It goes without saying that you should continue to read picture books to your preschoolers and kindergarteners, but if your children are ready, adding in just the right chapter book can add a new dimension to your read aloud time. The qualities of the best chapter books to read aloud to 4-6 year olds are simple. The books must:
- Have relatively short chapters
- Incorporate engaging and memorable characters
- Tell quirky and unique adventures
In addition, if you are reading aloud to children of different ages, all of the following choices are excellent for older kids, as well.
Note: this list contains Amazon and Bookshop affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may earn a commission for this blog. Bookshop also supports independent bookstores.
Teddy and Co. by Cynthia Voight
This is an absolutely adorable story about a group of toys who love to explore the world. I loved how Teddy was always lost in his philosophical thoughts, and Umpah the elephant was a grand baker. When several new toys join the group, Mr. B the rabbit with a frilly collar, and a doll who wants to be a queen, the others find they take a bit of getting used to. This is one of those books that I actually think works better as a read aloud than an independent read and it struck me as a sort of modern Winnie-the-Pooh.
My Father's Dragon (series) by Ruth Stiles Gannett
This trilogy of books is mentioned on several of my book lists. I include it here again because, frankly, it always takes me by surprise that I still meet people who have never heard of My Father's Dragon. That is a good reminder to me, too. Not everyone has had equal exposure to children's books. Anyway... this is my number one recommendation for a very first chapter read aloud. I am not exaggerating when I say we have read all three books at least 5 times. The story follows Elmer who runs aways with a knapsack full of assorted items like rubber bands and lollipops. He is on a mission to rescue a baby dragon, but he can only do so if he is clever enough to get past a bunch of rather self-absorbed wild animals. When my son's kindergarten teachers read this aloud and my son came home and insisted I read it again, too. It is that good.
The Very Very Far North (series) by Dan Bar-El
This is my new favorite read aloud, and I don't say that lightly! Duane the polar bear has a curiosity and sense of adventure that leads him first to a shipwreck where he meets C.C. the Owl. He then encounters more new friends like Handsome the musk ox, Magic the arctic fox, and Major Puffin. Together, they explore the wonders of the northern landscape. The cast of animals is as diverse in their personalities as they are in species and the thread of the story focuses on learning to appreciate one's friends. An absolute must-read book, and an excellent choice for kids of all ages.
A Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith
On this blog I have frequently recommended the books of prolific author Dick King-Smith. His books are excellent choices for kids reading and listening to chapter books for the first time. He is best known book is Babe: The Gallant Pig and The Water Horse but A Mouse Called Wolf is another book with enduring appeal. A young mouse named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart uses his talent for singing to entertain and help others.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
When I first started reading this to the boys I was a bit nervous. A few years ago I had attempted it, but my older son was scared off by the cyclone. This time around, however, the boys gobbled it up. They simply refused to let me put it down. I even had to do recaps of the action while I brushed my younger son's teeth! The movie (while wonderful in its own right) is not an acceptable substitute. Read this original "American Fairy Tale" with your kids. A word of advice: because this book is now in the public domain there are a lot of iffy versions out there. You need to make sure you get a copy with the original color illustrations.
Want more books to read aloud to 4, 5 and 6 year olds? Try these lists:
Catwings (series) by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrated by S. D. Schindler
Le Guin's classic fantasy adventure about winged cats is a short novel about 50 pages long. Four flying cats leave the city for the country, where they must overcome danger. Not to worry, all ends happily. Catwings novels make exceptional read alouds, especially for early elementary-aged children.
Detective Gordon: The First Case by Ulf Nilsson
I read this charming Swedish import to both my kids a few months ago. Detective Gordon, the local crime stopper, has more of a penchant for tea and cakes than he does for police work, and don't even think about asking him to use the gun. He gets a small but enthusiastic assistant when he meets up with a young mouse, who he mistakenly takes for the criminal in a case he has to solve. Together they concoct a plan to discover the real thief, who has stolen all of Squirrel's nuts. The lovely, colorful illustrations are a wonderful accompaniment.
