call like cheese brain. But Wes loves it.
Yeah I agree with the age 7. If you have a sweet sensitive 4/5 year old then hold off on Stilton but if you have a BOY or a well read child then start earlier. I think most 4 year olds would miss too many of the funny bits but would still enjoy the stories. After age 5.6 to 6 they will get all the jokes and love the story.
T the list I will add Billie B Brown ( for very young kids up to age 7)
Junie B Jones for after you run out of Billie B Brown books
Tashi. Great story with some difficult words but less writing per page. A hit with young boys. Try to get the book split into 10 rather than the big book of Tashi which is just too big for little kids to hold.
Plus there are also a entire range of levelled readers that are actually beginner chapter books called " I can read" level 1 is a longer picture book that is set out to look like a chapter book, level two and up are more like chapter books. There are LOTS of different titles.
My 2 year old daughter loves Magic Tree House, but she’s also enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Pippi Longstocking, and Dr Doolittle (the old books). I think One Hundred and One Dalmations will be a big hit, because she loves dogs, so that’s up next (the original, by Dottie Smith, not one based on the movie). Junie B Jones is fun too.
But think about what subjects interest your child. My daughter got shown Disney’s The Jungle Book by grandparents and fell in love with it, so we read some chapters of the original Kipling Mowgli stories. (Warning: parental skipping may be required with this method. Some of the Mowgli stories are not OK for my 2 year old.) I would have said it was way too advanced for her, but we discussed it and then she started comparing and contrasting the two versions. So if it’s something your child is really intersted in, feel free to skip the Junie B Jones/Magic Tree House level and read the harder stuff. It might work!
My daughter is really enjoying the Junie B Jones series right now.
I love reading Wizard of Oz as a kid:)))))
My 3-year-old loves the Disney princess chapter books I’ve been reading to her, and yes, so do I! They have full-color illustrations, which has really helped my kids show an interest I longer books. They are only 8-ish chapters long, which has helped with endurance as well. My kids really liked Little House and Narnia at first, but they don’t have the endurance for them yet. These have been a hit and I’m optimistic that they will help bridge us into longer books.
http://www.goodreads.com/series/87952-disney-princess-chapter-books
My 5-year-old son needs something like this for his own reading. I was optimistic about Magic Treehouse. He did read the dinosaur one and liked it, but then we did the volcano one and he thought it was scary and he says he wants books with full color pictures now. :rolleyes: He enjoys the princess books, but I’m reading them aloud so he waits for that.
My oldest loved the Little House books
Here is a list of 50 chapter books for 3-5 year old readers. It states they are appropriate for younger readers
http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2012/08/50-chapter-books-for-preschoolers-and-3-year-olds.html
Enjoy
What a fabulous list, Mandabplus3! Thanks!
My eldest daughter loves the Magic Ballerina series by Darcey Bussell
My 5 year old is now enjoying Professor Branestawm - she likes the humour though I am sure the play on words is going over her head. She is reading it herself, but if your child likes humour then you could always read this to them. They are probably best from 7 years old though.
The other books she really liked at age 4 were the easier Dick King Smith books (he wrote early reader chapter books as well as longer chapter books and some are more suitable for younger readers than others)
Great list Mandabplus3 :biggrin:
the “bubbles first storybooks”.its colourful and shows how important is good behaviour.
http://booksgalore01.blogspot.com/2009/10/bubbles-series.html
http://www.gealibris.com/?com=com_catalogue&view=product&action=from_series&Itemid=579&lang=en