Jenny and the Cat Club (series) by Esther Averill
Averill started writing about Jenny and her gang of feline friends in the 1940s and they still hold up today. These are short chapter books and go quickly for kids with less than stellar attention spans.
The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage by Chris Kurtz
I just read this aloud to both boys when they were ages 8 and 4 and we all found it quite delightful. Atop her manure pile, Flora dreams of exciting adventures; she longs to get out into the world! She want to go on an expedition and run with the sled dogs! There’s just one problem. She’s a pig. Finding herself on a ship headed for Antarctica, she digs deep inside her optimistic and brave little self to make her dreams come true
Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff by Robert Paul Weston
This delightful novel is written entirely in verse. The premise is wonderfully silly: in the Kingdom of Spiff everyone is obsessed with fashion, and ridiculously elaborate fashion at that. Well, almost everyone, the Princess prefers pajamas... and books. In Spud, however, things are a bit different and when Puggly of Spud and Frannie of Spiff meet up they set out to teach the others a thing or two about what is really important. This is really fun to read aloud because of the fantastical vocabulary and the rhyming couplets. Even the font is "fancified." I do, however, recommend it for more experienced listeners. I certainly think a 5 year old can listen to it, but it is not the usual fare and I found that mini recaps of the action before we began each reading session to be extra-helpful. Nevertheless, it was a hit.
Mary @ Sprout's Bookshelf says
We've been reading lots of chapter books lately to Sprout (age 4 1/2). His recent faves are Socks by Cleary, the Mouse and the Motorcycle series by Cleary, Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke, and Mr. Popper's Penguins by Atwater. We just started A Bear Called Paddington last night and so far, he's hooked! Oh, and the Toys Go Out series is one we read based on your recommendation and it's one of our top picks, hands-down (I think we'll be reading it again!).
Erica MomandKiddo says
Those are great choices, too, Mary. I love all of them!
emmy mills says
Yes! That is verry good book options!!
I love all those boooks!
Even in Australia says
A lot of these sound perfect for my action- and laughter-loving 6-year-old. I always start off chapter book reading with Ramona and All-of-a-Kind Family, which both my girls loved. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was a hit with both of them too. My older daughter had a lot of patience for "quieter" books but my younger one doesn't. Tumtum and Nutmeg has proven to be a success with her.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Oh yes, they loved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. We read that two years ago, maybe it is time for a repeat -- or we could read an additional book from that series.
Even in Australia says
Oh, and in my search of the NYPL for these, I discovered there is an adult ROMANCE called The Chocolate Touch!!
Erica MomandKiddo says
HAHAHA! Too funny! And also? Kind of weird...
Jen says
Thank you so much for this book list I"m constantly on the lookout for interesting chapter books to read to my 5 year old. He's been ready for longer, more interesting story lines for quite a while but many of the books he finds intersting (written for middle graders) have subject matter that's scary or causes him to worry. I'm excited to have more options. I'd also like to recommend The Imaginary Veterinary books books by Suzanne Selfors. They're written for middle graders but are great for a younger crowd, too. Nothing too scary or adult. They are filled with all sorts of fun, imaginary creaters like Sasquatch, Dragons, Leprechans, etc. There are currenly 3 books in the series (book 4 due out in July). My son loves them. We've read them mulitple times and are anxiously awaiting the 4th book.
Erica MomandKiddo says
I'm familiar with Suzanne Selfors but I haven't read any of those books. Thank you so much for the recommendations. Take a look at some of the other lists at the bottom of the post, you should find more appropriate books on those lists, too!
Catherine @ Story Snug says
Thanks for putting together this list 🙂
We also like Anna Hibiscus. Well illustrated first chapter books that we like are Dixie O'Day: Life in the Fast Lane by Clara Vulliamy and we've just started reading the Claude books by Alex T. Smith. Going back to my childhood books we are also enjoying Teddy Robinson and the My Naughty Little Sister stories.
Erica MomandKiddo says
I do love Anna Hibiscus! I've not heard of the others you mention, thanks for the recommendations.
Pragmatic Mom says
Oooh! Can't wait to read your list. We love My Father's Dragon but most are new to us! Thanks Erica!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Yay! Thanks, Mia! You are a book guru, I'm happy I could give YOU recommendations!
Emily Stott says
There are some new ones for me on here, and I can't wait to check them out! We just finished an Emil book by Astrid Lindgren and both my preschooler and toddler loved it. Thanks for the suggestions!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Yes, Emil is great! That's on our chapter books for preschoolers list. The Lotta series by Astrid Lindgren is great, too.
Bridget says
Summer of the monkeys....best book we ever read out loud....but movie is awful 🙁
Erica MomandKiddo says
I've never heard of the book or the movie! Thanks for the recommendation, Bridget -- and the warning 🙂
Ginny says
Links to these books would be awesome! My boys are 3 and 4 1/2. Looking to start doing this. Thanks!
Erica MomandKiddo says
I'm not sure what you mean, Ginny. There are links in the post to each of the books on Amazon. If you are reading the post on a mobile device maybe they are not showing up.
confidentparentsconfidentkids says
Thanks so much! Was looking for one to get us started. I've tried a few and he has not remained interested so am going to try out "My Father's Dragon" and hope we'll start a trend! 🙂
Erica MomandKiddo says
It is such a great choice. If you've only just started chapter books, I think the list chapter books for preschoolers (suitable for 3-6 year olds on up) will also be really useful for you. There is a link to that list at the bottom of the post.
Jennifer @ Generation iKid says
I love My Father's Dragon! We'll have to check out some of these others. Thanks for the suggestions!
Jennifer @ Generation iKid
Librarian Lauren says
I read Ragweed as an adult. Then tried to read Poppy. Wasn't expecting Ragweed's demise so quickly and with so little ado. Couldn't finish it. One example of where kids are perhaps more resilient than adults.
Erica MomandKiddo says
I was quite surprised by Ragweed's sudden demise, too. I would love to have heard the conversation between Avi and his editor! I do love Poppy, too, though and we ended up reading the rest of the series -- except for one of them which we still need to get from the library.
Geetha says
I remember reading The Chocolate Touch when I was a kid and loving it. Last year, I went looking for it for my 6 year old son. I couldn't remember the name, I thought it was Chocolate Midas, until a librarian recognized the storyline for me. My son found it a bit intimidating at first, since it looked text heavy. But my kids enjoyed my reading it out loud. Later, I found him thumbing thru it and rereading the parts that's he found the most riveting. 😀
Erica MomandKiddo says
I love it when my kids flip through the books after we have finished reading them aloud. Then I know I was successful in picking a good book!
Gina says
The teachers and kindergarten class at my school love Catherine Cooper's "Golden Acorn" series. It's like Harry Potter, but not as scary. My daughters ages 5 and 10 love them, too!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for the recommendation.
Tina at Mommynificent says
I love this list! Thanks so much for sharing. There are a lot of new ones here for me. A few favorites of our family that immediately come to mind are Lois Lowry's Gooney Bird Greene series and Half Magic by Edward(?) Eager. I'd love to have you join our book-loving community any Thursday you wish at Booknificent Thursdays on Mommynificent.com. Please come and link up this post and others like it!
Tina
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks, Tina. Those are two favorites of ours, also!
Samantha says
I went to our public library this morning to check out The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. All that they had were adapted versions. They said they were glad that I pointed out that they didn't have the original and they are going to order it. Your blog post has made this book available to many more kids now 🙂
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thank you SO MUCH for telling me that! And hooray for libraries who listen to their patrons!
Nicole Avesani says
This is such a great list! Most of which I haven't heard of. I'm "newish" to children's chapter books since my oldest is only 4. Recently we started peeling through the Magic Tree House series and he really loves them. I notice he kinda stares into space as I read and then perks up when there's a page with a picture.... I'm sure this is normal, and I know he's listening and retaining because I ask him questions. But, it seems like he's still being anchored by the pictures... so my question is whether or not the above mentioned books have the occasional page with a picture? Thanks again!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Nicole, My son also perks up when there are pictures! All of these books do have pictures, but probably the best for you are My Father's Dragon and Wizard of Oz. Most of these books are a higher level than MTH, so you might find better selections on my chapter books for preschoolers list (there's a link in the post above). But definitely read My Father's Dragon, next!!!
Deborah Hanley says
Here's another one for you to consider, It falls within your guidelines of being a 'middle reader level' chapter book for reading aloud to age 8 and under. It's not too scary and has active and independent boy and girl characters. And who doesn't enjoy talking to their child like a pirate?
"Pirates' Gold" by D. Goodknight Hanley
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMI0TKE
Rosie says
Thanks for this awesome list. I just read The Chocolate Touch to my class of 7/8 year olds in Auckland, New Zealand. We really enjoyed it and it wasn't too hard to get through with only time for one chapter a day. Next we'll try My Father's Dragon.
Erica MomandKiddo says
That's great to hear! I'm glad the book is popular on the other side of the world, too. 🙂
Amy @ Sunlit Pages says
Somehow I missed this list when you originally posted it. I'm so glad you put it up on Facebook. There are several books on this list I haven't heard of, and I'm excited to explore them with my kids!
Mark says
Love your list of best read aloud books. My two boys are aged 4 and 6 and haven't read a lot of these. I put together a similar list at my website, http://www.excitedkids.com and I will add a link to this page as I am sure my readers will enjoy your site. Thanks
Ginette says
If you liked Owls in the Family, you will love The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, also by Farley Mowat. He also mentions the owls in a couple of the chapters. My son who was about 6 at the time we read this just fell in love with it, even though I thought at times the vocabulary was over his head (the exposure can't hurt!!). It was at times hilarious, and just right to read aloud. We also enjoyed "A Mouse Called Wolf" and "Funny Frank" both by Dick King-Smith.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for the recommendations. I agree that King-Smith has a bunch of great books. He's on my list of books to read aloud to preschoolers, and are of course enjoyed by older kids, too!
Alicia Markey says
Thanks for this list. My little guy is ready for some chapter books and this list helped a lot. I just put Three Tales of My Father's Dragon on hold at the library! Looking forward to it.
Erica MomandKiddo says
That's great! I hope you will both enjoy it!
elowynp says
I'm excited to say the only book I've read on this list is The Wizard of Oz, how exciting to have so many to look for! My 6yo and I have this year read Peter Pan, all the AA Milne, Pippy Longstocking, The Hobbit, and books 1 to 3 of Harry Potter, (along with all our favourite picture books, I also have a 3yo). Luckily I read ahead in book 4 and then somehow 'lost' it and the rest of the series, for a few more years at least! Lately she has been bringing home these truly awful fairy books from her school library, every one has the exact same plot and there are about 15 in the series. So very excited to have a list to work from for our Christmas books. Thanks!
Erica MomandKiddo says
I'm glad the list was helpful! And I know what you mean about those awful series. My boys don't bring home fairy books, but they do bring home other series I'd rather not read. 🙂
Cindy Warming says
A great list and perfect for this first grade teacher who's always looking for quality books to read aloud!! Just wondering if in all your readings, you've come across quality historical fiction for this age group??
Erica MomandKiddo says
That's a good question! I've been looking into historical fiction for my 4th grader, but hmmm... 1st graders are a little trickier. There's a great book I like called "The Doll Shop Downstairs" set in early 20th Century NYC that I love. It may not be "exciting" enough for an entire class, though. I'll have to give it some thought!
Rachel S. says
I saw this post recently, and I suddenly remembered how much I loved "My Father's Dragon" when I was little. I probably haven't thought about that book in 20 years! I went right out and got the whole trilogy for my son's fourth birthday. We finished the first book last night. I never would have thought that he would be ready for a chapter book, but we are having a great time with it. Thank you so much for the idea!
Erica MomandKiddo says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Zuly Winkler says
Erica, thank you so much for this wonderful list!! My four-year old daughter will be thrilled when she gets the books! We no longer live in the US. I am ordering it at speedy delivery, all of it thru amazon's, so my husband can pick it up in his upcoming visit to US this weekend and bring it to us down here in Colombia. What a gift your your book list was to us today!
Erica MomandKiddo says
I'm so glad you found the list useful!
marie says
Thank you so much! I took my 3 and 4 year old's to the library and we checked out my fathers dragon....my 4 year old son LOVED it! They don't have all 3 so i just ordered them online. Cant wait to read the rest on your list! 🙂
Erica MomandKiddo says
I am SO delighted to hear that! If you are just starting out, another good list to use is the chapter books for preschoolers, list. https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2012/08/50-chapter-books-for-preschoolers-and-3-year-olds.html Happy reading!
Karen C says
What a fantastic list you’ve come up with! Thank you for sharing this with your readers. I recently had a book recommended for my daughter and I to read that we have just fallen in love with.called “The Little Brown Animal” by DiMari Bailey (http://www.dimaribailey.com). This felt like a modern “Ugly Duckling” in the sense that it takes the ideas of loving yourself in all forms, but instead of “becoming” beautiful, realizing the beauty that has been inside you all along…and then passing that knowledge on to others who need it. Teaching a young girl these values is SO important in today’s world, the sooner they learn to accept themselves the better they will be in the long run. A must for parents (especially with young daughters). I hope this makes it on a future list of yours for sure
Tara says
Thanks for this list, I just started reading the Magic Tree House series to my 4 year old. I look forward to adding these books to our list. Do any of the books on this list feature children of color? I am determined to read books that feature children who are various races to my son. I think it's important. He needs to see books fearturing children who look like him.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Hi Tara, This is not a particularly diverse list. While in the past year I have worked hard an making my lists more diverse, you can find specific multicultural lists here: https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/tag/multicultural-books. In particular, this list has some terrific chapter book read alouds for a 4 year old: https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2014/02/multicultural-early-chapter-books-for-kids.html
Megan says
Just found your blog today! Thanks for these wonderful book lists! Just put in a giant request list to my library!! 😀
Carrie says
My Father's Dragon and its sequels are excellent! My first graders also loved The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Great books!
Theresa says
We would never have discovered the Moomins without your wonderful lists! My five year old son loved this whimsical story so much, he wrote his own Moomin chapter book: "A Moomin Christmas", "The Moomins have a Baby" and "Snufkin Hides". You have no idea how your time has touched one little boy's love of reading and now writing. Thank you.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Hi Theresa, Your comment makes me SO happy! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! Happy reading (and writing)!
Jessica says
Thank you for taking time to create this wonderful website. I had been on the hunt for the perfect chapter book for my 5 year old. I picked up a copy of My Father's Dragon and my son loved it. Chapter after chapter he kept wanting more. He laughed out load and asked me to reread his favorite parts. I look forward to a summer filled with new adventures through these book recommendations.
KT says
I love this list so much. We recently finished Wizard of Oz and my four year old cannot get enough of it. We reenact it (I always get to be the wicked witch - ha), and talk about it constantly. Thank you!
Erica says
I am so delighted to hear this, thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Mia says
Thank you for this great list! I put them all on hold at our local library this past week. My 5 year old son and I are ravenously rifling through them!
Phyllis Gardner says
Yet another thank you for this wonderful list!! - I've got my work cut out for me! I'm a grandma who would rather do nothing else than read to the kids.
Erica says
Wonderful! You are helping your grandkids to love books!
Amy says
For those that read Owls in the Family to your kiddos, how did you deal with the heavier scenes - I felt unprepared for the subtle racism and blackface, violence to animals and suicide that came up in the book when reading to my 5 year old! I guess this is a good lesson for me to read books myself before I choose them as read alouds! I discussed the racism in broad terms as well as the violence to animals but was able to gloss over the Indian hanging for now. Maybe in a few years...
Erica says
Hi Amy,
This is a resource I like to point parents towards. It has some ideas as to how to approach racism in books. I hope it is helpful. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_really_read_racist_books_to_your_kids
Stephanie Best says
Thanks for the great list. I'm looking forward to checking out Ragweed. And don't forget all of the other wonderful books in the original Wizard of Oz series. They were my favorite growing up. And FYI, Tove Jansson was a woman. 🙂
Erica says
Oh my goodness, thanks for the heads up on Tove Jansson!
Suzy Biddiscombe says
Ok, so I know this post might be old...but it's how I found your site! We really wanted to start reading longer books to our boy and I found your list and it is so great! I just started reading My Father's Dragon and he *loves* it. Thank you!! (you might've just saved bedtime, haha)
Erica says
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know.
Briana says
Thanks for these recommendations! My 4-year-old loves to read, so we picked up My Father's Dragon from the library. He is loving it! Wonderful first chapter book for us to enjoy together!
Erica says
Fantastic! Happy reading.
Meredith says
I'm a reading specialist and had NEVER heard of My Father's Dragon. Yes, I know...now that I've read it, I simply can't fathom how people don't know about it. Simply AWESOME! I plan to read every book on your list, you seem to really get what I'm going for! Thanks for taking the time to write this list and help those seeking quality literature for young readers/listeners.
Erica says
I'm delighted to know that you have found the book lists helpful! Happy reading!
Sheila says
My husband read the entire series of Oz books to our three boys the year they were each in kindergarten. I believe there are 13 books in all. The beautiful, fragile books have been passed down from my husband's grandmother, and possibly her mother before that. The vocabulary in them is outstanding, and the boys loved that one on one daddy time!
Torrie @ To Love and To Learn says
Thanks for the wonderful list! I just ordered a bunch of these titles and can't wait to dive in! We're just starting to homeschool my daughter this year (unexpectedly, thanks to the pandemic), and this was such a great list to get us going. Can't wait to check out more of your site!
Erica says
Happy reading!
Courtney says
Hi Erica! I just came across this list. I was wondering if you could tell me what are your top 3 choices for chapter books? Your blog says to watch "this video" to see but I don't see any video! I've checked on my mobile device and on the desktop. Help!
Erica says
So sorry about that. The video was jumping to the sidebar, but I fixed it so it's stationary. The three books I talk about in the video are Mr. Popper's Penguins, My Father's Dragon and Catwings. I had originally made the video for a different post here: https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/50-chapter-books-for-preschoolers-and-3-year-olds/ which is why all three books are not on this list. 🙂
Dayna Crandall says
Willodeen by Katherine Applegate is an amazing read aloud with so many incredible messages and topics. I have recommended it to many teachers and parents.
Lena says
Great list. For younger kiddos, I like Francine Poulet and the Ghost Raccoon by Kate Dicamillo as well as Leroy Ninker saddles up. My second and third graders loved Lulu Walks the Dogs by Judith Viorst ( of Alexander and the terrible horrible ….)
Erica says
Those are great books, too!
Abdul says
The selection of books mentioned in this post is truly outstanding. I must say that this list of chapter books for 4-6-year-olds is an absolute treasure trove! Reading aloud to young children is a magical experience, and finding the right chapter book can elevate it to new heights.
I appreciate how the author emphasizes the qualities that make these chapter books perfect for read-aloud sessions.